It seems that Al Franken will quit because some woman came forward and claimed that he grab her waist as they posed for a photo together.
Her WAIST.
In the meantime, nearly everyone now admits that Roy Moore will win in Alabama.
(The secret history of this race, I've recently read, has to do with a nuclear power plant and a weird plan -- involving Michael Flynn and the former drummer for Iron Butterfly -- to move all the world's nuclear waste to Russia. No, really.)
I'm pissed off. REALLY pissed off. I'm going to spend the rest of this evening polishing off all the vodka in the house.
Did I not warn you that MeToo was a Republican plot to ratfuck the Dems? Did I not tell you two days before the first accusation against Al Franken that Franken would be targeted?
Vodka ho!
Added note. Why didn't Bill Clinton resign when he was accused of murdering Vince Foster? Nowadays, accusation = proof.
This is especially true when the accuser is female. Women are holy. Women must never be disputed. A woman named Janis Kaighn has filed a lawsuit claiming that Donald Trump is a Communist Illuminati mafioso. She has a vagina, therefore....case closed!
16 comments:
Your point is well taken. Not only have the Republicans weaponized sexual assault accusations, they have trivialized them. Once holding a woman's waist is sexual assault, then sexual assault is not serious. One of the reasons Trump won was that he was perceived to be a fighter (although idiots didn't understand who he was fighting for), it is about time that Democrats started fighting. Your well reasoned articles are unfortunately counterbalanced by the inane argument that Israel is planning genocide. It is not. The Hamas Charter, however, continues to call for the murder of every Jew, everywhere.
I agree with lowercase joseph: when every act of harrassment = sexual assault then the term itself is made pointless, toothless. Which coincidentally falls right into the Trump/Republican playbook. And the Dems are self-righteously dancing to the piper's tune, again. We never fail to shoot ourselves in the foot. But at least we can claim moral superiority.
Ugh!
What I would like to see Franken do is stand his ground, demand a public ethic's hearing and announce he would be willing to act on whatever decision is rendered. Otherwise, people will assume the worst (he was lying all the while), and the right-wing dirty trick's department will gear up for a cheap, easy and effective way to eliminate strong Democratic voices and/or 2018 candidates because: Accusation = Resignation.
Brilliant in its own evil way.
I simply do not agree with Gillibrand (who I like overall) that all sexual harassment/assault cases are in the same bag. Al Franken is not = to Roy Moore. Al Franken is not = to the Trumpster. Al Franken is not = to Blake Farenthold or John Conyers. Adults men and women are capable of distinguishing levels of offensive behavior and/or the context of that behavior. We do not need to be reduced to Middle School students, bullies and geeks alike, hauled into the Principal's office for every infraction regardless of circumstances.
As a woman, I know what sexual harassment looks, sounds and feels like. Every woman does. But I'm old enough to know there's a difference between an unwanted, sloppy kiss and a hand up my dress. This purge-mentality is not going to help women in the long run. And it sure as hell won't help the Democratic Party.
Peggysue
Agree with Peggysue.
Democrats, party of the circular firing squad.
This is how the GOP, the worst political party since the National Socialists has gotten the Democrats to destroy themselves.
Though Franken's case does seem strange (I have no idea how if Franken has a history of this he never did it while he was in entertainment), I will merely point out that it's possible the Senate has more information that the public doesn't know about. I may be the contrarian here, but I think there's a reason both that the Democrats didn't make Franken or Conyers resign immediately (worried about #MeToo becoming weaponized by the right) and why they are doing it now. This doesn't mean they are doing this right, though I have to admit I'm coming around to that conclusion, but I don't think the Democrats are being naive. IOW, more will come out about Franken.
Anybody who has done child custody litigation knows that allegations of child abuse are tossed around so frequently that Judges have stopped believing them. We can only hope that this country will have the same awakening. It should be evidence, not accusations that control our decisions.
All of these Democrats coming for Al Franken's head? I guarantee you, most of them will not make an effort to call people to demand impeachment of Trump for worse than what Franken did. It is a kneejerk circular firing squad on their own members in the name of a purity test they naively think they can inact on Democratic men... A purity test that even women would fail... Ask Ass Grabber Leann Tweeden. These Democrats are not so stupid as to understand that turning every look, touch, word into sexual assault will destroy the Democrats. They are just too kneejerk spineless to come up with more rational and proper guidelines and punishments that fit the "crime"... The Republican reponse has been to own up to their child rapey Russian moleness and run with it. They don't give a fuck that you openly see this side of them. They don't care what you think of them... Republican voters approve. Meanwhile on the left, the Democratic Party Has completely fractured because women say Franken touched them on the waist, butt, etc.. No proof... and some of it from rightwing sources, but All it took to splinter the Democrats was an accusation....and any infractions from a kiss to touching someone on the waist are now full on sexual assault .. Which of course makes the phrase absolutely meaningless and gives the Republicans a way to topple any Democrat they want since Democrats have chosen such a knee jerk irrational way to deal with this.
IMTMFS
One thing I don't get, the democratic party goes against Al in favour of women's rights and in support of them. While a group of people openly advocating that the party forgo abortion rights to attract more votes and the party go out of its way to accommodate those people. They give them more seats on the table than their numbers and commitment warrant. What am I missing here. I am beginning to think democrats were invented by Rs to make life fun for them.
Anon, I'm not sure what you mean, but if you mean what I think you mean, I don't like it. I myself have argued that the Dems ought to re-welcome the nearly-extinct creature known as the anti-abortion Democrat. If Doug Jones opposed abortion, or at least late-term abortion, he'd win in Alabama.
"Then what's the difference between Moore and Jones" asketh the progressive purist (i.e., the Republican wolf in liberal sheep's clothing).
The differences would be profound. Climate change, banking regulation, immigration, IMPEACHMENT...
And here's a fun fact. Back in the days when the Democratic party allowed for the existence of anti-abortion Democrats, abortion rights were MORE secure.
Here's another fun fact. If abortion rights are endangered, the danger will come from the Supreme Court, not the Senate. A Democratic senate is more likely to place a check on extremist Supreme Court nominees.
This may be a Progressive versus Moderate issue rather than a secret plot by the Republicans.
it's also possible that Weinstein's counter spying against those who accused him may have led him to info about others. The timing on Louis C.K., just as his movie is being released along with Kevin Spacey and his movie just weeks from being released smells like a possible Weinstein revenge.
Bottom line is Neo Conservatives could take the hit once they are viewed as the "ends justify the means" religion. Vote for Trump because he gets to select the next Supreme Court justice, Vote for Moore because even an alleged sexual predator of the under age is still better than a "liberal". I don't see how long term neo conservatives can survive such insane mantra / banter.
nemdam,
I don't think Dems have any inside or more information about Franken or Conyers. In Franken's case, I don't think the ethics investigation was even started yet. It's the pile on effect.
I don't know why you persist in calling it a GOP plot. If you look at Roy Moore, the GOP was more than happy to see him thrown under the bus, and I bet that a lot of people, including McConnell, would prefer that Doug win.
I also agree with Peggy Sue Also Dems had help from Sanders in the self destruct dept. Maybe we neef to step up with our own attacks and not wait for them.
You may have a point that progressives are more culpable than right wing though these days it's hard to tell the difference.
Joe
Standing up for women's right to choose shouldn't be a bargaining issue. The party decided that was one of its core values along time ago. My argument was in supporting women you can't pick and choose which you can waiver on and which you decide to stand firm on. I am not excusing Al behavior or minimizing it, I just want them to be consistent and yes brave. Besides, if we start to chip away the values of the party for political expediencies where do we stop?. Don't you think there is someone somewhere who has a similar suggestion about a different issue?
We shouldn't automatically DISbelieve women's accusations, but we must not automatically BELIEVE all women, either. There are still plenty of right-wing dirty tricksters who will lure women into making baseless accusations against liberals, and I believe that's what's been done to both Al Franken and Garrison Keillor. I want to see the evidence.
I tweeted to Al Franken (@alfranken) that he should sue the women accusing him so that we could see the evidence, and that he run for President.
One accuser was offended by being touched at the WAIST???!!!
Tell Al not to resign:
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2BiUSCc and click Send Message.
Twitter: @SenFranken
Phone: (202) 224-5641
Email: http://bit.ly/2BgjxY0
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