Did your bullshit meter also yell when Matt Lauer acted like a James Bond villain, when Louis CK took his penis out and jerked it in front of his fans, or when Cosby drugged women for decades? What makes this so much more outlandish?
What are the chances, then, that when the tax bill comes back from the House, then Moore is seated and Franken is gone. So, if there is a Repub defection…or two?..then it may come to pass that this rigid display of virtue afflicts harm on millions of our fellow Americans?
Swell. Peachy. I think I would just sit and stare, only moving as much as it takes to pour another shot.
I think once Moore is seated, no Democrat should as much as look in his direction let alone talk to him. All senate business that must take place with Moore from the Democratic side should be communicated by Keith Ellison (once Franken resigns and Ellison is appointed in his place) and if Moore doesn’t want to talk to a Muslim (who he claims have no rights to even be senators), well, whaddayagonndo?
What?
Luther Strange is in the seat until Moore is seated, so Moore being seated won’t change the composition of the Senate. Franken’s resignation would, until his replacement gets picked, but that wouldn’t really help the Republicans much, because the Democrats are lock step against the tax bill, so it’s only Republican senate votes that matter in its passage.
Good. So, just as bad as I thought, but not as bad as I feared.
This may come as a surprise to you but it is entirely possible to look at different events with different people and different circumstances and different evidence and come to different conclusions even if the events are superficially similar.
Dilly, dilly!
I think somebody who intends to take a crack at a sitting senator by inventing a lie about sexual harassment is really putting themselves on the line. A senator can pretty much Destroy you if they catch you in such a lie.
How is the latest story sexual harassment or sexual assault?
It has everything to do with where this thread had been heading though. Only the other week the Dems were just as morally bankrupt as the Republicans on this matter. This week the Dems may be marginally better than the Repubs. There’s not a whole lot to distinguish between the parties here other than one party was thrown into turmoil over an upcoming election, the other party has a years worth of breathing space.
How?
If you are working in government then sure…I can see how they might make your life difficult.
If you are a cashier at Walmart or running your own bakery I am not seeing how they can “get you”. Get the IRS on your ass?
I’ve been expecting Franken to resign for a while now but have resisted condemning him outright. At this point there are just too many claims of groping for me to dismiss. I do believe he has been disrespectful of women. To me the accusation of him making a claim to a right to sexual access because he is an entertainer is not very believable but that’s just quibbling at this point.
How so?
This thread is about senator Al Franken. How is he as morally bankrupt as Donald Trump or Roy Moore?
While this well sets out what I WISH will happen, I fear Sherrerd is far more prescient. Someone please remember to check back in here the first time the Dems reap any benefit from this most recent self-immolation. The only benefit the Dems will receive is - hopefully - reducing the press given to these particular accusations at this moment. But I fully expect any implicit acknowledgment of guilt to be broadly used by the party that believes denial is a higher moral ground. If a single woman is stupid enough to vote Repub in any race because of the accusations against Franken, well, that person is too stupid to appeal to rationally, and this step will not likely win their loyalty.
As I’ve said many times, I strongly disfavor the climate that has Franken resigning for these particular actions. But I am also disappointed in him for allowing the situation to arise in which so many accusers have come forward. If his actions were truly unusual and innocuous, then I would expect similar accusations against EVERY sitting male Senator who has ever taken a photo with a constituent.
Let’s hope the Dems use this action to achieve some advantage. But I’ve supported the party for far to long to expect that to happen…:rolleyes:
Not only do I think he said it, but I think he actually thought that. It’s remarkably similar to the Trump “when you’re the star they let you grab them by the pussy” remark.
I think entertainers are more prone to this mindset than others. Partly because they live in a world where sexual-oriented behavior is presented as entertainment, and the line between entertainment and reality can get blurred, but partly because the star power frequently creates some level of acquiescence, quasi-acquiescence, or imagined acquiescence.
This thread is about Al Franken? Sorry, I must have imagined the multiple posts on the thread applauding the Democrats reaction to sexual abuse and harassment in the party and condemning Republicans for their reaction. I must have imagined the widening of the debate on this thread.
Ok.
How is Al Franken as morally bankrupt as Donald Trump or Roy Moore?
But Franken isn’t Trump. I agree with 2sense on this because it seems out of character for Franken. It’s possible he said something like “you’re going to refuse a big star like me?” or something along those lines, and she interpreted it differently. but the statement, as relayed by the woman, seems a bit much. It’s possible, but doesn’t seem likely.
It doesn’t matter if he leaves. No matter how long he is out of office, the “whataboutism” will continue.
For instance:
At that point, I think the real question is, “What democratic party?” (probably “what democracy?” too)
They have proven that they are not above it. A far right woman was willing to lie about sexual allegations just to discredit other women who had come forward, I really don’t put it past them to lie in order to bring down a politician they are ideologically opposed to. The only hope I suppose we have is that O’Keefe is the most competent of the right wing alternative fact machine.
Ummm, how?
There are two problems with this. For one, it’s absurdly common for abusive people to put on one face around most people, then only show their nastier side in private. So ‘gosh this action that he took alone with a victim is out of character with how he acts when there are lots of witnesses and/or people who will fight back’ is a pretty vapid defense in my book. All it shows is that someone is not completely incompetent at putting on a face for the world, and generally the people who can’t manage to act normal when there are consequences end up in prison or a mental institution relatively quickly.
Two, I don’t think the statement is actually out of character at all. Franken is a man who has staged sexual assault pics against a woman he was having a conflict with as a ‘joke’, and who has issued a blatantly false apology for rape jokes, then bragged that the apology was false in writing later on. There are now at least three women claiming that he aggressively went after them when they seemed vulnerable (the conflict leading up to the pic, the post-interview harassment, and the current one), and all three cases seem to have the same mindset of “I’m important, I do what I want to you woman.” Far from out of character, it seems perfectly inline with the other accusations and his published writing about his attitude.