I've always been asked whether I'd call a figure on the Left to account if...

[Tommy Carcetti]

51. I'm saying their claims could not be substantiated.

Why did he resign?

Mainly because political pressure--this was during the Doug Jones-Roy Moore Senate race, the Democrats wanted to take a zero-tolerance policy against allegations of sexual misconduct, and even though Franken himself supported a full investigation of the claims, it wasn't timely enough for their purposes. Kristen Gillibrand gets blamed a lot for this, and unfairly so because many Democrats beyond just her concurred, but regardless of who was to blame it was a rush to judgment.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/29/the-case-of-al-franken

I think the notion of "Believe all women" when it comes to high-profile individuals being accused of sexual misconduct is a terrible misguided mindset, even if it comes with the best of intentions.

We should give all such women making claims the right to be heard in good faith.

But if after their stories come out to public light and don't hold up to scrutiny, we are under no obligation to believe them, nor should we.

Otherwise we get women with discredited stories that just float out there for years that we're somehow asked to believe despite the fact they shouldn't be believed, like human garbage people Juanita Broadrick or Tara Reade.