Did Me Too get wrong guy? Former staffers say resignation will do more harm than good for women.

[Amaryllis]

By Alex Thompson Dec 8, 2017

Eight women accused Al Franken of inappropriately touching, groping, or kissing them. For the Democratic leadership in the Senate, it was an open-and-shut case: Franken must go.

But for former Franken staffers — the ones who worked most closely with the Minnesota senator over eight years and two statewide campaigns — he was the wrong target, and his resignation “in the coming weeks” will do more harm than good for the cause of women on Capitol Hill and workplaces across the country.

In interviews with eight former Franken staffers and top campaign aides — most of them women — all of them felt that it was unfair for Franken to become to poster boy for sexual misconduct in Congress and some felt that he shouldn’t have resigned at all. They also applauded his defiant speech on the Senate floor Thursday, for which Franken has been criticized for not directly apologizing to his accusers.

“Many, if not most, offices in Congress are hostile environments for young women, and Franken’s office was not one of them,” said one former female staffer, who declined to be named because she still works in Democratic politics. I am desperate to see change, but this is not the solution.”

She added that she worried Franken’s resignation would make lawmakers feel satisfied that they took action instead of addressing the more systemic problems facing women in Congress. “If that is the case, the end result will be harmful for women, not helpful,” she said.

snip

Franken aides are adamant that their boss was part of the solution in Congress and not the problem, and several described him as among the best bosses to have in Washington as a young woman. “A lot of politicians could learn from the way he treated women in his office,” Emily Mellencamp Smith, Franken’s finance director in his 2014 reelection campaign, told VICE News. “So it’s a really sad day,” she added.

Read the entire article. It's excellent and reflects the thoughts many have expressed here but comes directly from those who know him well.

MOre:
https://news.vice.com/story/frankens-staff-thinks-the-me-too-movement-got-the-wrong-guy?utm_source=vicenewstwitter

[hlthe2b]

1. Yup... that's my take as well. n/t

[rzemanfl]

2. K&R. Franken should say he "doesn't recall" saying he'd resign and his attorney was watching on TV

Last edited Fri Dec 8, 2017, 07:40 PM - Edit history (1)

so whatever he said is privileged.

[Mr.Bill]

18. I don't recall him resigning, either.

Because he hasn't.

[rzemanfl]

19. You're right. I was sloppy. n/t

[janterry]

3. There's a huge divide between

second and third wave feminists. I like Franken and wanted him to stay. I think he's great. But I worked today with third wave feminists and they said he was guilty of sexual assault and (like all of the scum in DC - they spoke with a broad brush) should go.

I was sad about that. There was no way to talk across that divide.

I'm still heartbroken about Al. I really hoped he'd run for President

[Amaryllis]

4. Always leery of those who paint with a broad brush as well as those who stand on a

moralistic high ground without digging deeper, and make judgments based on superficial reporting. I think that is a lot of what happened with Hillary.

[janterry]

7. Exactly

and not just superficial reporting...superficial reasoning - on their part. I get that they are idealistic. But politics is also about making real choices, with real consequences.

IDK. I'm old

[luvtheGWN]

12. As my Dad always said "With age comes wisdom".

The young are quite often quick to jump on the bandwagon (either the right or the left) and don't stop to take the time to look at both sides and make a decision based on facts instead of emotion. Idealism takes precedence, in their minds.

From all I've seen and read, Franken was railroaded by those bandwagon jumpers. Did they ever stop and consider WHY women like Tweeden made their accusations -- without any kind of proof, and WITH political bias?

No, it was enough for them to take those accusations at face value and decide Franken must be the sacrificial lamb -- WITHOUT thinking of all its political implications.

Sounds like I'm blaming the young, and in a way I am. But as a 69-year-old, and having grown up in an atmosphere of men complimenting me on my great legs (and yes, they still are!), I never once considered that sex was on their minds, nor did I ever consider those compliments were a form of verbal sexual assault. Nope, I took those remarks as the compliments I'm pretty sure they were intended to be.

Please, women, stop and think things through before you automatically accuse what any man says as an overture to getting into your pants!

[mythology]

52. Exactly what proof can they provide?

What proof can the vast majority of rape victims provide?

And perhaps they did think of the political implications. One party takes sexual harassment and assault seriously. The other talks about legitimate rape and grab them by the pussy.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. Yes, we may find that Russian social media drones exaggerated the response, seeming like a wave. nt

[Amaryllis]

50. Good point. Didnt even think of that. Nothing has been done to stop them; of course they

would be all over something like this.

[jalan48]

11. Kinda like "Draining the Swamp"?

[janterry]

17. that's pretty much what they said

with no idea that the swamp might not be everyone......

[rzemanfl]

20. There are "waves?" Maybe I should check my Will. n/t

[Alice11111]

22. I'm not sure what the waves mean, but I have represented

Victims in sex harassment cases 30 years. My daughter was raped when she was a child and like every woman, #metoo.

I am 100pc opposed to the hit job on Franken. Sen Gillibrand should be investigated for her leading tbe lynch mob. Does she know any of the Anonymous accusers??

[ThoughtCriminal]

26. I sure was that here yesterday

And probably would today if I had not put a handful on Full Ignore.

How do you reason with someone who literally says that punishing Franken is more important than stopping a $1.5 trillion theft that will probably kill tens of thousands? You can't. They have left anything resembling reason far behind and replaced it with blind hate.

[LakeArenal]

29. Could?

Should.

[PatrickforO]

38. What the hell are third wave feminists? That sounds suspiciously like academic snobbery to me.

Are they people who believe women should have equal rights, equal pay, and be on a level playing field?

Because, you know what, every man over 50 is gonna end up doing a perp walk because the culture was different in the 70s, 80s and 90s than it is now. But, hey, let's throw all those older men away, shall we? Nope, we don't need 'em.

Pardon me for poking fun at that, but geez.

[janterry]

39. I'm a second wave feminist :)

Here's the hx. https://www.progressivewomensleadership.com/a-brief-history-the-three-waves-of-feminism/

[PatrickforO]

42. Oh.

Well, I guess I'm a third waver too because I have three daughters, millennials all, and two grand daughters. I very much support political, economic and social equality of the sexes.

Silly me, though, I just don't see how railroading Al Franken will help this cause.

At all.

Because I think he's innocent, and judging by all the women who have come out in support of him, including those on his Senate staff, I'm thinking this is a right-wing set up.

But, hey, back in '16, Bernie was racist because he cared more about economic justice than social justice. So now, we're all losing what little economic justice we did have, particularly if this tax scam passes. Because social justice was deemed much more important...

Sigh.

Franken got a raw deal is all, and I think it stinks.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. Breaking down male hegemony is going to be painful no matter what.

Even good men benefit from it. Same with white hegemony. Change is not easy. But people are getting hurt in the current system, too. So what's it going to be?

[PatrickforO]

40. I'll tell you what it needs to be. FAIR.

You want to wash me down the drain because I'm a white male in his fifties?

Forget about my support when you run for office, because I expect you to represent ALL the people, not just me or just some other group.

That is one high horse position, so I'm getting off this fucking thread.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

47. Yes, I find that white men are awfully concerned about fair when things are changing.

[questionseverything]

44. so you want to replace the old system with a new system that is just as bad or worse?

don't become what you hate

[WhiskeyGrinder]

45. No worries, I didn't say anything like that. I did say that changing the old system will be

painful.

[questionseverything]

46. if you are defending franken being pushed out for being accused of kissing and squeezing with no

proof at all then yes u are

[WhiskeyGrinder]

49. Didn't mention Franken at all so...

[RobinA]

56. It Has Always

been thus. New boss, same as the old boss. If white guys were to disappear tomorrow, whoever replaces them will become them. Power corrupts if you aren’t careful.

[questionseverything]

57. yes...my folks said ovr and ovr...don't become what you hate

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029955431

transparent elections are still worth fighting for

[joshcryer]

53. The #metoo movement is balanced precariously on a social media precipice.

It is not a solid foundation by any means. We already see where #blacklivesmatter is, it's moved on, there has been very little in the way of reform, if anything we've regressed (the KKK marched freely).

All it takes, and it will happen, is a slew of verifabley false accusers. And I bet you that it'll be the right wing doing it. They already attempted to send false accusers to the Washington Post.

Franken, a loving, kind, brilliant man, went down because he hugged the wrong women, he was not an abuser by any stretch of the imagination.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

54. I don't expect #metoo to take down male hegemony, just like BLM wasn't going to take down white

Hegemony. All I'm saying is that as these changes come, they are going to be painful. But people are already hurting now, so we have quite a chore ahead of us.

[IronLionZion]

6. GOP can probably find 8 anonymous virgins impregnated by God himself

if they wanted to, and Dems would immediately round up liberal males who have championed women's issues and send them to the gulag.

[Corgigal]

8. Yep

cause I don't believe any of them. We're teaching the political opposition that no one is safe, either sex if anyone has a photo. Can be a photoshopped photo, but none of these are sexual assault. That a different standard and a criminal manner.

This me too, I knew it could be used for vengeance. I've heard this types of stories when I worked 911 against parents, where a child was involved and they were throwing bs at each other. I bet we waste millions on investigations on these follow ups. We have to be sure, cause they are claiming some horrible stuff. Children going through rape exams, cause other parent believes....

But I guess we believe all women now. Never did, still don't. I guess we're reliving the Duke Lacrosse investigation again. Hell, I believed those girls. Thankfully, it was properly investigated but those young men were traumatized.

So go ahead DU, believe every woman because it's hard to come out against your boss. That is true, but none of this against Franken was hard. Roger Stone said the day before, Franken time in a barrel. Still you believe.

[ffr]

9. Yep. Context is everything. Al was railroaded without due process.

CRAP!

[liberal_patriot_md]

31. Forget due process

He was railroaded without any vetting of the claims made.

While this is often derided for being a form of harassment to the victim- it’s also necessary if we really want to make some kind of progress on the issue. Could you imagine what would have happened if the Post just ran with story of the fake Moore victim?

Why didn’t any journalist do anything beyond just recounting the claims of the accusers and the people they were directed to as corroborating sources?

Why didn’t any of the relevant information that provided needed context to go along with the first reports in Tweeden’s claims. Things like it being very rare for there to be a private backstage area on a USO tour. Or that he didn’t change the script to try a scam a kiss from her. Or that she performed the skit as written for the rest of the tour. Or ask any of the other celebrities on the tour if they saw anything to corroborate her story? Or find out everyone on the plane. Or ask why she went to a USO sponsored dinner years later honoring Franken and was seen talking and joking with him?

Would have been nice if they did that.

[Amaryllis]

51. Or looked at her long history as a twitter buddy with Don Jr. WHat a coincidence.

[Willie Pep]

58. The media doesn't care about advancing the cause of victims of sexual harassment.

They smelled a juicy and salacious story and are riding it as hard as possible for views and clicks. That is why trial by media is awful. Franken should have been the subject of an official ethics investigation not trial by media.

[rainin]

10. We are losing an effective senator, not just for women, but for America.

I don't know how anyone can think this is a good thing. (Unless you are a republican, that is.)

[Amaryllis]

14. The ones behind this set-up are smiking bigly. Don Jr. and his twitter buddy Tweeden, among

others.
What will the Dems do next time a Dem congressman is set up? While the Rs let predators remain in office.

[Honeycombe8]

13. Yes. This was so wrong. Very sad. One of the few good people, strong leaders we had in the Senate.

Gone on a wish and a song. Just like that. Without a chance to be listened to, even. For claims of "he touched my waist & pinched flesh," when I asked him to get in close for a selfie of us.

This is a sad time. He was beloved.

[trof]

15. He requested a senate ethics committee investigation.

Why did that not happen?
Why did his fellow Democrats throw him under the bus?
Repugs DON'T GIVE A SHIT!
Thsy have no ethics or morals.
Party Uber Alles!
Thy will still elect Roy "The Molester" Moore if at all possible.

[Alice11111]

23. Gillibrand

[bagelsforbreakfast]

33. Yep.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

16. Hes a man who respects women as equals whose rights matter.

The swift boating of Al, it’s reprehensible.

[Alice11111]

25. That's exactly what it was, and it was too swift to stop it.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

43. Im so nauseated by this....

I hope this poison turns to medicine somehow.

Meanwhile, maybe I should swear off politics for a little while. effing pukes, effing jerks who fell for the Rove-esque hatchet job.

[Alice11111]

55. It's making me depressed and crazy, plus not productive.

I've never been so worried for our country. We have been so hijacked by the right. Everyday, there is a new disaster. Yesterday, the Dem officials just caved
More than usual.

It's like ignorant aggressive aliens have taken over. It feels like we are fighting for our lives, as free.
Hard to ignore, but I think I need a break.

The exhausting campaign. Now, this exhausting crazy broviator is wreaking destruction on the world. What he did with Jerusalem, waz so unnecessary. None of our allies support it. Many in Israel don't even support it. People are dying because of his flippant bully decision to shore up his wing nuts.

[kcr]

21. The difference between mediocre politicians and effective ones

is the mediocre ones are immediately drawn to any action that will show they are Doing Something. And this move to ouster Franken was a classic Doing Something stunt. That's what the one former female staffer was talking about here:

"She added that she worried Franken’s resignation would make lawmakers feel satisfied that they took action instead of addressing the more systemic problems facing women in Congress. “If that is the case, the end result will be harmful for women, not helpful,” she said. "

Reading this made me feel so sad and angry and frustrated. Franken was one of our best. He had good people working for him, too. This is such a waste.

[zentrum]

27. I think it will too.

We've lost one of the best Dems I've seen in my lifetime.

[greeny2323]

28. Yep

This was a fucking witch hunt and I fucking hope the witch hunters feel embarrassed for the rest of their lives.

[Rorey]

32. They won't

They're the type of people who don't have the capacity to feel embarrassment or guilt. All that matters to them is that they "won".

[PatrickforO]

41. Oh yeah they will. Just watch the donations go down.

Mine sure as hell will. My wallet's closed to all but the 58 House Dems who had to guts to vote for impeachment. They get my support because they have earned it. By having guts. By standing for something.

[LakeArenal]

30. Franken 2020

[trof]

34. Yeah I would support him if he comes out of this clean.

Which I think he is.
But it ain't gonna happen.
Sorry.

[LakeArenal]

37. Gotta admit he would be completely vetted.

[robbedvoter]

35. NY Daily News

Link to tweet

[Amaryllis]

36. you should make that its own thread if you haven't already.

[flamingdem]

48. I feel like I'm never going to get over this injustice

I'm depressed about this.