Al Franken still hasn't denied grabbing women

[Ms. Toad]

317. My take is that he is not denying the allegations.

In fact, by not denying them - and acknowledging he has crossed the line with some women, he is pretty explicitly acknowledging that there are women whose buttocks he has touched in similar circumstances (even though he cannot specifically respond to these specific allegations because he cannot isolate them).

If someone other than my spouse or daughter accused me of grabbing their buttocks, I could and would safely categorically deny it - it is not in the vocabulary of how I physically interact with people other than my spouse and - stretching it a bit - my daughter (whose rear end I playfully slap every once in a while). But no one else. Period.

Franken has done this with respect to the bathroom invitation - becuase that kind of invitation is not in his interactive vocabulary.

The fact that he has not done this with respect to the butt grabbing incidents tells me that he does, on occasion, engage in this kind of behavior (otherwise he would have categorically denied it as he did with the bathroom invitation), and the allegations may well be true - even if he can't remember the details as to these particular accusers..

What his apology ALSO tells me is that (1) he did not at the time realize it was offensive, (2) he does now, and (3) he is making a commitment to reflecting on his own behavior (even more broadly thatn the specific allegations) and changing it.

Becuase of the above, I don't believe he should resign.

I Just wish people (especially on DU) would follow his lead, stop the character assassination and victim blaming, and make the arguments that (1) his offenses were (unfortunately) run-of-the-mill nonconsensula touching (that he did not believe at the time was offensive and (2) that this has been a wake-up call for him and becuase he is seriously committed to reflection and change.