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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI am not a lesbian
Several years ago I was working on a play. During one rehearsal, a woman who also worked on the play and happened to be a lesbian walked behind me. As she passed by she grabbed my buttocks. I am beginning to think now that I should probably locate this woman and insist that she be fired from her job. She might be working with people or something. Really, there can be no other solution to this.
And so it is with our Democratic senators. They have a full menu of options for disciplining Franken if they are absolutely positive about claims made against him but they went right for resignation. They, more than Franken, owe us a public explanation for their extreme behavior. They are losing support by doing this.
msongs
(67,441 posts)renate
(13,776 posts)... this woman who was offended by Franken putting his hand on her waist when they were posing for a picture. Her WAIST. And who said that if her husband did the same thing to her in public, she would feel diminished as a professional woman.
Someone like that is honestly too fragile to go out in public if that's so distressing to her. And that's sad for her, but it shouldn't be sad for Al and the rest of us too.
And he's being treated as if he's guilty, after being accused of vague things like this.
Could it be more ridiculous?
Jarqui
(10,130 posts)I need real evidence of wrong doing - not vague unsubstantiated stuff - that may not even be sexual assault/harassment.
I fear they're about to end a good senator's service and he may not be guilty of anything of substance.
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)I just don't get this.
Sen. Walter Sobchak
(8,692 posts)but setting out to destroy their personal lives and careers or retaliating in any way has never crossed my mind. In most of the situations their own personal embarrassment seemed like more than enough.
In Franken's case the left has simply become so invested in believing accusers and harshly and swiftly punishing the accused they couldn't not frag Franken without looking like pikers. I am sure each and every one of them calling for his resignation know full well this is a collections of fabrications and exaggerations but they don't know how to proceed without unraveling the new sexual politics they so carefully cultivated.
Mandos the Judge
(24 posts)I agree, the Dems have painted themselves into corner by insisting that all accusers must be believed without question, that any form of due process or investigation isn't necessary and that only the harshest punishment will suffice. Now they are being hoisted on their own petard by Roger Stone and his ilk. Madness... madness and stupidity!
Doodley
(9,126 posts)We have to be better than them in every way. They will be talking about Al Franken until election day, and with their ability to yell the loudest that is all some voters will hear.
Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)They would NEVER kill the filibuster on a Supreme Court nomination.
Remember that?
Doodley
(9,126 posts)JackInGreen
(2,975 posts)And continued action like this will get us a warm feeling while we shiver in the ashes I'm sure.
KT2000
(20,587 posts)we need perspective and the Democrats should lead the way on that. Every Democratic candidate from here on out will have their entire sexual history examined and made public. Repub money men will pay the bill to encourage more salacious stories - true or not. This is nothing but a losing proposition. No points are gained by caving to uninvestigated claims.
The R's will have their backgrounds told too but they don't seem to care and will win the elections.
Doodley
(9,126 posts)think Roy Moore should have stood down. What you are saying about conspiracies and fabricated stories is what the Roy Moore campaign is saying.
KT2000
(20,587 posts)should have quit the race. He is a predator of teen-age girls. Franken touched someone's back end? or waist? Different issues with different penalties. What do you think Moore's intent was with the girls? What do you think Franken's intent was? He thought he was being cute. Today we say that is not cute - fire him? Take his voice out of hearings based on that?
You better believe the r's are involved in dirty tricks and they far exceed anything the Dems do. The Dem's have caved on this one.
Doodley
(9,126 posts)Franken, just as we heard Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi, and Clinton emails, Clinton emails, Clintom emails, right up to next election day. I know it's not fair and Franken has been a huge asset, but Trump winning in 2020 isn't something we want to face.
KT2000
(20,587 posts)they will run through the list and do the same to every possible contender. As we learned with Hillary, it doesn't even have to be true. We have to learn new tactics other than caving.