Al Franken Addresses Misconduct Scandal and 'Experience of Women in This Country' in Thanksgiving...

[left-of-center2012]

Al Franken Addresses Misconduct Scandal and ‘Experience of Women in This Country’ in Thanksgiving Facebook Post

Al Franken wrote a Thanksgiving post on Facebook addressing his scandalous retirement from the Senate — as well as “the experience of women in this country.”

Franken resigned in December 2017 after seven women came forward to accuse him of groping or forcibly kissing them. The stunning fall of the Democrat from Minnesota seemingly came out of nowhere, and his resignation came after a series of his Senate allies turned their backs on him.

“I’ve always really loved Thanksgiving,” Franken wrote on Facebook. “Last Thanksgiving, though, wasn’t much fun. I tried to be thankful for my family, my friends, and my health, but those weeks were incredibly difficult for us Frankens.”

He went on to address the #MeToo movement, which preceded the allegations against him.
“I’ve also spent a lot of time over this past year thinking about the broader conversation we’ve been having about the experience of women in this country,” he wrote. “I know that, for so many people, this issue raises a lot of powerful and painful feelings. This conversation can also be incredibly complicated. I don’t think it’s my place to weigh in on all the debates – but I will continue to listen and learn.”

Franken pointed out in the post that while he’s not running for anything, he’s not out of the public eye either: “I still miss being in the fight every day, and while I’m certainly not running for anything, I hope that, in the next year, I’ll have the chance to help make a difference again.”

https://www.mediaite.com/online/al-franken-addresses-senate-ouster-and-experience-of-women-in-this-country-in-thanksgiving-facebook-post/

[Bradshaw3]

1. His contributions to the fight are greatly missed

[MoonRiver]

2. The real scandal was Franken being railroaded out of the Senate,

before the due process hearing he asked for had even begun.

[Trumpocalypse]

8. Due process refers to the criminal justice system

Franken asked for an ethics committee hearing which is not a determination of guilt or innocence but a finding if Franken had violated Congressional ethics rules. Plus does anyone really think Franken would have gotten a fair hearing with the GOP in control. It would have been a circus geared to humiliate Franken and the Democrats.

And it was Franken's choice to resign. No one held a gun to his head or railroaded him. He took one for the team and is a hero for it.

[MoonRiver]

11. He should have gotten the hearing he asked for. It is a disgrace that he didn't. FULL STOP.

[Trumpocalypse]

15. Do you really think the republicans

who control the Senate ethics committee would have given Franken a fair hearing? It would have been a circus designed to humiliate Franken.

[MoonRiver]

19. I don't know. I do know it has humiliated Dems who railroaded him out of the Senate.

[Trumpocalypse]

21. No

Franken chose to resign. It was his decision. He took one for the team.

[MoonRiver]

24. He had virtually no choice. Gillibrand made sure of that.

[Trumpocalypse]

26. How?

Did she put a gun to his head? Gillibrand doesn't have that much power or influence to force him or any other Senator to do anything.

[MoonRiver]

27. She led the charge, and appeared to be damn proud of it.

If she runs for president, she will have to answer for her actions in the primary, guaranteed.

[Trumpocalypse]

29. And 37 other Senators followed very quickly

Most within a few hours and some within a few minutes. Did she also go back one day in time to force Franken to announce the press conference about his political future? And where and when did she say she was proud of it? Please provide link?

[MoonRiver]

34. And they will all have to answer for their decision to turn on Franken.

This is my last response to you. I don't support Gillibrand for president. I will vote for her in the general, but don't think I'll have to. I understand you really like her, but we just disagree.

[Trumpocalypse]

35. No I like truth and fairness

I just think we should respect the facts and it is unfair to demonize one single person for what was a group effort that was obviously coordinated by leadership.

[brooklynite]

37. "She will have to answer for her actions in the primary"

Outside of anonymous bloggers, very few Democratic Primary voters will care about this.

[MoonRiver]

40. I'm sure she hopes that's the case.

But aside from the Franken issue, I find her very bland and not charismatic. IMO, there's no way she could win the primary.

[brooklynite]

42. Perhaps she is, but that's not the continual claim as to why she'll lose...

[MoonRiver]

43. It's one reason I think she'll lose. May be the most significant one too.

[Trumpocalypse]

51. Yet she won re-election with over 66% of the vote

Cuomo only got 59% same as Clinton in 2016, so she must be doing something right.

[Kaleva]

44. I would hazzard to guess most Dems don't know that Franken was a Senator from Minnesota.

[tammywammy]

52. It was a coordinated response and they choose her to go first.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/06/politics/al-franken-democratic-senators-resign/index.html

[brooklynite]

36. The Republicans DON'T control the Senate Ethics Committee

It has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.

Franken chose to resign before availing himself of a Committee investigation. Nobody forced him too.

[Trumpocalypse]

38. Your right

But I still don’t think it would have been a fair hearing. The republicans on that committee would have done everything possible to humiliate Franken.

[LakeSuperiorView]

16. An honest question, why do you hate Franken so badly?

Every, and I mean every, post that contains Franken's name, there you are to denigrate him. I can understand your apparent undying love for Gillbrand, but why the hate of Franken?

You posted multiple times on this OP and Gillibrand's name doesn't show up except after you posted.

[pangaia]

17. Good question....

[pazzyanne]

18. A very good question!

I have noticed this also. I would appreciate an answer. Inquiring minds want to know.

[Trumpocalypse]

23. Answered below.

[Trumpocalypse]

22. Please don't put words in my mouth

Just because I'm not a Franken cultist doesn't mean I hate him. I just have a love of facts and fairness which seems to be missing in most of these Franken threads.

[LakeSuperiorView]

28. You seem very devoted to attacking anyone who tries to defend Franken

Do you do regular searches to find Franken posts that might otherwise slip by? Any post I click on (Franken was my senator) and there you are within an hour. You seem to be very one note. There is a whole world of posts that issues with facts and fairness, but you seem to be laser focused on repeating the same things on any post involving Franken. Most of the other anti-Franken cult have long since moved on to other things, but it seems like an obsession of yours to weigh in against Franken.

Did you see quote marks anywhere in my post? I haven't put any words in your mouth.

[Trumpocalypse]

32. I'm not attacking anyone

I just believe in truth and fairness. There is too much misinformation in these Franken threads and most devoted to demonized a single Democratic Senator.

You say most of the other anti-Franken cult have moved on. But why hasn’t the ‘Franken must not be critized’ cult not moved on. This happened over 11 months ago and their are still these ‘Franken was railroaded’ threads every week or so. Shouldn’t they move on too? What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

And if you read all my Franken posts you would have read that I’ve called him a hero who took one for the team and that he should run for Governor of Minnesota. But like the demonization of Gillibrand inconvenient facts are ignored.

And finally is there one thing I’ve stated about the Franken affair that you can factually dispute? Please provide links.

[Trumpocalypse]

41. Why don't we talk about the facts

Is there anything that I’ve posted that is factual incorrect? Please provide links.

As far as mellowing of late: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029850032
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029851249

[pazzyanne]

20. And here you are again.

I have one question, "Why?" Ever wonder why all of the hoopla about Franken disappeared once he resigned? The timing was interesting. Not only that but Minnesotans had a second well timed accusation against another politician from our state: Keith Ellison. Two investigations later the only thing that was found was that the supposed video that was evidence had supposedly disappeared. The DNC turned their investigation result of unsubstantiated over to law enforcement. Law enforcement needed a sworn complaint filed by an accuser to begin their investigation. NO ONE FILED A COMPLAINT. Democrats need to be very aware of the "Roger Stone" dirty tricks and look carefully into these last minute scandals when they are released. As for the Democrats being excoriated by the Republicans over the Kavanaugh hearing, I have only one thing to say.

Kavanaugh refused to give permission to investigate Dr. Ford's allegation. Another "Why?"

[Trumpocalypse]

25. I don't know enough about the Ellison investigation to comment.

But in regard to Franken, there is just too much unfairness and ignoring of the actuals facts in most of these threads. For one thing, you mentioned Roger Stone. He was only involved in the first accusation. There were 7 additional accusations after that. Were they credible, I don't know.

[still_one]

30. He resigned because he didn't want to divide Democrats before the critical midterms

As for him not being railroaded, bullshit

He had a large number of Democrats sign a petition for him to resign without the opportunity to defend himself. When you have a mob telling you to go away, it is s little difficult to reason with that, along with the media, and the republicans pushing it

Same thing was done to Hillary, the Swift boating of Kerry, the Howard Dean scream, and would have happened with Obama and Pelosi, but they were able to get ahead of it before it had a chance to take hold

Funny how Roger Stone knew all about this before anyone else

He was not pressured? He sure wa

[Trumpocalypse]

33. Yes he took one for the team

But this the first I’m hearing about a petition. You have a link for that?

[still_one]

45. While not a formal petition it was a co-ordinated publically made through news outlets, and social

media by the majority of Democrats in the Senate for Franken to resign.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/06/politics/al-franken-democratic-senators-resign/index.html

However, Justice Democrats did circulate a petition at the time for Franken to resign:

https://now.justicedemocrats.com/petition/resign-franken?ref=em20171116tw

but it was the pressure of Franken's Senate colleague publicly calling for him to resign, why I suspect Franken decided not to fight it.

I usually don't respond to these Franken threads, and somewhat regret that I did this time.

I am of the view that its done, and you have to move forward. There is too much at stake to get bogged down with past battles

He was under tremendous pressure from his fellow Democratic Senators to resign, and because of that he really had little alternative but to resign.

[Trumpocalypse]

48. Ok

I can’t disagree. Like said he took one for the team.

[still_one]

50. Agreed

[dlk]

3. Everyone Deserves Due Process - Franken Had None

Whether you support Al Franken, or not (which by the way I do), he didn't receive due process or any type of fair hearing. This fact alone, not only harmed Franken, but will continue to harm women with legitimate claims of harassment. The bad guys won this one.

[Trumpocalypse]

9. He never would have gotten a fair hearing

with the GOP in control of the Senate Ethics Committee. And the term Due Process refers to the criminal justice system. It is highly inaccurate to use it in regard to Franken.

[democratisphere]

4. Damn I miss his voice of sanity and reason in Congress.

[edhopper]

5. A gross miscalculation by the Dems

they show zero tolerance to those accused, even with the questionable accusations of Franklin, and the Repukes will have to follow in kind.

Yeah, it worked with Kavinaugh, didn't it?

[dem4decades]

6. Can I vote twice in the poll about how much I don't support for Giibrand?

[LakeArenal]

10. Here is a reminder I posted.

Last edited Sat Nov 24, 2018, 12:59 PM - Edit history (2)

Here is a list of the Democratic senators and Independents who caucus with the Democrats urging Franken to step aside, as of 5:30 p.m.:

Kristen Gillibrand, New York
Chuck Schumer, New York
Claire McCaskill, Missouri
Patty Murray, Washington
Mazi Keiko Hirono, Hawaii
Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire
Kamala Harris, California
Bob Casey, Pennsylvania
Joe Donnelly, Indiana
Sherrod Brown, Ohio
Heidi Heitkamp, North Dakota
Debbie Stabenow, Michigan
Ed Markey, Massachusetts
Maria Cantwell, Washington
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin
Chris Murphy, Connecticut
Tom Udall, New Mexico
Dick Durbin, Illinois
Patrick Leahy, Vermont
Tom Carper, Delaware
Dianne Feinstein, California
Michael Bennet, Colorado
Martin Heinrich, New Mexico
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois
Jeff Merkley, Oregon
Ron Wyden, Oregon
Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts
Cory Booker, New Jersey
Bernie Sanders.

[Bfd]

12. You forgot to put Bernie Sanders name on that list

Hold Kristen Gillibrand as well as Bernie Sanders' feet to that fire.

[LakeArenal]

13. Yes will edit.

[Bfd]

14. Thank you

[still_one]

31. No pressure

[malaise]

46. I really like Al Franken

He got a raw deal

[Bluepinky]

47. He really did. He's so smart and insightful, he probably made a lot of people nervous (Rs and Ds)

He’s one of the few Senators who didn’t have a law degree; he’s an ex-comedian and very funny, which may be threatening to some of his colleagues.
He’s warm, genuine and relates well to other people, can’t say the same about Gillibrand.

[allgood33]

49. I do hope he runs again in 2020

[brooklynite]

53. Runs for what?

Runs against an incumbent Democratic Senator?

(fun fact: I know his campaign team; they're working for Smith)