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Al Franken Tag

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on December 06, 2017 19 Comments
Up until Wednesday, the Democrat talking points on Franken's many alleged sexual misdoings were: 1) he made a "mistake" and 2) what Franken (allegedly) did was not nearly as bad as other recently unmasked sexual predators. The second may be true, but that doesn't make Franken's alleged actions (see also: allegedly sticking his tongue down a woman's throat without consent) excusable.

Posted by Mike LaChance on December 06, 2017 6 Comments
*UPDATE* After a seventh woman has come forward today and accused Franken of sexual misconduct, Gillibrand has finally called for him to resign. New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand is likely to run for president in 2020 so she's making an effort to align herself with the #metoo movement. At the same time, she's having some difficulty deciding who deserves the benefit of the doubt and who should be out of a job.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on November 30, 2017 30 Comments
Earlier this week, I reviewed that cases of California politicians who were charged with sexual harassment by numerous women who work with the state Assembly and Senate in Sacramento. I must admit, I was a little surprised that some comments seemed to indicate we were facing a new millennium version of the Salem Witch Trials. Therefore, I would like to offer another analogy.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 30, 2017 22 Comments
Two more females have come forward with accusations against Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), including an army veteran. Army Veteran Stephanie Kemplin has accused Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) of groping her breasts during a USO tour in 2003. An unnamed former New England elected offical told Anna Merlan at Jezebel that Franken tried to plant a "wet, open-mouthed kiss" on her in 2006 on stage at an event.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 27, 2017 29 Comments
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.”

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 27, 2017 21 Comments
Minnesota Democrat Senator Al Franken. Michigan Democrat Representative John Conyers. Who is next? It could be anyone! A Washington Post report from a few weeks ago showed that the "Office of Compliance has paid more than $17 million for 264 settlements and awards to federal employees for violations of various employment rules" since 1997. This includes sexual harassment. Congress returns to work after the Thanksgiving holiday to immense pressure not only to reveal the causes and people involved in these settlements, but to make the process more transparent.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on November 26, 2017 27 Comments
Mary posted earlier on Representative John Conyers (D-MI) stepping down from his position as ranking member on the House Judiciary committee.  His language is hazy, and it sounds like he's not leaving the committee and intends to resume his position as ranking member when the "investigation" concludes. Clearly, the move is intended to serve as his "punishment" for allegations of sexual harassment that include his attending a meeting with a female committee employee in his underwear and numerous allegations of demanding sexual favors and punishing women by firing them when they rejected his unwanted sexual advances.  He's also alleged to have used, in 2015, taxpayer dollars to settle sexual harassment claims.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 23, 2017 22 Comments
From a purely partisan standpoint, it's better for Republicans if Al Franken stays in the Senate. Franken is a living, breathing monument to liberal hypocrisy, an accused serial groper and tongue-shover-in-mouther who reminds us daily that whatever else it is, the Democratic Party is the party that promoted and covered for the lustful Kennedy brothers and their more modern progeny, Bill Clinton. If only Teddy had a Hillary to go to bat for him when he needed it most; just think what she would have done to the reputation and memory of poor Mary Jo Kopechne.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 21, 2017 98 Comments
Based on the present state of affairs, and assuming there are no further revelations, it looks like Roy Moore will outlast the outrage over the accusations, which he denies, that he molested a 14-year-old girl and assaulted a 16-year-old girl almost 40 years ago. Those serious accusations of criminality have been conflated in the media with non-criminal accusations that Moore dated teenage girls of legal age. I say "assuming there are no further revelations" because I would not be shocked if more comes out. Moore's wife complained that the Washington Post is calling everyone the two of them have known for the past several decades, and certainly other major media are conducting similar searches. So what follows assumes there are no new accusers, and no additional evidence to support the current accusations.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 21, 2017 16 Comments
Elizabeth Warren is hardly a profile in courage as a politician. Warren loves to portray herself as brave for bashing Republicans, but when it is a matter of internal Democrat politics, she's cowardly. She sat out the Democratic primary without an endorsement until it was clear that Hillary had won. While she originally admitted the Democratic primaries were rigged after Donna Brazile's revelations as to how Hillary co-opted the DNC, Warren walked that back. Now, when it comes to Al Franken's groping photo and alleged non-consensual sexual advances, Warren once again avoids being brave.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 20, 2017 34 Comments
Another woman has accused Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) of inappropriate behavior. According to CNN, 33-year-old Lindsay Menz claims that Franken grabbed her butt during a photo-op at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. Just days ago, radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden claimed that Franken forcibly kissed her and groped her breasts as she slept in 2006 during a USO tour.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 19, 2017 34 Comments
The alleged offenses committed by Roy Moore, Al Franken, and Harvey Weinstein aren't even in the same ballpark. Al Franken of course, the growing Democrat argument goes, is the lesser offender of the many and because he apologized for his actions in the now famously scandalous photo, he ought to be left alone to live his life in the U.S. Senate. Several pieces have been penned making this argument for various reasons. They're little more than fluffy excuses for alleged sexual predators who, without the consent of the other party(ies), prey upon weakness and vulnerability. No matter how you slice their alleged offenses they're sick, not to mention wrong.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 16, 2017 23 Comments
I recently noted frustration with Democrat delay tactics for judicial nominations, including the withholding of "blue slips" to prevent confirmation proceedings to proceed, Trump judicial confirmations moving along, but not fast enough:
Every single vacant seat should be filled as quickly as possible. Some progress is not good enough. Grassley and McConnell need to clear all roadblocks, and Trump needs to fill the pipeline.
It looks like Grassley finally is getting the message, as Politico reports:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 16, 2017 64 Comments
Leeann Tweeden, now a local radio news anchor in Los Angeles, has authored an article accusing Senator Al Franken of non-consensual sexual contact in 2006, during a USO tour in the Middle East. This contrasts with the accusations against candidate Roy Moore, which involve alleged conduct several decades ago. Since there have been calls to "expel" Moore should he win, will there be calls to expel Franken for conduct which took place not long before his election to the Senate in 2008.

Posted by Mike LaChance on June 06, 2017 6 Comments
Al Franken has been forced to cancel appearances with two of his liberal friends in entertainment in just the last two weeks. Franken was scheduled to make an appearance with liberal comedian Kathy Griffin in July but cancelled when Griffin imploded over the highly publicized photo of her holding President Trump's severed head. Now he's backing out of an appearance on Bill Maher's HBO program. Todd Van Luling reports at the Huffington Post:
Senator Al Franken Cancels Bill Maher Appearance Amid Controversy A spokesperson for Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) confirmed to HuffPost that the senator is canceling his appearance on the upcoming episode of “Real Time” in the wake of host Bill Maher’s use of a racial slur on-air.
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