What was the catalyst for calling for Franken to resign?

[madaboutharry]

This morning, Franken put out a statement categorically denying the allegation of trying to kiss someone and saying it was "his right as an entertainer." Then almost immediately there is a pile on of dems demanding he resign.

I don't get it. I wrote earlier that this might be democrats wanting to hold themselves out as superior to republicans by demanding resignations of the accused.

Could there be another reason?

[cilla4progress]

1. I feel like the women Senators,

and now some men, know things we don't about the veracity of the claims.

[madaboutharry]

2. My thoughts as well.

[Orrex]

10. That seems more and more likely

I admire Kamala Harris so deeply that I would hate to think that she'd light-heartedly call for his resignation.

[bagelsforbreakfast]

3. A lotof money might be tempting to those wanting to keep their phoney-baloney jobs. Good thing. Mel

Brooks isn't a senate democrat.

[ProudLib72]

6. The Inquisition, what a show. The Inquisition, here we go...

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. A misguided sense that Democrats would otherwise be hypocrites....

....if they call out Moore but don't criticize their own.

While perhaps noble on its face, this presumes all accusations are equally founded, which is a fallacy.

But now there's a sense that if you don't immediately believe the accusations, you're doing a disservice to the issue of sexual harassment and sexual assault, when in fact it's the complete opposite.

Accusations must be given serious consideration, but they must also be weighed according to evidence and credibility of the accusers. Blindly assenting to all accusations simply because they are made is an absolute recipe for a disaster.

But hell. We now have people insisting we believe Juanita Broadderick when she claims President Clinton raped her years ago, even though she's a blatant partisan hack and even Ken Starr didn't believe her.

[brooklynite]

5. Reportedly, Dem leadership was already worried about the previous accusations...

...and was getting ready to ask him to step down.

[uponit7771]

7. IKR !?!?!? Franken DESERVES the benefit of the doubt via an investigation !!!

[Lee-Lee]

8. This latest allegation is said to come from a Democratic stafger

They may know the identity of the person and know she is credible.

[madaboutharry]

9. One possibility is that the democrats

in the Senate are planning to mount an offensive against Roy Moore to keep him out of the Senate if he wins and they don't want Franken around complicating things.

[Mandos the Judge]

11. Either or...

Either Dem leadership panicked after yet another anonymous accusation and wants him out (the 'they are spineless morons' option), or (more charitably), they know more than we do. Either another more serious and credible accusation is in the pipeline or they know the identity of some of these anonymous accusers and have deemed them credible.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. They may know things we don't.

[octoberlib]

13. An article just came out in the Atlantic written by a woman who accuses Franken of groping.

He put his arm around her waist and squeezed her waist with his hand.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/12/i-believe-frankens-accusers-because-he-groped-me-too/547691/


Should he resign over this? No.

[Amishman]

14. He admitted to wrongdoing (and had to because of photos)

The Pubs haven't admitted anything and can keep lying away

Conyers was pushed out because the payouts were a defacto admission of guilt

The Pubs will lie and deny until caught red handed, Orange Julius and Pedoman don't have photos or payout records to pin them down (yet)