From the R-J’s Norm Clarke:

Local talk-show host Alan Stock and “Air America” host Al Franken went jaw to jaw at a talk-shop convention.

Stock, who was among the honorees at the Talkers Magazine convention last week in New York, said he confronted Franken after the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member caused an uproar while accepting the Freedom of Speech Award.

Stock said he approached Franken on the dais after the gala event speech and congratulated him but added some choice comments. “I put my face up close to his and said, `You were rude and you should be ashamed of yourself.’ ”

Franken, who had been asked to wrap up his lengthy speech, dismissed Stock’s lecture by saying, “What about Iraq? Did you serve?”

“Knowing his past desire to become violent, I thought he was going to haul off and hit me,” said Stock, who teams up with Heidi Harris on the morning show at KXNT-AM, 840.

“He pulled a typical liberal attitude,” Stock said. When Stock said yes, he had served in the military, Franken asked, “Well, did you go to Vietnam?”

After Stock said no, Franken “stood there and finally said, `Well thank you for your service.’ “

Of course, Franken hasn’t been to Iraq himself, nor has he served in the military or went to Vietnam — but he’s a “liberal”; he’s good enough, he’s smart enough, and doggone it, people like him.

Or so he thinks.