Franken on WGA strike: “Not even for Colbert”

As The Daily Show  and The Colbert Report return to the air, Publishers Weekly looks at the dilemma faced by authors: How to promote titles on “two of the most effective book publicity outlets on TV” without having to cross the picket line. The Writers Guild of America has been on strike for over two months, and the two writer-less programs returned to the airwaves on Monday.

Tuesday evening at a campaign event in Duluth, Publishers Weekly asked former Saturday Night Live writer Al Franken, who also happens to be an author and U.S. Senate candidate, whether he would appear on The Colbert Report if invited. “I don’t cross picket lines,” he replied. “I would never cross that picket line. Not even for Colbert.”

The article also notes that Michael Pollan and Paul Krugman have already declined to appear on the popular Comedy Central programs.