‘Embarrassed’ Franken Won’t Resign, Apologizes for Groping Females
“I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed.”
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) held a short press conference outside of his office to address the sexual misconduct allegations against him. He apologized profusely and promised to cooperate with the ethics committee. From Politico:
“It’s been clear that there are some women — and one is too many — who feel that I have done something disrespectful and it’s hurt them and for that, I am tremendously sorry,” Franken told reporters outside his Senate office. “I know that I am going to have to be much more conscious when in these circumstances, much more careful, much more sensitive, and that this will not happen again going forward.”
Franken stressed again during his news conference that he recalls some of the encounters differently, such as a 2006 incident in which Leeann Tweeden said he kissed her without her consent. But he added: “I feel that you have to respect women’s experience. And so I apologized to her, and I meant it.”
He also said he feels embarrassed and ashamed and swears to regain the trust of everyone. From The New York Times:
“I know that there are no magic words I can say to regain your trust,” the Minnesota Democrat said during a brief news conference outside his Senate office.
“I’m going to try to learn from my mistakes,” he added. “I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting and I want to be someone who adds something to this conversation.”
Radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden claimed that Franken forcibly kissed her and groped her breast as slept in 2006 during a USO tour. A few days later, Lindsay Menz said that Franken grabbed her butt during a photo-op at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010.
Last week, HuffPo published a report with claims from two anonymous females with similar cases to Menz’s. They said that Franken groped their butts at a political event and then suggested they all go to the bathroom.
From CNN:
Franken said that he did not remember touching women inappropriately, but said that he posed for “thousands of pictures.”
“From these stories it’s been clear that there are some women — and one is too many — who feel that I have done something disrespectful or that’s hurt them. For that, I am tremendously sorry,” Franken said.
Franken does not know if more people will come forward. As I blogged earlier today, Congress has returned from Thanksgiving break under pressure to do more about sexual harassment as fears grow more scandals will appear. CNN continued:
“If you had asked me two weeks ago would any woman come forward with an allegation like this I would have said no,” he said. “This has been a shock and it’s been extremely humbling. I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed. What I’m going to do is I’m going to start my job, I’m gonna go back to work.”
Franken also repeated his pledge that he would cooperate fully with a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his behavior.
Unlike Rep. John Conyers (R-MI) and Republican Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore, Franken did exactly what he needed to do: Address the allegations head on and apologize. If you listen to and watch the press conference, his ton of his voice and body language, you get the inkling that he is sincerely sorry for his behavior and legitimately feels bad for hurting these women.
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The senator’s tone of voice and body language suggest an actor who is acting. As for addressing the allegations “head-on”, he admits to nothing that hasn’t been seen by millions. He seems to be sorry that, somehow by gosh he’s done some hurtin’, and is a gonna do some reflectin’, and ponderin’ and such. I call BS.
My thoughts exactly!
Jewish privilege in action.
YOU ARE AN ANTI SEMITE – GET AWAY FROM A ‘JEWISH PRIVILEGE’ BLOG.
TO THE GATEKEEPERS BAN THIS NO GOODNIK, WE DON’T NEED READ ANYTHING FROM THIS TROLL!
Are you a butthurt privileged Jew that suppresses any speech critical of members of your tribe? If so, thank you for another example of Jewish privilege in action.
What an idiotic comment. As transparently dumb as stating that Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton continued to have viable political careers, post-scandal, due to their “Christian” privilege.
This is about Democrat politicians protecting their own, be the politician at issue the Catholic heir to a major political dynasty (Kennedy), a former two-term President in Clinton (who happens to be Protestant), or, career pols such as Conyers or Franken. Positing that religious faith has anything to with it is moronic.
You have emotional problems, infantile resentments and transparent insecuritis that need to be dealt with.
Jewish privilege in action.
To turn the hysteria knob down a bit, I’m not seeing anything I can identify as uniquely Jewish—in any of the various meanings of the adjective—about this affair.
Democratic privilege? Possibly.
White male privilege? Obviously not; for every Al Franken there must be a few tens of thousands of white American guys who would never consider indulging in this sort of grab-ass.
Boorish jerk privilege? In spades.
I don’t know … any others?
If you’re explainin’, you’re losin’.
Keep ’em on the defensive.
With $17 million tax dollars paid out by congress so far, Franken cannot resign as it would set a precedent. I hope the congre-gate scandal will get more press coverage in the near future.
C”mon Mary, don’t fall for this.
YOu can’t ‘apologize’ for something if you won’t even admit it happened.
The claims are he forced a kiss to be in the USO show, then forced a kiss onto Leann.
The claim is that he firmly grasped a butt cheek, and offered to follow her into the bathroom.
How do you remember these ‘differently’. If they didn’t happen, they he should say so. If they did happen, he should admit it.
As it is, he is trying to play it both ways. “They aren’t lying, but it never happened’ WUT??
Of coursed he can’t resign yet. Trump hasn’t given him a nickname yet.
“It’s been clear that there are some women — and one is too many — who feel that I have done something disrespectful and it’s hurt them and for that, I am tremendously sorry,” “That’s the ticket” Tommy Flanagan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=pkYNBwCEeH4
I thought that by now someone would have noted that John Conyers is not (R-MI) as Mary writes here, but (D-MI).
How do you tell them apart?
The Democrats are the ones with the really sticky fingers.
Unlike Rep. John Conyers (R-MI) and Republican Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore, Franken did exactly what he needed to do: Address the allegations head on and apologize. If you listen to and watch the press conference, his ton of his voice and body language, you get the inkling that he is sincerely sorry for his behavior and legitimately feels bad for hurting these women.
He is sorry he got caught nothing else.
Say Franken’s words in the tone he used and the emotion you experience won’t be sorrow. He’s going through the motions so he can pull a Clinton when the topic is broached tomorrow: “That’s old news.”
… groping [unconscious] woman. Maybe women, but that would only be an actionable allegation in a Pro-Choice society that denies due process and a legal standard that presumes guilt.
Mary, your justification of Franken’s apology borders on harassing my intelligence and the intelligence of many Americans. I truly question your thought process and your ability to understand the gravity of what was done. I guess I will tell my wife that there are certain women who fall victim to a man’s sweet talks and fall under his spell. You, Mary did that.
Oh, the gang at Powerline don’t think Franken apologized and that this was a cheap trick.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/11/franken-just-very-very-sorry.php
Unlike Rep. John Conyers (R-MI) and Republican Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore, Franken did exactly what he needed to do: Address the allegations head on and apologize.
So … you’ve determined that Moore and Franken are both guilty.
Otherwise an assertion that both should try to wriggle out in the same manner makes no sense whatsoever.
So where’s the evidence implicating Moore? It need not be much; a photo would do. Something like that photo of Franken.
(I personally suspect it’s hiding right under the evidence of Trump’s “collusion with the Russians to ‘hack’ the election”, but that’s just a wild guess.)
The cases or Moore and Franken aren’t equivalent, aside from the fact that women and one-time Democratic politicians were involved. Is that enough? Perhaps … if, say, John Dillinger and I are practically identical because we both take money out of banks.
Note his tone: “I remember it differently,” or “if they feel that I did something disrespectful or hurt them.”
Translation: they are liars and I am completely unrepentant.
Frankenslime, indeed.
That’s classic “you’re wrong, but I don’t want to fight about it.”
Ok, research time. Somebody go look at Franken’s autobiography (I don’t have a copy and won’t touch it for money) to find where he wrote about the fake apology he gave for some previous incident of a non-sex variety, and compare it to this video. I suspect it will match like a puzzle piece.
There is no responsibility without punishment.
Franken has effectively plead guilty and is now demanding no punishment!
Whether Moore did what he has been accused of, 40 F-O-U-R-T-Y years ago and been married for 32 years with NO hint of scandal,
you cannot equivalence this with the current crop of office holders who used the public trough to pay the women and men off.
married in 1985, have four adult children.
looking at wiki’s about the (D) pols is not believable.
Didn’t you get the memo? Bill and Al said they were sorry. Roy Moore is denying that he did it. Therefore, Bill and Al are good to go.
Rejoice male pigs! According to the Moore accusers and Franken defenders, it is now okay to grope and harass, as long as you admit it and say you are sorry. Who knew it was so easy???
“I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed.”
… but as was pointed out the spin is not that he is sorry.
How many women did he grope and not get photographed?