Kirsten Gillibrand and the Al Franken Fury

[oberliner]

120. But you seem to be suggesting the apology wasn't genuine

That he was just saying what he said to "be a gentleman" and because of the "me too era" that we are in. I am saying that I actually take him at his word - that I take what he said seriously. And that I take his characterization of what he thought of his actions as being important and significant.

I do not think he had to say: "I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself" or "It's completely inappropriate" or "I can see how millions of other women would feel violated by it."

Those were pretty strong statements, in my opinion, and I do not think we should just dismiss them as being something he had to say to be a gentleman or what have you.

You keep saying it was a "gag photo" but Franken himself is saying that it is a photo that he could see millions of women feeling violated by. Those are his words, and they should be taken seriously.

That it was put out as part of a right-wing hit job is not germane to the fact that Franken, by his own admission and in his own words, did something that he was disgusted by. I don't see why his own characterization and evaluation of the incident seem to be irrelevant to you (or dismissed as pro forma rather than heartfelt).