What the Republicans will learn from the Franken debacle. [View all]

[Willie Pep]

Franken's resignation means the following to Republicans and Republican operatives:

1. That accusations of sexual harassment can end the career of a Democratic politician but not a Republican politician, meaning that the Democrats have a major weak spot that Republicans don't have.

2. That Democrats will cave in and throw other Democrats under the bus without even demanding an ethics investigation first so that trial by media is enough to produce a resignation.

3. That the intense media coverage of sex scandals will distract the media and much of the public from bad GOP policy such as the tax bill given that sex issues are more exciting and juicy than dry policy debates like tax cuts.