Railroading Ourselves
Note: Sexual misconduct and sexual harassment are serious issues that are systemic and have been allowed to persist in our modern society. It should not be allowed to exist in any part of our culture, and the only way to eliminate it, in my opinion, is to have equal representation between men and women in every government entity from villages to Washington, as well as in every board room in America. Short of that accomplishment, this problem will continue to persist. Now, having said all that, I have an opinion about this issue.
Politicians are generally Stupid. Democrats tend to be Really Stupid, and Democratic party leaders are Perpetually Super Stupid. Given almost any tough situation, party leaders take the easy Stupid route versus the tough and true route. Let’s take the case in 2009 when Democrats allowed a twenty-something rightwing lying asshole to flog his clumsily and dishonestly edited video tape and take down a major community service organization, ACORN. The media enabled him, and Democrats’ defense of the organization was virtually non-existent until it was way too late. James O’Keefe, the little lying shit who used Breitbart money for his first successful hit job, paid no price, and indeed just this week was honored as a “hero”, receiving the Impact Award from United for Purpose, a rightwing propaganda generator. He received the award from none other than Ginni Thomas, wife of Clarence Thomas. To add insult to injury, the award came a week after the Washington Post blew the lid off of his latest “sting” operation. By the Democrats not crucifying this little shit when he committed his first crime, he’s still around doing damage today and is even being “honored” and taking home a hefty six figure income to produce his lies.
With that one textbook example of Democratic leaders being Super Stupid, let’s talk about Kirsten Gillibrand and the rest of her posse this week when they Super Stupidly used an obvious rightwing hit job to take down one of our best and dedicated members of the US Senate. If Ray Charles were alive today, even HE would have seen that Leeann Tweeden’s coordinated attack on Al Franken was trumped up (no pun intended), aided by Roger Stone. Further, it’s now coming to light that she was also aided in the attack by her colleague, John Phillips. More about this jerk later.
One of the most infuriating features of this particular attack is that prominent women in the media and politics didn’t look at the objective facts, enabling the attack to work like a charm. I pointed out almost three weeks ago that Tweeden is well known for horsing around with men, playing grabass with them, forcibly kissing them in public, and posing semi-nude in magazines. She also had a very graphic discussion about having sex on Howard Stern’s radio program. She’s a rightwing anchor on KABC radio in Los Angeles, right along with John Phillips, another rightwing talker who has his own show. Trump pal and future prison convict, Roger Stone, announced the attack hours before it happened on Twitter, through a surrogate, since he’s been banned. It doesn’t take Robert Mueller to connect these dots. And no, pointing out glaring facts is not “slut shaming”, so don’t even go there.
After the attack, the normal pile-on happened, coordinated for maximum effect, mostly anecdotal and/or anonymous with the normal “his hand went too low when I had a picture taken with him” kind of accusations. There was not ONE accusation that demonstrated some terrible pattern of misbehavior. Those facts were ignored. At the very beginning of this mess, Franken called for a Senate investigation of the claim. He was never given the opportunity for these charges to be investigated in public.
On the Republican side, the parade of well documented perverts continues. Trump has never been investigated for the dozens of claims of serious misconduct from groping to rape. He now endorses Roy Moore, whose stalking of little girls has been well documented; now there is your friend an mine, Blake Farenthold who used $84,000 of taxpayer money to buy the silence of his accuser, and then comes creepy Trent Franks who offered a staffer $5 million to carry is baby.
Gillibrand, like other Super Stupid Democrats, decided that she should railroad Franken out of the Senate to take the “moral high ground” against Republicans. The first stupid decision was thinking that taking the “moral high ground” would force Republicans to do anything. WRONG. They couldn’t care less about moral high ground, because their base doesn’t. When in the hell are Dems going to figure that out? Answer: NEVER. Second, Gillibrand thought taking the zero tolerance route will change people’s minds and get them to vote for Democrats. WRONG. See the above answer. Finally, I’m sure she made the calculation that Franken didn’t matter since Mark Dayton, Democratic governor of Minnesota, would appoint a Democrat to the seat, so they wouldn’t lose any votes. WRONG. Now, they’ll have to defend that seat in 2018 instead of 2020. STUPID.
Making this catastrophe even worse is that, in treating Franken’s seat as a party commodity, we’ve now lost the strongest and most effective progressive voice in the national dialogue. Franken is brilliant, and had made the difficult transition from comedian and entertainer to statesman. His takedown of Trump appointees is some of the best CSpan you’ll ever see (well, at least WAS). Gillibrand, and the other women in the Senate, with the aiding and abetting of some of the worst reporting in the history of the Fourth Estate, has abruptly snuffed out one of our strongest voices without due process nor even a pretense of being truthful.
Yeah, I’m pissed. I’m really pissed, and for several reasons. Gillibrand and company tiptoed around Tweeden, who clearly set the whole thing up to damage Franken, which simultaneously delegitimizes the stories of millions of women who have been ACTUALLY sexually assaulted. The damage done is simply breathtaking. Secondly, she attempted to influence the Moore vote in Alabama by railroading Franken out of the Senate before even ONE ethics committee hearing. No thinking person believes such nonsense. They destroyed the reputation and career of a good man for political expediency. All she did was railroad Franken and in the process railroaded all of us. SCREW HER and the horse she road in on.
Finally? I’m so pissed that I’ll just poke some of our Hillary Hardliner friends in the eye on my way to the bottom of this post. I GUARANTEE that if Hillary was the current occupant of the White House and Ol’ Bill was First Husband (or whatever they would call him). Gillibrand and the rest of the crowd wouldn’t have made a peep about Franken, fearing retribution for Bill’s documented malfeasance that many prominent women defended, and continue to defend to this day. Yeah, that’s what I think.
So there.
There is a definite difference between doing something stupid and being a total sleaze. I, for one, am not happy that Al Franken is going to resign.
1@ AK Lynne: I’m not happy about it either. Franken’s alleged transgressions were just stupid, not predatory like the perverts in Alabama and the oval office.
2At some point, Democrats need to re-think the “get out in front of the issue” strategy, and wait for more facts before acting. Acorn was mentioned in this post – I’d also note Shirley Sherrod’s firing based on another heavily-edited video.
Republicans, of course, take the other approach: deny everything forever, despite any and all evidence to the contrary. I’m glad Democrats aren’t doing this.
However,why can’t Democrats simply refuse to pour gasoline on their heads and light their hair on fire every time a right-wing outlet accuses someone of something? Why not simply say: “Remember how Shirley Sherrod was fired based on a rush to judgement after a libelous video was released? Let’s investigate this matter and come to a reasoned decision.”
3Somewhere around page 6 it should have occurred to you that your take on this issue is most likely unwanted.
Oh and tldr.
4Interesting. If you didn’t read it, how can you have an opinion on my opinion? LOL.
5I think El Jefe’s take on this was most interesting. And I think Gillibrand and other Democrats should have waited for an ethics investigation before demanding that Franken resign. On other comment boards, I’ve seen people saying that Gillibrand did it because she has presidential aspirations and wanted to take out a potential rival. All I know is that this could come back and bite her in the tush. Franken was a very good Senator and backer of women’s rights and he will be sorely missed. And what happens if and when it comes out that this whole Franken mess was orchestrated by rightwingers such as Roger Stone?
6El Jefe, I don’t generally agree with you, but I’m with you on this issue from beginning to end. Much, much too often, Democrats shoot themselves in the foot. Often, it’s by taking the moral high ground when their opponents recognize no moral ground at all. This is one of those times, and it costs us a thoughtful, decent, intelligent, hard-working member of the Senate, in a time when the Senate has all too few of those.
7I have to agree with El Jefe.
8The “moral high ground” and a quarter will get you a shitty Xerox copy of a cup of coffee.
Living life every day is a complex phenomenon. Many people want their minutes and hours filled with fast and simple decisions, yes-no, black-white, good-bad.
So in response, the zero tolerance bomb has been dropped on American society, yielding the quick and easy verdict that a moist kiss is equivalent to the acts of a pedophile. And what do we get in return? The additional time in our day to choose between punching 212 on our remote control, rather than 342.
At the very least, we should expect a more nuanced approach from the people who claim to be our leaders.
9I’m also royally p-d off that Franken was railroaded out. Regardless of her “feminist” stance, I truly doubt that Gillebrand has Franken’ s intelligence or his ability to express that intelligence so brilliantly. I doubt she has the heart he has, either.
10In a just world, both houses and the White House will flip in the next election. One of the first acts of the new Dem. President will be the appointment of Franken to a cabinet position.
11He is too good a man to waste and we need him badly.
Got nothing to add, except this really cements my move to the Green Party.
12BRAVISIMO!
13‘
I think you come down a little hard on my Senator. It was a mistake, and YES, she fell for a set up, but at least the argument that (possibly once-and-future Senator) Franken’s departure, which he agreed with — he didn’t have to resign — gave them some leverage against the more serious Republican (and Democratic) offenders is arguable. (Don’t get me started about the pass given to the corrupt mass that is the senior Senator from my native state and who got REWARDED by his Democratic colleagues when he escaped by a hung jury and the McAulllife decision.)
‘
My main objection is to every news organization that covered this — from Faux to MSNBC. Nor just for failing to check out Twedon, which was journalistic malpractice — but which Franken could have pushed more.
‘
No, they made, and continue to make, the “Billy Bush mistake.’ It didn’t work against Trump, and it looks like it is failing against Moore. It’s like they have been under Mama’s rules so long that once they have a chance to break them and talk about ‘matters ending in x’ they went overboard. Or, giving them more credit, they were so glad the stories about Ailes, O’Reilly and the rest were coming out, that they felt it only reasonable to give equivalent coverage to what looked, superficially (but was NOT) a similar story about a Democrat.
‘
They so badly overused the Bush tape that it lost impact — even my wife and I began hitting the FF button at the first sign of a green bus — and kept them from hitting on the stories that were less gross but maybe more effective. Trump U, the stiffed contractors, the use of the undocumented workers when he was campaigning against the undocumented, the outsourcing of jobs when he was campaigning against outsourcing, the hypocrisy and lies and contradictions — all of which (not judging against a Universal standard, but in the minds of many Trump voters) were worse, had they known about them, because they specifically went against why they were voting for him. (And then the fact he was drowning in Goldman Sachs people when he was condemning Hillary for making a speech to GS barely got noticed.) And his attacks on the First Amendment, including freedom of religion — which only matters if it is freedom for all religions, not favoring white evangelism over over Protestant Christianity, Protestant Christianity over Catholicism, and ALL Christianity over any other religion and over non-belief or secularism.
‘
Once the Green Bus appeared, all these topics slipped back to page 17 as everyone assumed the bus marked the end — it probably should have and might have had it surfaced a month later.
‘
Same with Moore. Yes, he’s a Dirty Old Man and was when he was 32. But there are many even stronger reasons to vote against him, his history of ‘bigotry in practice,’ his contempt for the Constitution and the Rule of Law — can his oath to support the Constitution even be accepted. At least he made a comment about slavery that went viral and may be the push too many black Alabamans seem to need to vote for Jones.
‘
This is too long, I’ll defend Franken in the next comment.
Mostly valid but …
Even Donald Trump doesn’t react as badly to the word “Clinton” as El Jefe always does. I fully expect him to attack, spittle and foam flying from his lips, the innocuous little town of Clinton in my home state of Iowa entirely by accident one of these days.
14Unless Sen Gillibrand knows something I don’t which could be a distinct possibility, I don’t understand what would have been lost by allowing a Senate ethics investigation to determine Sen Franken’s fate. While aware of dirty tricks and Republican grandstanding, etc., no doubt Sen Franken was prepared for that. He knows them well. He was the one who suggested the investigation.
Meanwhile Ducky Jama still thinks money is the way to buy one’s way out of trouble. He is now offering to substitute his money for our money, albeit he has yet to produce his check book, nor does it negate what he did in the first place. Jama Boy is a mere piker, when Trent Franks thinks he can own a woman and lease her womb with a future rent to own option on her infant for $5million.
Meanwhile, Donnie blew up the Middle East for whatever donation Shelly Adelson gave him.
15El Jefe, this is the first one of your posts that I completely agree with. I too am angry at this whole debacle.
16Now on Franken, and the vital distinction that NOBODY has been making. The other cases involve actions that were meant to lead to a sexual or — giving Moore maybe undeserved credit — at least romantic relationships. In Trump’s case there was also the ‘entitlement of celebrity and riches’ particularly in the beauty pageant stories.
17‘
But no one has even suggested Franken’s actions had any aim but embarrassment and humor. (And, btw, Franken was a celebrity, but a minor one, and the tongue kisses alleged were not to unsuspecting fans but to fellow ‘celebrities; or at least actors.) No one suggected he was attempting to, in any way ‘seduce’ Twedon, just to embarrass her by forcing her not to react in the middle of a scene, something actors have been doing to other actors since plays began to have more than one character.
‘
As for the selfie stories, was he squeezing these women’s asses — in one case it was merely her waist — in Morse code, giving them his room number. No, he just wanted to get a funny picture as they responded. Stupid, sure, but not in any way sexual — in most of the cases the woman’s husband was either with them or taking the picture.
‘
I understand his resignation and the people who called for it, they rushed to judgment, but they couldn’t be seen to ‘excusing him because he’s one of us’ and things were happening too fast for contemplation, after the parade of true abbusers from the Republican side. (If they only do the same for Melendez once Murphy is sworn in I’ll be ecstatic.)
‘
But somebody, anybody should have pointed out that distinction.
The point is: the fact that there are wrongs on all sides does not mean that all of those wrongs are equal or should be treated the same. False equivalencies are destroying honest discourse, not that honesty is particularly valued nowdays.
18Thank you, El Jefe, for your excellent research & reporting which, as you say, should have been done by the mainstream media (yes, that so-called left-leaning press of ours) and, certainly, by the DNC, before this dreadful action was taken. We have lost a powerful national voice on the left with the resignation of Senator Franken.
19I just sent this entire opinion blog to Al Franken and Kirsten Gillibrand. I think both of them should read these very thoughtful comments.
And may I add that, in my opinion, there is no blog (Sorry JJ…professional political organization ) I go to with better comments than you all express here.
20First Lady Michelle Obama: “When they go low, we go high.”
Wise words and words to live by, if one has the First Lady’s facility with stating the facts, then more importantly *** drop the mic *** Do not indulge the Right’s propensity to gas light and Gish Gallop.
For example, Sen Gillibrand when detractors want to re-litigate Bill Clinton, explain he was investigated by Ken Starr ad nauseum with recommendations for litigation sent to the House. If they have a problem, their problem is with Ken Starr. *** drop the mic ***
Similarly, problems with Sec/Sen Clinton, take that up with Trey Gowdy and Darrell Issa who investigated ad nauseum. *** drop the mic ***
21Damn! I would have liked to see the Ethics Committee actually earn their pay. However, may I remind all and sundry that it took THREE YEARS to get rid of Packwood! Gnaw on that for awhile!
22Excellent analysis. I’d only add that with Senator Franken gone Jeff Sessions will now be able to testify before the Senate without any qualms and Roy Moore will soon be warming a Senate seat. Good work, Democrats.
23You should play by the rules…first. If that doesn’t work then kick them in the b*lls. I am tired of the Dems not standing up for what is right or true. They don’t give a gold star for good behavior in politics.
24Excellent, El Jefe!!! I agree with just about every word, especially STUPID applied to the democrats who for some unbelievably bad, stupid reason, have gone after Sen. Franken. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID.
25Well I started screaming about this the minute it happened. I have posted on twitter and Facebook. Louise Mensch a conservative Brit now American Republican has even said it is stupid and counter productive for the country. Not to mention unfair and denial of Due Process. My words are it was a “Mean Girl Attack”. I saw that in Austin in the Bureaucracy. Women abuse power too. They can get full of themselves and do. I don’t know much about Gillibrand other than she supports progressive policies but at this point I hope she loses her next primary. Btw Schumer you are a putz!
26P.S. I did call on of the male Senators an idiot on twitter. My real name is on that too. so there.
I, too, totally agree with you El Jefe and that is rather unusual 🙂 That said, one must distinguish between the actions of Franken PRIOR to being sworn in as a Senator. He was not instigating a sexual encounter, unlike many of the other men who are accused of sexual harassment. He personally asked for an ethics investigation and that should have been accorded him. Gillibrand et all in their zeal to show how much more civilized the Democrats are failed totally! I do pray that there will a place for Franken in the next government as he is/was a dedicated senator working properly for the people, not the 1%ers 🙁
27I agree with this generally ( upper 90%) but franken was an idiot when he thought that going on a USO tour with a right wing whack job would do anything but come back and haunt him.
For years, with notable exceptions, franken has stated how the people on the other side of the aisle were honorable but wrong.
They are not honorable in any sense of the word. Right wing nut cases relationship to the truth is purely coincidental when it occurs and they are willing to lie at any and all times to aicheve their goal.
It is time that civilized people realize that these “true believers”, like manson’s followers, are incapable of common courtesy and human decentcy. They are trash.
I say engage in ongoing guerilla warfare against these whack jobs embaress them in public every chance that is provided. be it a PTA meeting, line at grocery store or any other place.
28Recognize they have no shame, no ethics, no morality and the only principles they care about are earning interest in a Malta or Panama.
Never grant them the simplest of courtesies. Question and demand proof for every word out of their mouths. No respect.
This is how they have become the dominant political and social force even while representing a smaller and smaller demographic.
MSNBC should stop promoting, and legitimizing, destructive liars such a steele, schmidt, sykes and erickson just to name of few of the most egrious agents of destruction. They, like the scorpion of fable, will sting and try to destroy those who may have “helped” them if their ideology suggests it.
The right wing has taken Lenin’s statement that the capitalist’s will sell the USSR what they need to destroy capitalism.
Their version is that the left will grant us the legitamacy, and exposure, to destroy them.
Al Franken should (still) be in the mix for 2020 Dem potus nomination. I suspect Gillibrand also has ambitions to run for potus in 2020 and by taking the lead against Franken sniped a potential Dem competitor. Sometimes there arent so much a conflict of interests as there are competition of interests.
In any case, Franken strikes me as fairly effective legislator who will be sorely missed on his various committee assignments.
Frankly I give no weight to Tweeden’s sexual relations, past, present or future, as evidence of anything in the Franken incident. I disregard the importance of the “kiss” soliloquy but just hung my head at the photo of Franken lechering the sleeping Tweeden.
As far as Roger Stone is concerned, well backpfeifengesicht.
29In the wake of a Jeff Sessions as AG and a Roy Moore as a Senate candidate, it’s time to discuss bus etiquette. There’s removing a person from the bus for cause. There’s throwing someone under the bus for political expediency. Then there’s the common decency of at least slowing the bus to 30mph in the interest of due process. El Jefe covered the rudeness of backing the bus up over a person without any of the aforementioned considerations.
Was Speaker Pelosi wrong to have called Rep Conyers a Civil Rights icon? Absolutely not. In addition I would have added that he has a long distinguished career serving in the House. Is he above the law? Absolutely not. What I would advise against is bowing to the pressure of the news cycle; respect the 30mph “rule.” Take a breath, inspect the facts, then announce with great sadness, etc. as appropriate.
We can question the accusations in all cases without attacking the accusers. It’s imperative to be sure that there are actual charges or wrong doing and not something generated by a James O’Keefe, Roger Stone or Kellyanne Conway type.
Let’s also not forget that there are other ways men sexually abuse women and demean them. Prime example #1, Mike Pence and the legislators who trample all over the Constitution to subject women to unnecessary medical procedures (assault) while denying them the dignity of adults perfectly capable of determining their own doctor/patient choices. Consider that as rule #4 – determine if the person is actually a passenger on the bus, when Mike Pence is clearly not given the number of Constitutional violations he is willing to commit to exert dominance over women.
30Support Al Franken, please don’t quit.
31Well look at that, there are snow clouds in Hell cause I agree with you El Jefe (Except for that last paragraph – dude, see a therapist over this Clinton thing!) As a constituent of Gillie, Her next race will be the first that I don’t vote a straight Dem Ticket – she is toast as far as I’m concerned……. Being the Hand puppet for Stone and Bannon does not MY Senator make, here in the Great State of NY……
32As usual, El Jefe, you are 100% correct.
But Charles R. Phillips, ya sure about the Greens. Karl Rove is their sugar daddy.
We need to hold the Ds get to the fire.
33Brilliant El Jefe. . . .
34Though I’m late to this thread I am so happy I finally
agree with you on something that I had to chime in.
I am a Minnesotan and have been very proud of my senators, Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken. I wasn’t very concerned with the Tweeden thing. I felt like Al’s apology and explanation was enough. I was a little more concerned about the ass squeezing at the State Fair. The fair is a really big deal in Minn with hundreds of thousands in attendance. I know exactly where the Democratic booth is, how crowded it gets around there, and how easy it would be to grab some ass even with the hubs right there. The setting does nothing to negate those women’s claims. As more came forward I got more uneasy, but what put me over the top was Tina Dupuy.
Ms. Dupuy, journalist/comedian/liberal, has nothing to gain and plenty to lose by admitting that Sen. Franken groped her or that he was known as a groper in comic circles. (Here is her Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Dupuy?wprov=sfla1)
I think this issue should have gone to the Ethics Committee before any action was taken, but I believe the women and I’m proud of them for having the courage to come forward. I would have accepted the committee’s decision, whatever it might have been.
Al said he remembers some of the encounters differently. I’m not surprised when men say that. If the woman didn’t complain, Al assumed she didn’t mind. Or maybe he laughed and then she chuckled too. I’ve reacted that way. It’s such an unexpected shock and she is thinking, “Did what I think just happened really happen?” That’s especially so when the groper is someone she thought she could trust, and Sen. Franken sure seemed to fall into that category.
Yeah, they should have waited for the Ethics Committee, but the only accuser whose motives I have reason to doubt is Tweeden. I believe and honor the rest of the women, until proven differently.
35El Jefe, I usually don’t particularly agree with you, but we’re on the same side on this one. I’ve said almost since the beginning that we should let Frankin’s constituency should be the ones to decide whether he stays or goes, just as Trump’s and Moore’s are making the call on those jerks. (I don’t think Franken’s a jerk; as others have said, his “sins” have been of making fun, not of intimidation.) It’s not up to a cadre of other Senators to make this call.
36Debbo, have you ever slapped a guy, other than a husband or lover, on his butt? Or goosed a guy?
37I got slapped that way some years ago, by a 20 something young lady, while dancing with my wife. I’m curious if you have any suggestions on what the proper response should have been.
I’ve been aggressively hugged by women with really big bosoms: Now that is a treat.
Yeah. We got played. Bigly. What Democrats need to start doing is considering all the myriad ways that douchebag repugnantcans use our strengths and good qualities against us. Because this tactic basically allows them to lead our elected officials around by the nose. Democratic politicians always want to prove we hold the moral high ground to please their base and bring independents to our side.
38George, no, I haven’t. Never, not once.
Tina Dupuy wrote an article that was just published in The Atlantic about this. If you’re serious about this, read it here:
https://goo.gl/zvmygE
I am distressed by the responses here by people who are diminishing what Franken has done and the women who feel that it was important enough to publicly report. So what that it was a liberal Democrat who groped and debased and shamed women?! His politics and how much I respected him and liked him does not mitigate the affect on the women. Do you think it’s less demeaning to be groped by a Democrat than by a Republican?! WTF people!!!!
Oh wait, I think I get it. The women are supposed to just take on for the good of the team? the Democrats? the nation? Like we’ve always been asked to take one for the hubs? the children? the ailing parents? the community? ad nauseam? Nope. No. Not a f*cking chance. That’s gone on for enough millennia.
39Repugnant politicians only want to show how easily they can control the conversation and prove their central tenants. Empathy is weakness. Douchebagery is strength.
40Perhaps this is part and parcel of the same issue — in fact it may well be:
During their last two shows, the cast of “Wait! Wait! Don’t tell me!” have joked about the issue. Less so this week than last, but last week it got so heavy that one of the panelists came out [humorously] against what was going on. He said, several times, “Hey! Is this a thing now?” and “If I’d known this was gonna be OK, I’d have written myself another script!”
But this was on NPR, people! I would have thought progressives would know better. And yes, I did email them a note this afternoon. If they’re going to make fun of people who have been victims of crimes or the criminals ftm, they don’t need my ears any longer.
And yes, perhaps this making light of it is a measure of their discomfort with the issue — or perhaps it is the fact that even in the world of NPR women are still second class citizens.
41El Jefe
42Thank you for saying this. Now send it to everyone with a loud voice and the guts to spread the word.
El jefe, you are brilliant, no matter what your wife thinks!
43Low class slimey Repugnuts (Republicans) should be thrown in the Potomac!
44You had me until the last paragraph. I think the box we’ve put ourselves in is that we have bent over backwards not to question accusers. The problem is a nuanced one. The old way was to question a woman’s behavior which dived quickly into “she asked for it.” To borrow from Tweeden, the fact that she poses in magazines, wears bikinis, and has been flirtatious in other situations doesn’t mean she gets to be assaulted or harassed. However, the fact that she is conservative and a Trump supporter could color her story. You judge based on the facts of the case. Some of the accusations don’t pass the smell test. If I’m taking a picture of my wife with a politician and he grabbed her ass I guarantee we would be having a conversation. I also doubt she would be smiling in the picture, but I suppose everyone is different.
45I stand with Debbo. For too long, this abusive behavior has been tolerated by the powers that be. The number of women accusers and Franken’s weak response indicated his feelings of entitlement to force himself on powerless women. Yes, an ethics investigation should have been insisted upon, but Franken DID NOT INSIST. Had he been guiltless, he certainly would have and still could.
46Certainly there are gradations of sexual assault, but this is not the time or place for men to make those distinctions. Zero tolerance means zero tolerance.
47What frustrates me so much is that Franken really was a politician that did a lot of good for people in general and women in particular, and had the potential to do a lot more. And he lost it all.
For what? For a couple of moments of low humor, and some immature, tacky behavior. Yes, there should have been a response, and consequences. But the response was not proportional. Especially in light of all the appalling acts by other men, recently brought to light. In fact, if the allegations about Matt Lauer are true, he should go to prison. But, as Lawrence O’Donnell reminded us this past week, politics isn’t fair.
I’m saddened that these fairly minor transgressions cost us such a good public servant. But I’m also really pissed at Franken. Dammit, Al! Why did you have to act like some dimbulb college kid? Because you weren’t a kid. You were a grown-ass man. When some of the incidents occurred, you were already a US Senator. And I can’t fathom why you couldn’t resist the urge to grab a kiss, or to cop a feel.
Crap – do men EVER grow the hell up??
48Debbo, some people may be shrugging off what Franken did. I wrote a comment– don’t recall where now but I think not here– saying it was much less than what Moore did. Yes, it was offensive, but there are degrees of offense. Grabbing a woman’s butt during a photo op is less than undressing a 14 year old and placing her hand on the front of your underwear. Forcing a kiss while trying to make someone react on stage is less than grabbing a 16 year old by the scruff and shoving her head towards your lap. And then there’s grabbing by the genitals, which someone else has boasted about doing. Not saying Franken’s innocent, but there are degrees, and he’s far from the highest on the chart. And yes, I do think his votes and championing of women’s causes in the Senate act as some degree of mitigation. The extent of both degrees can be discussed.
It’s good that this abuse of women is coming out into the open, but I’m angry that it’s taking up so much airspace that Moore’s other offenses are being ignored, such as his removal from the bench TWICE for ignoring judicial orders, thinking he was above any secular authority. That alone should disqualify him from holding any secular authority himself, in any branch of government.
49On what is the Senate waiting? They have pResident Grabber’s confession on tape. Now this, a big wet juicy snitch kiss from his loyal servant Cory Lewandowski. It seems Cory “co-authored” a book about time on the campaign trail with Donnie. In one glimpse Cory relates a cute Donnie moment of the grabber berating Hope Hicks for haven forgotten to assure that his suit steamer made the plane. Berating an employee is just wrong. But it gets worse. Ms. Hicks was expected to steam press Donnie’s pants while Donnie was wearing them. Donnie’s abuse of women knows no limits.
50