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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAnother Reminder That Franken Was Shivved
There were eight accusers. Three are lying, two-faced trumpanzees who voted for a known pussygrabber.
Four were anonymous and unverifiable.
One was Tina Dupuy, who overreached by saying she was groped at the waist during a photo op.
Yet there are progressives out there who still want to rake Franken over the coals and destroy a good man over what was a litany of spurious accusations.
Do they really want to set such a dangerous zero-tolerance precedent?
Bettie
(16,129 posts)and yet, that creature still roosts in the White House...zero tolerance is only for our side, for them, anything goes.
manor321
(3,344 posts)alittlelark
(18,890 posts)You have got to be kidding....
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)While good men like Franken gets betrayer by his own party.
wryter2000
(46,082 posts)I believe Manor was comparing Thomas and Trump
I read it that way too...
Kingofalldems
(38,487 posts)Last edited Mon Jun 11, 2018, 04:26 PM - Edit history (1)
And some fell for it.
RhodeIslandOne
(5,042 posts)Kingofalldems
(38,487 posts)samnsara
(17,640 posts)he was so screwed over.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)If Tina doesn't like being held at the waist, she'd better speak up since many don't see that type of bodily contact as off limits.
Did she want to get published in the Atlantic that badly?
mountain grammy
(26,655 posts)and a piece in the Atlantic. She disrespected every woman who ever suffered though sexual assault, abuse or harrassment. In my opinion she's a terrible person for what she did for her own publicity.
stuffmatters
(2,574 posts)Dupuy has serious & longtime attention, fame hunger. Her alleged fatshaming from Franken, that she inflated into sexual harrassment
and got him ousted,was a deeply painful insult to all women who have ever suffered real sexual abuse,harassment, trauma.
brooklynite
(94,745 posts)I know Franken's staff; they're not continuing to stew over this.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)And a "former" republican is primarying Al's replacement Tina Smith.
To all the idiots who ran Al out of office before he could run again in 2020, congratulations, you played yourselves.
brooklynite
(94,745 posts)Tina Smith will win the seat.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)Remember, Hillary Clinton was supposed to be a shoe-in because, well, look at her contender.
However, I no longer trust Minnesota voters, who barely chose Clinton by a single percentage point.
trueblue2007
(17,240 posts)brooklynite
(94,745 posts)Wwcd
(6,288 posts)LakeArenal
(28,847 posts)No apologies, no due process.
And yet calls for due process weeks later for someone else. Tripling down on the View and other outlets..
Many of us will never forget and some of us are way past forgiving.
This thread is just a reminder to many who have far reaching political ambition.
Just a reminder
Sigh.
Heartstrings
(7,349 posts)alter and walked away, leaving him defenseless. No excuses for that...
not fooled
(5,801 posts)Al was presidential material. pukes had to take him out, just as they tried to do in slower motion with HRC over the course of decades.
Heartstrings
(7,349 posts)was swift, unlike the abuse HRC has endured for 30+ years.
Wrong on both counts.
2naSalit
(86,802 posts)dflprincess
(28,082 posts)and did not comment publicly.
brooklynite
(94,745 posts)whathehell
(29,095 posts)most issues, before anyone draws an opposite conclusion.
True Blue American
(17,989 posts)Al Franken stands tall in my book.
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)Tina Smith is the true blue Dem that will stand with Democrats in the Senate.
Not the Republican who now suddenly wants to be a Dem.
The game they play is obvious as f.
Smart of Perez & the Dems to set some rules as to who can run on our good & generous Democratic ticket.
Ya, I'm sure there'll be a few spoiled plans.
So be it.
True Blue American
(17,989 posts)As a Democrat. That is when he lost me. A GW Bush Attorney.
I know Richard hates Trump, but he has always been a Republican.
We need Tina Smith!
geardaddy
(24,931 posts)USALiberal
(10,877 posts)onecaliberal
(32,902 posts)renate
(13,776 posts)... if he hadn't been silenced.
I love Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff and the other Democratic politicians who appear practically nightly on MSNBC, but can you imagine how brilliant Al would be in skewering this president and his staff?
But no. Kirstin Gillibrand had to have her moment.
Cosmocat
(14,574 posts)So few Ds who have the sand to go out and take this on publicly like him, and endless army of half witted conservative pols who spew the most insane shit imaginable 24-7 ...
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)Why I'm glad I'm a transplant from Minnesota living in the Bronx. She's not getting any primary vote from me later this month.
Unfortunately, her primary opponent is a non-starter, so she'll probably coast by, so I'll have to hold my nose for her in the general.
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)Name them all.
True Blue American
(17,989 posts)Against Gillibrand? She should be primaried.
I am still a democrat but haven't supported anyone running because I am so furious about what Kristen Gillibrand and others did to Al Franken. He was our one democrat that could've taken the orange dog down. Al Franken was brilliant. I think Gillibrand knew that and she wanted him stopped before he would make her and others look bad.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,176 posts)Especially in this age of celebrity acceptance for candidates. That besides being a lion in the Senate in hearings etc., He was well known, funny, and respected by many who appreciated him in his Air America days where he proved to everybody how aware he was/is of the political landscape.
I think a few of the old guard feared his populism and jumped at the chance to get rid of the competition.
Gidney N Cloyd
(19,847 posts)I love Steph but she's got some odd people in her circle.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)Say an off-color joke in public that was completely unprintable by Tina, who wrote the account, but apparently she didn't commit any misconduct?
Nothing against Stephanie Miller, just against Tina.
mountain grammy
(26,655 posts)Stephanie pushed back a bit on Tina, but still has her on. I refuse to listen when she's on.
John Fuglesang has her on too.. fawns all over her. Love John and his show, but he just doesn't get it on this one. Backs Tina all the way. I won't listen when she's on.
trueblue2007
(17,240 posts)INNOCENT until proven Guilty !!! I love Senator Franken and always will. The Repukes railroaded him.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)Who voted to maintain optics over sanity.
Al took one for the team, making him more honorable than the team.
Autumn
(45,120 posts)I have ever seen.
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)NY_20th
(1,028 posts)Twenty-five U.S. House seats, four U.S. Senate seats and three governor's seats are at stake in the states holding primaries Tuesday, and Democrats are eyeing a number of purple districts in Virginia as they look to map out their path to retaking the lower chamber in November.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tuesdays-primaries-center-trump-battle-control-congress/story?id=55747369
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)but remember, he didn't fight back. Instead he kept apologizing. Even when the 38 Dem Senators condemned him, he could have fought back, again he capitulated and resigned.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)And he understood that there's no way he can work with 38 colleagues who think he is a serial groper.
Now his name continues to be dragged through the mud, and I am just sick and tired of it.
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)Other than here, I've seen little mention of Franken any where.
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)Yet still none. Interesting.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)over there, Franken is a monster and a serial abuser.
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)Anyone else?
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)for Franken to resign, because they believe he's guilty of what filthy, lying, two-faced trumpanzees claim he did.
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)And didnt Franken apologize for several of the accusations ?
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)committed misconduct, and Franken only apologized for the photo, nothing else.
Don't believe everything the lynch mob tells you.
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)I havent heard anyone discuss Franken for months. Can you provide links to recent comments in major media.
Plus I believe Franken apologized more than once: http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-pol-essential-washington-updates-sen-al-franken-apologizes-again-1511538494-htmlstory.html
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)You find the link, I'm not your personal researcher.
And Franken's Nov. 24 apology was for the fact some women felt uncomfortable. That does not equate to an admission of guilt.
Franken categorically denied any serious wrongdoing during his resignation speech. Read that in full.
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)Do you have any more recent examples?
Bettie
(16,129 posts)the same people saying "he kept apologizing" would be saying "he disrespected his accusers".
There was no winning this, because there were a lot of people who wanted to take him down, both on the right and the left.
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)On the left? Who?
brush
(53,876 posts)Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)Why would they want to do that
brush
(53,876 posts)Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)unless I have facts to back it up. Do you have any facts to back up your accusation?
brush
(53,876 posts)Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)My question is what people and why? Several posts later and Im still waiting for a straight answer.
Response to Trumpocalypse (Reply #139)
Post removed
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)But you still havent answered why,
Ferrets are Cool
(21,110 posts)I hate that he is gone, but why bring it up.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)It's one thing if its the lying repukes, it another when it is supposed members of our side calling him a good man a pervert who assaults women.
Ferrets are Cool
(21,110 posts)referring to. I will look harder next time.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)druidity33
(6,448 posts)Volaris
(10,274 posts)Or is the fear more that Biden will run as a populist (rabble-rousing) Progressive, and the Establishment won't want that...
brush
(53,876 posts)Volaris
(10,274 posts)And yes I can see how that could be weaponized by the ratfuckers into a shiv (that, at this point, could easily be sharpened by our own side inadvertently...even tho I like to think the absence of a SENATOR Franken would make us slightly more cautious in taking that bait).
brush
(53,876 posts)steered by Gillibrand and it may not stop one driven by ambitious Biden opponents.
Volaris
(10,274 posts)BEFORE the media can ask the question 'well why aren't YOU JUMPING?, how is that FAIR'?
If for profit news were doing actual journalism, instead of having an Interest Stake in having an argument, Al would be in the middle of a Professional Inquest at his own request, but he would still be in the Senate.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)The populace demands someone who will take up the mantle for them.
Volaris
(10,274 posts)The Liberalism of People Who WORK For A Living, (and want better for their kids), with the attached argument that if you're even remotely paying attention, non-white people have to work that much harder for the same recognition and economic rewards (duhhhh), and that aint ANY kinda fair.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)corporations in the past. I'm open though to hear what he has to say if he runs in 2020.
Volaris
(10,274 posts)Opened his eyes to some things he might not have otherwise been aware of. Ehhh...corporate connections...that's The Game he came up in, I wont fault him for being smart enough to play that game as well as he has...but ALSO very much hoping that he understands by this point WHY that game is unfair, and can articulate that to a broad GenElect audience.
If he can demonstrate both those things, he will crush the shit out of the Deplorables, carry both Chambers, and Trump can die in prison sooner than later.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)Volaris
(10,274 posts)Scream that Message. Win those elections. Convict those TreasonWeasels. I don't much CARE who gets it done.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)Looking forward to hearing more about that.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)progressoid
(49,999 posts)jodymarie aimee
(3,975 posts)guess they didn't wanna talk about Bernie !!! Just trying to gin stuff up, when we have work to do....
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)You didn't know that?
NY_20th
(1,028 posts)Minnesota holds open primaries, so I'm not sure what you are proposing is an effective GOTV strategy for Democrats.
rainin
(3,011 posts)as many of us here argued strongly for, that to continue to support what happened to him is either willful ignorance or deliberate deception. We should be very careful accepting that here at DU or in our party.
We did not succeed in holding the republicans to a higher standard. We turned our back on a decent man.
CrispyQ
(36,527 posts)I'm as glad as the next person that Richard Painter is speaking out against Trump, but what does that say about the Democratic Party that a long time career republican is comfortable running as a dem?
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)support him. But some are really fond of supporting non Dems as Dems. today I saw stuff posted from when he worked to get W's guys on the SCOTUS. You'd think with today's decision on voter purges in OH folks wouldn't be so quick to celebrate that.
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)Article from March 2018
This is how the Intelligencer sees it.
Just sayin, Buyer Beware
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/painter-mulls-throwing-senate-race-to-pro-trump-republican.html
SNIP
Meanwhile, the chances of a lifelong Republican ousting Tina Smith for the Democratic nomination are slim.
Which means that if Painter wants to run a vanity campaign through November, hes going to have to run as an independent.
And such a candidacy just might win enough left-leaning voters who enjoy Painters MSNBC appearances to throw the election to a Republican which is to say, Painters candidacy just might ensure that Donald Trump gets to keep making lifetime judicial appointments from now until (at least) 2021.
Careful what you wish for...
There's that 3rd Party threat again. (We see you Jane)
They'd actually re-elect Trump than protect the salvation of the USA.
What a bunch of chumps..
tblue37
(65,490 posts)excellent senator and should still be in the senate.
Vinca
(50,310 posts)Wwcd
(6,288 posts)calimary
(81,508 posts)I feel the same way. This story was - shall we say trumped up. Self-proclaimed CONservative accuser on the air at known wrongward-leaning radio station that was long ago past its better days. Whiffs of Roger Stone in there.
The station had NEVER broken a story in all the years I knew of it, listened on occasion, and/or worked across the hall. It used to be nonpartisan and apolitical in the early mornings, liberal in the late mornings, Dr. Laura Schlesinger in the early afternoons, and sports talk during afternoon drive. Programming frequently interrupted for Dodger games. Thered be some answer-man type talk show guy all evening, and one old conservative crank all night. The dude would always sign off with ...dont give up the Panama Canal! When I worked mornings on the FM sometimes, Id hear him on the way in.
That was back when conservatives on the air were all a bunch of old cranks who the rest of us just laughed at. They wised up and got respectable with the rise of love mvaugh, which started them on the road to being taken more seriously.
That same L A station today is still a low-power AMer trying to compete and out-CON-talk the huge and primary AM CONservative monster with 50-thousand watts and a clear channel signal that bombs in everywhere and can be heard over all of the western states after dark. The lesser AMer cant even begin to compete. Lousy signal cant even be heard in parts of Los Angeles in daytime!
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)If I follow the tone of your logic, Gillibrand:
Singlehandedly took out Al Franken, or she convinced a LOT of democratic Senators to take Franken out.
Either way you slice it, she has great persuasive power, if one follows your logic. Why not make her President vis acclimation. She can sit across from Angela Merkel and say, "Angela, give America all of Germany's money". And Angela will say "Kristin, you are so convincing, all German accounts will be routed to the US Treasury tomorrow morning". I didn't make the claim, you did.
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)Its damned near pavlovian anymore.
Vinca
(50,310 posts)sentence was passed. And I hope I don't have to support Gillibrand in 2020.
mythology
(9,527 posts)And no, the women weren't unverifiable any more than the women who accused Matt Lauer or many of those who accused Kevin Spacey, or John Conyers etc. Just because the women weren't named doesn't mean the news media didn't investigate. But because of the personal nature of these assaults, we respect the right of the victim to remain anonymous. Unless you also think that all women who anonymously report a rape are lying, you're being hypocritical.
The denial on this is kind of amazing to me.
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)But I doubt that many here will agree with you. Unfortunately a cult of personality has been built around Franken that distorts his actual record and the events that led to his resignation.
ProfessorGAC
(65,212 posts)See how easy that statement is?
The Wizard
(12,549 posts)They don't eat their young like Democrats do. Democratic leadership is so frightened that Repubics will say bad things about them that they can't think straight. Kirsten Gillibrand used Franken to advance her political aspirations. Now she'll never go any farther than where she is now. A political miscalculation to say the least.
Tarc
(10,476 posts)from "concerned" liberals.
The shaming, particularly against Gillibrand, is just pathetic.
Trumpocalypse
(6,143 posts)zentrum
(9,865 posts)Every progressive I know, myself included, are furious at Gillibrand and heart broken that he's gone.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)with those whose opinions I otherwise respect, but they are accepting it as conventional wisdom that Franken is some kind of monster.
I think they are redigging the trenches now that Bill Clinton came out with a lukewarm defense of Franken.
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)Last I heard he calls himself a progressive Independent, now that he's dropped the progressive Dem Party label.
Don't know what happened to the socialist, progressive socialist or Dem socialist turned Independent socialist.
Its like whiplash!
zentrum
(9,865 posts)Hope you feel better soon.
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)And trying to explain to people why you keep switching political labels.
Glad I'm a Dem, always been a Dem & I know what I stand for & I know the great rich history of this Democratic Party that evolves & grows & stands strong in the face of usurpers & thieves whose word comes with a sly sort of smile and fingers crossed behind their back.
I am the proud Party of JFK, RFK & MLK
I am a Democrat.
The Party of human rights & equality for all, the Party that built this fine nation and welcomed those seeking a better way of life.
And THAT my friend is the great & always constant, Democratic Party.
I know their great celebrations, & I know their days of struggle in lifting humankind above the self appointed priviledged few.
The Democratic Party is the Party of humanity and all that encompasses.
And that is who we are.
I have no question as to where I belong.
Response to Wwcd (Reply #107)
ChubbyStar This message was self-deleted by its author.
brush
(53,876 posts)Gothmog
(145,619 posts)MrPool
(73 posts)has other Dems in her sights using that tacit to take them out. She needs to be primaried.
brooklynite
(94,745 posts)The NY Primary is next Tuesday. The one candidate that the outraged anti-Gillibrand folks found to "run" against her was a Dentist who raised a grand total of $11,000, and didn't make it on the ballot. Amazingly, nobody has brought up "shivving" Al Franken in the campaign.
MrPool
(73 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)If they weren't, a challenger would have gotten more traction.
MrPool
(73 posts)is beloved by his constituents but those not of his state no different don't we?
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)state. That is the way elective politics work. New York is a populous state, I would guess that if Gillibrand was truly hated there, she would have drawn several seriously powerful primary challengers, she didn't, simple as that.
MrPool
(73 posts)her.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)but I'll be the good dem and vote for Gillibrand in the general.
dflprincess
(28,082 posts)of course, she also thought it would help her own ambitions.
She's dead to me.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)What does that mean?
MrPool
(73 posts)arsonist and a back stabber of those who were her biggest supporters.
NY_20th
(1,028 posts)of sexism from the left.
Crutchez_CuiBono
(7,725 posts)And he's not been heard of. Very few can rake someone over the coals like Al. I'm w you re. KG.
dawg day
(7,947 posts)Franken quit. Yeah, he thought he was being shoved out, but he was elected by the citizens of Minnesota, and they should have been the ones who decided-- not other senators. I love Al, I think what he did was pretty minimal (compared with others), and what he should have done was pulled a Bill Clinton: "I was wrong, boy was I wrong, and now I'm going to spend the rest of my term doing a great job."
Sorry-- I also think Eliot Spitzer should never have quit. They would have rode it out. But this requires the politicians to keep their eyes on the prize, analyze what they did (how bad in this case?), make apologies and amends, but most important, remember what your job is and do it.
Franken was stampeded into quitting, but he let himself be stampeded. What would have happened if he abjectly apologized and stayed in the job? Sure, there might have been an ethics investigation, but those almost never result in expulsion. An awful awkward few months or year, but he'd still be senator now.
I know this is unfashionable, but be like Bill. Hunker down, suffer the slings and arrows, do your job, wait for it to pass. It will. There will be another scandal soon.
And if people complain, say, "I'll quit when the predator in the White House quits."
We are letting the GOP be ruthlessly resistant to "norms'-- no one pushed DAVID VITTER or Larry Craig out. It does no good to be all abject and quick to quit-- they don't do that.
Crutchez_CuiBono
(7,725 posts)and chim cheerio. No more quitting.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)The initial response by a select few - which was an overreaction IMHO - caused a #metoo landslide that could not be stopped and swept Al out the door.
Tarc
(10,476 posts)Really, how hard is this to understand?
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)Tarc
(10,476 posts)This is the sort of victim-shaming that one usually finds in the alt-right.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)So, now you're comparing me and my views to the alt-right?! Are you serious?! I didn't say jack shit about the underlying accusations... I said Franken was denied due process and, no doubt, was forced to resign, your insult notwithstanding.
Tarc
(10,476 posts)When one admits guilt, that alleviates all due process concerns. There's no need to conduct a trial when there is a guilty plea.
This is pretty basic stuff here.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)Take your time, I'll wait.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)Weak!
Tarc
(10,476 posts)And what's with the "chip chip" tripe? Some of us have things to do other than furiously hit the refresh button on an internet forum, bud.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)Tarc
(10,476 posts)For starters.
Franken manned up and took responsibility for his actions. More than can be said about some of his acolytes.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,123 posts)wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)Al was apologizing for taking a gag photo, not for groping. Try again, and this time *REALLY* try
Tarc
(10,476 posts)Franken took responsibility for the totality of the accusations, that's what a man does.
I'm sorry you cannot rise up to his standard.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)You're bad at this.
Show me where he admitted committing the "totality" of the accusations. Either do that, or just walk away. It's not rocket science.
Tarc
(10,476 posts)"You can lead a horse to water..."
How long do you plan to bump this? I'm beginning to feel some pity for you.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)Your "quote" lacked context.
Do better.
Tarc
(10,476 posts)The Ignore List is a wonderful thing. Enjoy!
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)they can't back up their claims, so they block, whether it's here or on twitter.
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)stand your ground.. all the blaming NOW is just more political posturing by folks with agendas.. I didn't agree with the Senators/ Congress critters that turned on this one, but I am not going to sling arrows at them at this point either - if he was in the right he should have stood his ground against the establishment that backdoored him.. simple
NY_20th
(1,028 posts)It's the night before another major primary that is of the utmost importance in taking back the House, but gosh, can't you just feel the love?
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)Franken, Conyers, and Garrison Keillor all went down in one wild week. Funny how that works eh
Progressive dog
(6,920 posts)He's gone and he wasn't shiivved, he was accused of groping by multiple women and he resigned.
DFW
(54,445 posts)He was blindsided by the whole stream of accusations. He did not react for quite a while, because he knew full well that the accusations were bogus, and could only have come from an orchestrated Republican defamation campaign, O'Keefe style, and figured no one would buy it. When the press and a few dozen Democratic Senators jumped on the bandwagon, he then realized he was in trouble--sort of like the innocent guy on death row who didn't realize that even innocent people get wrongly convicted and condemned, especially if the cops, prosecutor and judge find it convenient. He finally threw in the towel not because he was guilty of any of this, but because he saw the Governor of Minnesota had jumped on the bandwagon and already designated his successor.
Gillibrand was only the most vocal and offensive of his Senate colleagues who abandoned him to toot their own horn. There were more than two dozen others, some of whom, I am sure, regret their actions mightily, but are too cowardly to publicly apologize. If there had been anything to the accusations, they would have been pursued. Having achieved their purpose, his accusers vanished into the mist within days, maybe hours.
No amount of trolling, here or elsewhere, will change what happened. Just because some on here want his accusers to have been truthful, whatever their motivation for doing so, does not make it true.
Al Franken was, for lack of a better word, indeed shivved.
Tarc
(10,476 posts)Franken admitted that the accusations were true, apologize,d and resigned.
It's funny how some on the left held up the accusers of Roy Moore as honest and truthful (because they were), but then turn around and savage the accusers of Franken as a part of some organized conspiracy.
You can't have it both ways, we have to treat accusations of sexual misconduct the same, even if it hits a politician like Franken that is on our side.