# Now, Al Franken **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 16, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770 "2017-11-16T15:42:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 61
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1202 "2017-12-02T06:56:38Z")
Also, I disagree strongly that ANY situation morally requires a spouse to divorce someone. There are some bright shining lines in the universe. One of them is, “you don’t touch someone without consent.” and another is, “people can consider marriage a sacred vow and stay in it no matter what if they want to without being judged.” That being said, I wouldn’t want a spouse who actively enables bad behavior to be entrusted with the public interest. I also wouldn’t want a spouse who is obviously stupid and a bad judge of character to be in office. But an innocent spouse fully aware of who their partner is and who has not helped him be a bad person is just fine in my book. But there is no such concept as “moral obligation to divorce”. ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1203 "2017-12-02T09:16:51Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I think what he was getting at is that it’s easy to not sexually harass females. It’s a lot harder to avoid a faux pas that could be interpreted as harassment. This. It’s naive to assume that only harassers need to worry about the consequences of being accused of harassment. I think **k9bfriender** is right to fear that many male bosses will react poorly to the increased visibility of this issue. If a boss doesn’t hire any women to work closely with him then he won’t be accused of harassing them. And most bosses are still male, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1204 "2017-12-02T11:25:23Z")
Funny thing, I had a boss once who was a serial sexual harasser and he didn’t hire women because he was afraid of them “causing problems”. He only hired women he already knew who were “cool” or who were recommended by someone else. Exactly zero women could walk in the door, fill out an application, and get hired. The answer isn’t to not hire women, of course. That exposes you to problems just as big. The best approach, IMO, is to keep work limited to professional relationships once you are in a supervisory position. Another thing which has many advantages aside from lower risk of stupid behavior at work is telecommuting. One thing I’ve read male managers writing about is not wanting to be in meetings alone with women. I was kinda surprised at that because I can count on my fingers the number of times I’ve been alone in a meeting with another man! Meetings almost always involve multiple people and when someone has called just me into the office it’s been with the office door open or with another person there to be a witness. The only times I’ve been alone with my boss was to discuss something sensitive just between me and him, such as if I’m getting a raise of promotion, or there was an incident and he wants a witness account without others being there to bias my testimony. So I’m a bit confused about male managers regularly having females alone in their office for meetings. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1205 "2017-12-04T13:53:22Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Also, I disagree strongly that ANY situation morally requires a spouse to divorce someone. There are some bright shining lines in the universe. One of them is, “you don’t touch someone without consent.” and another is, “people can consider marriage a sacred vow and stay in it no matter what if they want to without being judged.” That being said, I wouldn’t want a spouse who actively enables bad behavior to be entrusted with the public interest. I also wouldn’t want a spouse who is obviously stupid and a bad judge of character to be in office. But an innocent spouse fully aware of who their partner is and who has not helped him be a bad person is just fine in my book. > > But there is no such concept as “moral obligation to divorce”. There’s also no moral obligation to serve in any particular political position. The issue is that if your marriage in combination with your political position creates a dynamic which causes people to be abused, then maybe you need to choose between one or the other. Even if you’re not “obviously stupid and a bad judge of character”, you might not be the right fit for this job. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1206 "2017-12-06T15:30:17Z")
More fun times with Al: [Politico - Another woman says Franken tried to forcibly kiss her](https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/06/al-franken-accusation-sexual-harassment-2006-281049) > [@](#): > > … > > A former Democratic congressional aide said Al Franken tried to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006, three years before he became a U.S. senator. > > … > > The former staffer ducked to avoid Franken’s lips. As she hastily left the room, she said, Franken told her: “It’s my right as an entertainer.” > > … > > “This allegation is categorically not true and the idea that I would claim this as my right as an entertainer is preposterous. I look forward to fully cooperating with the ongoing ethics committee investigation,” Franken said in a statement to POLITICO. > > Two former colleagues of the woman independently corroborated her version of events, including Franken telling her he had the right to try to kiss her because he was “an entertainer.” The first former colleague interviewed by POLITICO said she was told of the incident in 2006, shortly after it happened. The second former co-worker said she was made aware of the encounter sometime in 2009 or 2010. > > … I guess he is over his #BelieveWomen phase. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1207 "2017-12-06T17:11:56Z")
[Five Dem Senators (all women) have called for Franken’s resignation today.](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/female-democratic-senators-al-franken-resign) Gillibrand, McCaskill, Hirono, Hassan, Murray. Heard on Twitter that Harris has joined them. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1208 "2017-12-06T17:12:52Z")
[It’s up to 8 now.](https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/06/gillibrand-calls-on-franken-to-resign-282112) (includes Bob Casey) I think he’s done. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1209 "2017-12-06T17:15:57Z")
8, and growing. F-P and I don’t agree on much, but I agree: he’s done. Dems call on their harrassers to resign… and they resign. Repubs joyfully vote them in. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1210 "2017-12-06T17:20:57Z")
Even Tom Perez of the DNC is calling for Frankens resignation. To me, all this means is that the Gov of MN likely settled on Franken’s replacement and let key people know recently. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1211 "2017-12-06T17:21:01Z")
The sheer number of the allegations alone is bad enough, but the fact that John Conyers has now been forced from office leaves Democrats with little choice but to push Franken out of the party as well. He could switch parties and become an independent out of spite, but that would probably enrage his supporters at home. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1212 "2017-12-06T17:29:27Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > The sheer number of the allegations alone is bad enough, but the fact that John Conyers has now been forced from office leaves Democrats with little choice but to push Franken out of the party as well. [That’s an excellent point.](https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/05/conyers-resign-congressional-black-caucus-281044) ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1213 "2017-12-06T17:34:19Z")
He’s got to resign. A lot of the allegations are pretty shaky, but the Democrats have got to put an end to drip drip drip and the both sides do it garbage being flung around on the news. The Democrats need that Alabama senate seat and also need no distractions when they’re trying to stir up tax bill opposition. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1214 "2017-12-06T17:37:21Z")
DNC Chairman Tom Perez (on twitter): “Sen. Al Franken should step down. Everyone must share the responsibility of building a culture of trust and respect for women in every industry and workplace, and that includes our party.” This is a done deal, I’m pretty damn sure. If Klobuchar comes out in favor of resignation, then it’s definitely done. Looks like the party insider dude I talked to last week was right – this was building with internal party discussion, and now the consensus is that he has to go. Later than I’d like (he should have resigned immediately, and hopefully the party will be ready for the next asshole to be revealed), but better late than never. I want my party to boot gropers and sexual harassers. Especially when the other party tolerates and even welcomes them, even if the victims are children. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1215 "2017-12-06T17:37:59Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > He’s got to resign. A lot of the allegations are pretty shaky, but the Democrats have got to put an end to drip drip drip and the both sides do it garbage being flung around on the news. The Democrats need that Alabama senate seat and also need no distractions when they’re trying to stir up tax bill opposition. > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Franken dragged this out long enough that I don’t think even if he resigns tomorrow that it’ll be in time to save Doug Jones. Had he done it two weeks ago, perhaps that would have done it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1216 "2017-12-06T17:40:54Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Franken dragged this out long enough that I don’t think even if he resigns tomorrow that it’ll be in time to save Doug Jones. Had he done it two weeks ago, perhaps that would have done it. Good point, Alabama voters typically look to liberals in Minnesota for whom they should support. It’s probably Al Franken’s fault Alabamans will elect a child molestor to the U.S. Senate. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1217 "2017-12-06T17:51:34Z")
Anyone know how Minnesota laws work for resignations? If Franken resigns tomorrow and the governor picks a replacement, does that pick stand for election in 2018 and then re-election in 2020? Or does the governor pick a replacement to serve out the rest of Franken’s term? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1218 "2017-12-06T17:52:33Z")
Do we need to get the Hillary fork and stick it in Franken just to make certain? It’s hard to imagine the DNC chair would call for his resignation if it wasn’t already a done deal. I wonder if we’ll see a skit on the next _SNL_. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1219 "2017-12-06T17:54:30Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Dems call on their harrassers to resign… and they resign. > > Repubs joyfully vote them in. > [@JohnT](#): > > Even Tom Perez of the DNC is calling for Frankens resignation. > > To me, all this means is that the Gov of MN likely settled on Franken’s replacement and let key people know recently. ISTM that these two posts contradict each other. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1220 "2017-12-06T17:57:56Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > DNC Chairman Tom Perez (on twitter): “Sen. Al Franken should step down. Everyone must share the responsibility of building a culture of trust and respect for women in every industry and workplace, and that includes our party.” > > This is a done deal, I’m pretty damn sure. If Klobuchar comes out in favor of resignation, then it’s definitely done. > > Looks like the party insider dude I talked to last week was right – this was building with internal party discussion, and now the consensus is that he has to go. Later than I’d like (he should have resigned immediately, and hopefully the party will be ready for the next asshole to be revealed), but better late than never. I want my party to boot gropers and sexual harassers. Especially when the other party tolerates and even welcomes them, even if the victims are children. My parents were ecstatic with the resignation of Conyers, and look forward to the resignation of Franken. They say that this just proves that the democrats are sleazy scumbags. If we feel as though we need to clean up the democratic party for the sake of the democratic party, that’s one thing. But expecting it to get a single republican to reassess their moral compass is unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/1221 "2017-12-06T17:58:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Do we need to get the Hillary fork and stick it in Franken just to make certain? It’s hard to imagine the DNC chair would call for his resignation if it wasn’t already a done deal. I wonder if we’ll see a skit on the next _SNL_. If we need it, it’s in the dishwasher. I had a chicken Caesar for lunch and it was the only fork I could find. I’m not really sure how it ended up at my house anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770.md?page=60) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770.md?page=62)