Franken at far right. Photo: SNL Archive

Franken at far right. Photo: SNL Archive

In a story on the Senate Judiciary Committee taking up Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court next week, the New York Times makes mention of something noted here last week: committee member Al Franken’s 1991 TV portrayal of a U.S. senator on the same committee, questioning a Supreme Court nominee.

Franken has said he’ll ask Sotomayor about campaign finance reform, but on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” he was only looking for a date.

It was the opening bit on the SNL show on Oct. 12, 1991, satirizing Senate hearings about the nomination of Clarence Thomas.

UPDATE: NBC has now released the video clip of the sketch. Watch it here. 

Franken played the late Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois in trademark bow-tie. Among the other actors were the late Phil Hartman as Sen. Edward Kennedy, the late Chris Farley as Sen. Howard Heflin, and Chris Rock as Long Dong Silver. Kevin Nealon opened the skit in the role of Sen. Joe Biden (now vice president, then committee chairman).

Here’s the transcript of the sketch. Franken’s lines are near the end.

BIDEN: [ banging gavel ] Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please! Please! Professor Hill, I want to thank you for your … patience here today. You’ve shown remarkable courage throughout your testimony. It couldn’t have been easy for you — or any of us — to sit here for the last seven hours and talk about penis size, or large-breasted women having sex with animals, or pubic hairs on soft drink cans, or oral sex, or the black man’s sexual prowess, or large-breasted women having sex with animals. But we appreciate your candor. [ rest of committee shake their heads and smile ] And we, uh … hope we can reschedule you for another session tomorrow.

ANITA HILL: Thank you, Senator. [ stands up to leave, bumps into next witness, Judge Clarence Thomas, and quickly walks away from him ]

BIDEN: The committee, at this time, would like to call Judge Clarence Thomas. Judge Thomas? [ Judge Clarence Thomas sits ] Judge Thomas, we’re sorry to have to bring you back, but, as you know, some pretty serious allegations have been made by our previous witness.

THOMAS: First of all, I want to say that these proceedings are a travesty!

BIDEN: Mmm-hmm. Well, I understand that. But you did ask Ms. Hill out on a date?

THOMAS: Uh … yes, I did.

[ the committee whisper amongst themselves at the revealing testimony ]

BIDEN: And she refused?

THOMAS: That’s correct.

BIDEN: How did you go about asking her out for this date?

THOMAS: I’m not sure what you mean, Senator.

BIDEN: Well.. did you just go right up and ask her? Or did you have one of her friends tell her that you thought she was cute?

THOMAS: I just walked right up and asked her.

[ the committee whisper amongst themselves ]

KENNEDY: Were you, uh.. were you drunk at the time?

THOMAS: No, I was not.

BIDEN: But she wouldn’t go out with you?

THOMAS: No.

BIDEN: Was she aware that, as her boss, you could have her fired?

THOMAS: She must have been.

[ the committee members gasp at the shocking statement ]

BIDEN: And she still didn’t go out with you? [ Thomas nods no ] Now, Judge Thomas, there have been charges by Professor Hill that you talked casually with her about graphic scenes in porno movies. Is that true?

THOMAS: Yes, it is.

BIDEN: And.. did that work? Did it break the ice?

THOMAS: No, Senator, it actually offended her.

[ the committee is surprised the tactic didn't work ]

HEFLIN: Uh.. what porno movie did you talk about?

THOMAS: Well.. I mainly spoke about a favorite of mine, called “The Hind-Lick Manuever”.

HEFLIN: That’s a good movie, Judge! But do you think hard-core porno is the way to go? Because I feel women prefer softer porn.

BIDEN: Senator Thurmond?

SEN. STROM THURMOND: I agree with Senator Heflin. Yeah, that’s right! The women like something with more stories and costumes, that’ll transport ‘em to another place and time. That’s right! Women don’t like close-ups of oversized genitalia! That’s just never gonna turn ‘em on!

[ committee agrees ]

KENNEDY: A, uh … another good thing is to get them out on your boat for some reason, because, uh … because then it’s really hard for them to get away.

BIDEN: Do you have a question, Senator Kennedy?

KENNEDY: Uh, yes, I do. Have you ever tried coming out of the bathroom nude, and acting like you didn’t know someone was there?

THOMAS: Uh.. no.

KENNEDY: Well, that’s too bad. Because that works, too.

SIMON: Um … Judge? Judge Thomas? Judge Thomas, are you aware of that, uh.. division of our.. government.. known as the, uh … Criminal Justice, uh … Department?

THOMAS: Of course I am, Senator!

SIMON: Well, you know when you walk in the main entrance of the Criminal Justice Building.. there’s this receptionist with short brown hair?

THOMAS: The, uh … one at the third desk on the left?

SIMON: No, no. The one at the big, circular desk, uh … right there in the center there.

THOMAS: Oh, yes — Sandy.

SIMON: Yes. Sandy. Um … do you think that she’d go out with me?

THOMAS: Well, Senator Simon, not knowing your technique, I feel that it would be unfair for me to prejudge your chances with her.

SIMON: Uh-huh. Uh … you think it’s the bow tie, then?

BIDEN: Senator Simon. Please.

SIMON: Women just don’t seem to like the bow tie, do they?

BIDEN: Senator Simon. Please!

SIMON: Uh, sorry. Sorry.

BIDEN: Judge Thomas, I’d like to thank you for your testimony. You’ve been very forthcoming, and, may I say, it’s been an education.

THOMAS: Thank you, Senator. [ stands up and exits ]

BIDEN: The committee calls its next witness. [ black man walks up ] Sir, would you please state your name?

SILVER: Long Dong Silver.

[ committee members smile and shake their heads ]

BIDEN: Mr. Silver, we apologize for calling you back one more time.. but many of us on the committee are admirers of your work, and.. well, frankly, we could just listen to you all day. Now, we understand you have a statement?

SILVER: Uh, yes. I do. “Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”