Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzLoeffler calls for hearing in wake of Netflix's 'Cuties' Health care in the crosshairs with new Trump Supreme Court list 'Parks and Rec' cast members hosting special reunion to raise money for Wisconsin Democrats MORE (R-Texas) on Wednesday called Sen. Al Franken Alan (Al) Stuart FrankenPeterson faces fight of his career in deep-red Minnesota district Getting tight — the psychology of cancel culture Tina Smith wins Democratic Senate primary in Minnesota MORE (D-Minn.) "obnoxious and insulting" for focusing on Cruz for an entire chapter of his new book.

"Al is trying to sell books and apparently he's decided that being obnoxious and insulting me is good for causing liberals to buy his books," Cruz told Politico. "I wish him all the best."

Franken said he considered Cruz "singularly dishonest and smarmy” during a USA Today interview about his new book, "Al Franken, Giant of the Senate." The Cruz-focused chapter is titled “Sophistry."

"You have to understand that I like Ted Cruz probably more than my colleagues like Ted Cruz. And I hate Ted Cruz,” Franken told USA Today’s Susan Page.

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A page of the book circulating on Twitter reveals a time when the former "Saturday Night Live" comedian stepped in when Sen. Amy Klobuchar Amy KlobucharEPA delivers win for ethanol industry angered by waivers to refiners It's time for newspapers to stop endorsing presidential candidates Biden marks anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, knocks Trump and McConnell MORE (D-Minn.) was struggling to write a joke about Cruz for a Gridiron event.

According to the excerpt, Franken told a version of the joke in front of Cruz that called him "full of shit" as part of the punchline.

.@alfranken, in Giant of the Senate, recounts @amyklobuchar pre-clearing a Ted Cruz joke she was going to tell at Gridiron with @tedcruz pic.twitter.com/xj3ox3hFqT — jonathantilove (@JTiloveTX) May 24, 2017

Franken reportedly told USA Today he published the personal accounts because Cruz first breached Senate protocol when he accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security Warren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt MORE (R-Ky.) of lying in 2015.