Senator Al Franken accused of unwanted kissing/groping

[K_Z]

As much as I despise Franken, I believe the accused should have due process. There is evidence in the photo with the first woman, so we have facts, but there has to be evidence in these other cases and situations. I don't think you should automatically agree with the accuser all of the time. That's dangerous. Even your worst opponent should receive due process.

Exactly. This whole saga, with AF in particular, has been a metaphorical Salem Witch Trial.

If someone accuses you of being a witch, and you confess to being a witch-- you're put to death for being a witch. If you're accused of being a witch and you deny it, you're put to death because you're a witch.

He has now been manufactured by the media into being a groping sex predator, and lumped in the same category with real predators like Harvey Weinstein.

There is no way for anyone who has been accused of the things AF has been accused of to be exonerated. There is no way for him to "win" with his version of the truth. It's just a massive, ever increasing pile on-- every day the relevant players test the wind to see if THIS is the optimum day to turn up the heat in the pot and boil the accused to death. It's like a slightly more dignified version of crowd behavior in a riot. Once one or two are bold enough to start boiling the target, that emboldens others to pile on, regardless of the truth of any of the accusations. And the media is giddy and wetting themselves over the "next" big "revelation" that they can whip into a frenzy without a shred of evidence.

The ONLY evidence that exists against AF is ONE very obviously "prank" picture from 10 years ago, with NO bodily contact, that has a HIGHLY dubious backstory from a woman with questionable personal motivations. IMO. The other women's "stories" are simply not credible, were brief and fleeting, IMO, and can't be verified. They absolutely KNOW this. I don't believe that what they are "accusing" him of, 10 years ago, when he was NOT a senator but a comedian, rises to the level of forcing a sitting senator to resign. The "picture groping" accusation is the *least credible* of all the accusations, IMO. These are women looking for attention, IMO. And weaponizing an encounter with AF to make it into something it wasn't.

It's disgusting. Deeply sickening. And I am NO FAN OF AL FRANKEN as a politician.

The accusers have pointed at AF and called him a witch. So he must die. (Politically and metaphorically.) And he will.

 

[scmom]

No Franken fan here either, but I'm suspicious of the motivation for the onslaught of accusations of sexual misconduct.

 

[Gardenista]

No Franken fan here either, but I'm suspicious of the motivation for the onslaught of accusations of sexual misconduct.

Everybody knows the motivation. This is a party who overlooked way worse than Franken behavior for decades.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Per CNN: Al Franken scheduled to speak at 11:45AM.

 

[PaulR]

I agree (except I do like Franken). I think we're missing a chunk of information in this story. Either there are more accusations threatening to be disclosed that we don't know about yet, or Franken is being used as an example of what politicians who are accused should be doing (as opposed to those who are not admitting, apologizing, and resigning), or he's being used to make up for the Conyers case....or something.

Just feels like something is missing from this particular story. Due process is just one thing missing (not only in this case, but in others as well).

JustMyOpinion at the moment, still developing.

My guess: there is a lot more about bad ju-ju about Franken that has been swept under the rug for years, maybe by the local party itself, and they realize that they won't be able to do that anymore. Look at all the other cases recently where once one person steps forward about a sexual predator, a bunch of others follow. Maybe there is a big binder somewhere with a bunch of complaints which indicate a lack of action. Now Franken has been told to step down for the good of the party.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

No big surprise: Several media Twitter accounts say Franken will resign from Senate.

 

[Jax49]

From his speech:

Some accusations untrue. But, will be resigning in the coming weeks (no time given).

Mentions Trump and Moore (not by name). moo

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

wow, he went there.

May this add to the impetus.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Al Franken resigns, blasts Republican hypocrisy on sexual misconduct
by Dartunorro Clark and Adam Edelman

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., the former “Saturday Night Live” comic who made an improbable journey to become a leading liberal voice in the Senate, announced on Thursday that he will leave office in the coming weeks, after a string of allegations of sexual misconduct and mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers to step down.

"Today I am announcing that in the coming weeks, I will be resigning as a member of the United States Senate," Franken said during an emotional speech from the Senate floor.

"I aware of the irony that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office and a man who has preyed on underage girls is running for the Senate with the full support of his party,” Franken said, referring to President Donald Trump, who has also been accused of sexual misconduct, and Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/co...gn-amid-sexual-misconduct-allegations-n825576

 

[Deleted member 117884]

From his speech:

Some accusations untrue. But, will be resigning in the coming weeks (no time given).

Mentions Trump and Moore (not by name). moo

Irony recognized.

Glad he mentioned Paul Wellstone so many times. (And I know I won't win popularity contests at WS for that admiration.)

So sorry to see him go, but it did have to happen. The conversation needs to move on beyond Al Frankin and I admire (though also regret) that he stepped aside for progress to happen.

It's a difficult day for those of us who liked Frankin and I hope people will recognize the raw emotions that some of us might be feeling and extend a little understanding.

jmopinion, which won't match the opinions of everyone

 

[Gardenista]

Al Franken resigns, blasts Republican hypocrisy on sexual misconduct
by Dartunorro Clark and Adam Edelman

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., the former “Saturday Night Live” comic who made an improbable journey to become a leading liberal voice in the Senate, announced on Thursday that he will leave office in the coming weeks, after a string of allegations of sexual misconduct and mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers to step down.

"Today I am announcing that in the coming weeks, I will be resigning as a member of the United States Senate," Franken said during an emotional speech from the Senate floor.

"I aware of the irony that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office and a man who has preyed on underage girls is running for the Senate with the full support of his party,” Franken said, referring to President Donald Trump, who has also been accused of sexual misconduct, and Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/co...gn-amid-sexual-misconduct-allegations-n825576

Republican hypocrisy? I can't stop laughing. :lol::lol::lol:

 

[ilovewings]

Exactly. This whole saga, with AF in particular, has been a metaphorical Salem Witch Trial.

If someone accuses you of being a witch, and you confess to being a witch-- you're put to death for being a witch. If you're accused of being a witch and you deny it, you're put to death because you're a witch.

He has now been manufactured by the media into being a groping sex predator, and lumped in the same category with real predators like Harvey Weinstein.

There is no way for anyone who has been accused of the things AF has been accused of to be exonerated. There is no way for him to "win" with his version of the truth. It's just a massive, ever increasing pile on-- every day the relevant players test the wind to see if THIS is the optimum day to turn up the heat in the pot and boil the accused to death. It's like a slightly more dignified version of crowd behavior in a riot. Once one or two are bold enough to start boiling the target, that emboldens others to pile on, regardless of the truth of any of the accusations. And the media is giddy and wetting themselves over the "next" big "revelation" that they can whip into a frenzy without a shred of evidence.

The ONLY evidence that exists against AF is ONE very obviously "prank" picture from 10 years ago, with NO bodily contact, that has a HIGHLY dubious backstory from a woman with questionable personal motivations. IMO. The other women's "stories" are simply not credible, were brief and fleeting, IMO, and can't be verified. They absolutely KNOW this. I don't believe that what they are "accusing" him of, 10 years ago, when he was NOT a senator but a comedian, rises to the level of forcing a sitting senator to resign. The "picture groping" accusation is the *least credible* of all the accusations, IMO. These are women looking for attention, IMO. And weaponizing an encounter with AF to make it into something it wasn't.

It's disgusting. Deeply sickening. And I am NO FAN OF AL FRANKEN as a politician.

The accusers have pointed at AF and called him a witch. So he must die. (Politically and metaphorically.) And he will.

K Z ---- you speak the truth-- thank you. Like you, I am sickened.

 

[ilovewings]

My guess: there is a lot more about bad ju-ju about Franken that has been swept under the rug for years, maybe by the local party itself, and they realize that they won't be able to do that anymore. Look at all the other cases recently where once one person steps forward about a sexual predator, a bunch of others follow. Maybe there is a big binder somewhere with a bunch of complaints which indicate a lack of action. Now Franken has been told to step down for the good of the party.

so why doesn't a child predator step down from running as a candidate for the repub party??

 

[kaen]

Unlike some here, there are many Americans were not old enough to weigh in on the previous actions of the elected officials who committed misconduct. I think the seed change should affect anyone who wants to hold office now regardless of party, regardless of a legal actions against them as we know many women/men have not been comfortable speaking out. IMHO, get rid of any politician who is accused by many or has admitted to harassing or assaulting another person. There is just no justification for allowing people who have done this to others.

 

[Gardenista]

Unlike some here, there are many Americans were not old enough to weigh in on the previous actions of the elected officials who committed misconduct. I think the seed change should affect anyone who wants to hold office now regardless of party, regardless of a legal actions against them as we know many women/men have not been comfortable speaking out. IMHO, get rid of any politician who is accused by many or has admitted to harassing or assaulting another person. There is just no justification for allowing people who have done this to others.

Here's a hypothetical for you--I'm not saying anyone is lying about their experience--this is just a question.

Let's say Obama was the candidate in 2016 and he got elected. Then the Rs cobble together a group of women who say he sexually harassed them. There has been no previous legal action taken by these women against Obama. You think he should step down?

 

[kaen]

Here's a hypothetical for you--I'm not saying anyone is lying about their experience--this is just a question.

Let's say Obama was the candidate in 2016 and he got elected. Then the Rs cobble together a group of women who say he sexually harassed them. There has been no previous legal action taken by these women against Obama. You think he should step down?

I think anyone who is accused, especially if it is by more than one person and the pattern appears to be consistent, should step down. Your term "cobble" is not what happened in the case of Moore, Trump, Franken, Conyers, and the Republican who paid 85K to a woman he harassed. Franken and Trump are on video/audio/photo harassing or saying harassing things. Moore is not just accused-- the LEO in his area confirms that he was kept out of the mall for his harassing behaviors--the pattern is clear. Conyers and the other Republican paid out to women they harassed.

I don't give a fig what party you are---you should go. It is time to stop going back to Clinton, JFK, Eisenhower, FDR, Bush I, or anyone else in power who abused women or had affairs or took advantage of people based on their power. We are at today and these behaviors are unbecoming of persons who set laws, enforce laws and lead our country. If I could get all people to stop with the politics garbage and look at the hypocrisy of saying young people have no morals while bolstering people who put power over country, I would be the happiest person in the world. Bad people exist in all walks of life but we should not send them into leadership of this country--in congress, executive office or supreme court. Is it not yet enough?

 

[Jade]

Good to see Democrats staking out the moral high ground by stepping down.

 

[Jax49]

Franken resigns in defiant floor speech

"I of all people am aware that there is some irony in the fact that I am leaving, while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party," Franken said.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/363698-franken-resigns-over-sexual-misconduct-allegations

 

[human]

Franken’s speech is excellent.

Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine that this nation would support a pedophile. Apparently nothing is low enough for some people.

 

[STANDREID]

If he was really going to resign, why wait for "in the coming weeks"? The only reason he is even in the Senate was vote fraud in 2008.