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| All Franken and Leann Tweeden. |
Sen. Al Franken issued a new statement this week in the wake of several sexual misconduct allegations against the former Saturday Night Live star. Though Franken’s statement did not explicitly confess to groping or other inappropriate behavior, he acknowledged that some women felt disrespected by him, and apologized for that.
“I’ve met tens of thousands of people and taken thousands of photographs, often in crowded and chaotic situations,” Franken said in the statement, per the Associated Press. “I’m a warm person; I hug people. I’ve learned from recent stories that in some of those encounters, I crossed a line for some women — and I know that any number is too many. Some women have found my greetings or embraces for a hug or photo inappropriate, and I respect their feelings about that … I’ve thought a lot in recent days about how that could happen, and recognize that I need to be much more careful and sensitive in these situations. I feel terribly that I’ve made some women feel badly and for that I am so sorry, and I want to make sure that never happens again. And let me say again to Minnesotans that I’m sorry for putting them through this and I’m committed to regaining their trust.”
This was in response to two more women coming forward and claiming that Franken was inappropriate with them.
Courtesy of HuffPo:
Two more women have told HuffPost that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) touched their butts in separate incidents. These are the third and fourth such allegations against Franken in the past week. Leeann Tweeden, a radio host, wrote last week that Franken had kissed and groped her without her consent during a 2006 USO tour. On Monday, Lindsay Menz accused Franken of groping her at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010.
The two additional women, who said they were not familiar with each others’ stories, both spoke on condition of anonymity. But their stories, which describe events during Franken’s first campaign for the Senate, are remarkably similar — and both women have been telling them privately for years.
In a statement to HuffPost, Franken said, “It’s difficult to respond to anonymous accusers, and I don’t remember those campaign events.”
The first woman, who spoke to HuffPost on condition of anonymity because she’s worried she’ll be harassed online for making the allegation, said Franken groped her when they posed for a photo after a June 25, 2007, event hosted by the Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus in Minneapolis.
“My story is eerily similar to Lindsay Menz’s story,” the first woman said. “He grabbed my buttocks during a photo op.”
The second woman told HuffPost that Franken cupped her butt with his hand at a 2008 Democratic fundraiser in Minneapolis, then suggested the two visit the bathroom together. She spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear that the allegation could affect her position at work.
One thing to be noted is that unlike Donald Trump or Roy Moore's accusers, these two women have decided to remain anonymous.
THAT does not mean that their stories are not valid, anonymous sources are often the backbone of journalism, however if does mean that they can say whatever they want with no real cost to them personally.
That second women's story, if true, seems to be the most damning of the four in my opinion.
If Franken actually groped her buttocks and then invited her into a bathroom that seems the more egregious charge.
However if there is an ethics investigation I would imagine that these women would be compelled to testify and I am interested to see how their stories hold up to scrutiny.
At least one former White House ethics attorney for the Bush Administration has some doubts.
As progressives we are expected to take allegations like this seriously.We need more facts but much of this fits an old GOP playbook— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) November 23, 2017
Franken: The Obvious Setup and Liberals Took the Bait https://t.co/vduJtIcGr0
However if we start overreacting to every anonymous accusation, without first vetting it thoroughly, by demanding that the accused leave government or quit their job, we could literally see our biggest champions sidelined while the conservatives cover for their predators and maintain the upper hand.
All of this leaves us in a very precarious situation, and unfortunately the conservatives know that all too well.
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/11/24/evangelical-purity-roy-moore.html
ReplyDelete“there is something about the purity of a young woman.”
" All of the ladies or many of the ladies that he possibly could have married were not available then, they were already married, maybe, somewhere.
So he looked in a different direction and always with the [permission of the] parents of younger ladies … He did that because there is something about a purity of a young woman, there is something that is good, that’s true, that’s straight and he looked for that.”thus making the men “godly.” There is no other way to describe Benham’s statement other than completely disgusting."
" The Duggars are the best example of religious hypocrisy used to justify sexual assault. Josh Duggar is the poster child for the character of the men who are indoctrinated from birth. Cult leader Bill Gothard started the homeschool evangelical (Quiverfull) movement. In February 2016, 18 victims filed a lawsuit against Bill Gothard, alleging sexual abuse. Daniel Dorsett, one of Gothard’s former drivers, claims that he witnessed the abuse of more than 150 girls between 1994 and 1996."When the movement justifies the sexual abuse of children for the sake of political power, it becomes the embodiment of everything wrong with the Christian Church in America."
"The bills define an unborn child as a “child in utero,” or a “member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb.” KOCH $UCKER$
Delete"Watchdog groups warn that it could easily become the next Citizens United, the 2010 Supreme Court decision that opened the door to unlimited corporate political spending. Numbers from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation suggest the change could lead to $2 billion of tax-deductible political spending per year being routed through nonprofits. Aside from a few conservative Christian groups,"increased suspicion of “elite institutions” among Republicans. “It’s a class warfare thing,”RIGHT!
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/11/republicans-are-sneaking-right-wing-social-policies-into-their-corporate-tax-cut/
'Trickle Down and Might is Right, faith.'
Deletehttp://lnr.politicususa.com/defining-us-good-samaritans-hypocritical-evangelicals-fanatic-zealots-2456/
"Men forever have treated women with disdain, even contempt. They have marginalized and subjugated them, insulted, abused and harassed them, assaulted and forced themselves upon them. And women had no recourse because men controlled everything, even the parameters of moral conduct, and because these were considered male prerogatives."Unlike the parade of powerful men who are being disgraced, the man who has been accused of sexual transgressions by sixteen women and who has himself boasted of molesting women, remains unscathed: {tinydjt}
ReplyDelete"matter of cause and effect. I suspect it was Trump’s egregious behavior and the threat he poses toward legitimizing this misogyny to the point where it could never be uprooted that moved major news organizations to investigate other predatory cocks-of-the-walk. This, in turn, energized women to tell their stories and fight back. Without Trump, that moment might not have come."
"“de-normalizing” America. He has given license to all sorts of patently inappropriate behavior. He has endorsed pettiness and petulance, retribution, personal vendettas, insults and juvenilia. He has made ugliness acceptable and emboldened the worst because he was the worst and got away scot free. Even now, the mainstream media, which ridicule Trump as a buffoon, don’t revile him as something much more serious: a MORAL bankrupt."rump’s sense of exemption goes beyond sexual politics to the very heart of a democracy. In a democracy, no man or woman is supposed to be above the law. Law takes precedence over power or position. Otherwise we don’t have a democracy. "
"rump remains above the law and above human decency."
“That’s just Trump being Trump,”
“That’s just boys being boys.”
"rump’s moral deviance is a way to subvert morality and restore the old order, including the old sexual order. These folks don’t give Trump this latitude just because they agree with him politically; they agree with him cosmologically. "
"Morality is being shredded at the same time that women are trying to hold men accountable for their moral transgressions. These are two countervailing forces, and it is yet to be determined which will prevail:"
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/11/trump-is-subverting-american-morality-as-women-are-trying-to-hold-men-accountable/
https://www.npr.org/2017/10/12/557355945/decision-not-to-publish-weinstein-story-roils-nbc
"Before the New York Times broke the Harvey Weinstein story, journalist Ronan Farrow gave the story to NBC News. NPR's David Folkenflik says they rejected it, despite Farrow having ample evidence."
I think Al Franken should be suspended until he stops abducting and molesting 8th graders and publicly distributing video of himself masturbating.
ReplyDeleteYou hear me, Al? You can't come back until you can live up to the moral standards set by the Republicans.
You come across as a total bullshitter, 11:44 AM! Think you've got the wrong guy! How about your comments matching those actions and facts of Donald Trump and the other guy who is just as despicable?
Delete12.59 you made me LMAO, do you not know satire when you see it?
DeleteIf Al Franken acted inappropriately then he should apologize (he has) and take his lumps (like from an ethics investigation he has called for) but UNLESS and UNTIL EVERY GDAM gopper apologizes and takes the punishment they are due for their particular acts Sen Franken should stay right the f*ck where he is.
DeleteWe simply CANNOT live by double standards ANYMORE.
Not in this time.
Not with these f*cks.
Sorry, but I don't believe these tales by the two women. Franken just doesn't strike me as being a sexual predator! I'd vote for him in a heartbeat if I could!
ReplyDeleteFranken has lost.
ReplyDeleteWrong. Al Franken isn't going anywhere. We're not letting him.
DeleteYou're particularly stupid if you think all this apologizing isn't part of his strategy. Personally, I would love him to invoke God. :D
He's toast.
DeleteFranken doesn't have to do or say a godamn thing. WTF, if Moore is standing by his election bid and will become a Senator and serve as a Senator with no one being able to remove him then Franken just needs to sit tight and remain.
DeleteWhy the fuck would he do anything else?
"We," as in, I was only kidding because it comes with my job and those who stick up for him, you mean? Who's US???
ReplyDeleteThe Evangelical Purity Sham Is Exposed By Their Support For Roy Moore
ReplyDeleteChristian Pastor Flip Benham recently claimed that Roy Moore’s pursuit of a 14-year-old girl was justified because “there is something about the purity of a young woman.” Benham is an anti-gay conservative firebrand who tried to justify Moore’s alleged sexual assault of a minor. Benham was quoted as saying,
“I think that number one, you need to understand, 40 years ago, what the Sitz im Leben was like in Alabama. Judge Roy Moore graduated from West Point and then went into the service, served in Vietnam and then came back and was in law school. All of the ladies or many of the ladies that he possibly could have married were not available then, they were already married, maybe, somewhere.
So he looked in a different direction and always with the [permission of the] parents of younger ladies … He did that because there is something about a purity of a young woman, there is something that is good, that’s true, that’s straight and he looked for that.”
The argument that “Pastor” Benham is making is that it’s okay for evangelical adults to pursue teenage girls because they are pure, thus making the men “godly.” There is no other way to describe Benham’s statement other than completely disgusting. There isn’t any defense for grown men pursuing teenage girls. Teenagers do not have the life experience to make mature decisions regarding adult relationships. Laws against these types of relationships exist for a very good reason. There is a huge power imbalance between an adult lawyer in his 30s and a 14-year-old girl.
This is a reoccurring problem within the evangelical movement. The Duggars are the best example of religious hypocrisy used to justify sexual assault. Josh Duggar is the poster child for the character of the men who are indoctrinated from birth. Cult leader Bill Gothard started the homeschool evangelical (Quiverfull) movement. In February 2016, 18 victims filed a lawsuit against Bill Gothard, alleging sexual abuse. Daniel Dorsett, one of Gothard’s former drivers, claims that he witnessed the abuse of more than 150 girls between 1994 and 1996.
The conservative evangelical movement is clearly harmful to society as a whole. When the movement justifies the sexual abuse of children for the sake of political power, it becomes the embodiment of everything wrong with the Christian Church in America.
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/11/24/evangelical-purity-roy-moore.html
That's utter bullshit. Complete crap.
DeleteWomen outnumbered men during and after the Vietnam war. Moore just didn't like the ladies in his own age group. Probably thought they were all whores and harlots if they weren't married already. So he preyed on young girls, looking for a willing and malleable virgin. Too bad he has to settle for his 24 year old bride. But seems to have molded her well. I understand she's a Birther as well as defending his molesting ass.
When LT accused AF there was too much evidence to take her accusation too seriously.The second was dubious at best. SO the GOP comes up with "anonymous" sources that can't have their backgrounds checked.Richard Painter is right.
ReplyDeleteWhat gets me is the best they could come up with was cupping an ass cheek and a rehearsal kiss. Oh, and the faux groping photo typical of juveniles and I'm sure pretty typical of USO tour humor. (Let's not forget Tweeden's similar harassment of men.)
DeleteBut mostly it's a hand on the butt cheek.
This is hardly equivalent to Roy Moore's stalking young girls at the Mall, YMCA and high school football games, attempting to molest them in cars, calling them at school, etc. Not even close.
Nor is it on the level of the pussygrabbing rapist that just grabs women and kisses them or barges into dressing rooms where underage girls are undressed.
The GOP is really trying to make these equivalent. They're NOT. (As Bill Maher pointed out so well.)
And I know the difference. (Part of Maher's "me too" which I think should be #Iknowthedifference
Ha, ha. Obama TRUMPS trump.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.rawstory.com/2017/11/obama-trounces-trumps-thanksgiving-tweets/
"As of midday Friday, the tweet had received 1.1 million likes and almost 200,000 retweets. To emphasize the gulf in popularity, even if you add up all the likes from Trump’s eight tweets on Thanksgiving, they do not come close to matching what Obama received on just one." #1Prez
DeleteOMG. Talk about pathological lying...a pie?
ReplyDeleteSarah Sanders tweeted a fake Thanksgiving pie
Sanders tweeted a photo of a perfect-looking pecan pie against a perfectly white background, writing, “I dont cook much these days, but managed this Chocolate Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving at the family farm!”
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/11/april-ryans-charge-that-sarah-sanders-tweeted-a-fake-thanksgiving-pie-proves-truth-never-takes-a-holiday/
https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/933782244166008832
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DPa8CLOUIAE0oiA.jpg
She's nailed. Stock photo from The Help.
DeleteLie-abetes. LOL!
Huckleberry can't tell the truth, even about a fucking Thanksgiving pie.
Look me straight in the eye and tell me you baked that pie! Yeah, she can't.
2.3 million followers
201 likes.
Yeah, they are shredding her over that fake pie. Claims she's going to bake a pie for April Ryan next week. What do you want to bet she forgets all about it, kicks the can down the road until it's all forgotten.
What do you expect from the sister of a dog murderer.
4:21 'The Help
Delete"Minny confesses to Celia that after Hilly spread rumors she was a thief, she told Hilly to "eat [her] SHIT" (26.82). Then, she went home and made a chocolate pie and took it to her. Hilly thought it was "a peace offering" (26.86) and gobbled up two slices"
INFOWARS Likely Just Violated Law by Posting Video of Rep. Barton Masturbating
ReplyDeleteIn a since-deleted post, Alex Jones’s INFOWARS recently published video purporting to show embattled Texas Rep. Joe Barton masturbating. The original post, according to archives of the page, occurred November 22nd and carried Alex Jones’s name as the author of the post.
Barton is in hot water for reportedly sending sexually-charged videos, messages, and photos to a woman whom he later threatened to report to Capitol Police if she exposed him, the Washington Post reports.
What is interesting, though, is the INFOWARS decision to publish the material, which seems at first blush to be a violation of a Texas “Revenge Porn” law. The law would cover INFOWARS, which is a publication of Free Speech Systems, LLC, registered to an Austin, Texas address according to the Texas Secretary of State.
Under section 26.16 of the Texas Penal Code, it is a crime to unlawfully disclose or promote “intimate visual material.” An offense occurs if someone:
https://lawandcrime.com/uncategorized/infowars-likely-just-violated-law-by-posting-rep-barton-masturbation-video/
Feminist Writer Closes Off Twitter After Saying She’s Cool with Sacrificing Innocent Men to Fight Sexual Misconduct
ReplyDelete...“The benefit of all of us getting to finally tell the truth + the impact on victims FAR outweigh the loss of any one man’s reputation,” she said, adding, “If some innocent men’s reputations have to take a hit in the process of undoing the patriarchy, that is a price I am absolutely willing to pay.”
https://lawandcrime.com/crazy/feminist-writer-closes-off-twitter-after-saying-shes-cool-with-sacrificing-innocent-men-to-fight-sexual-misconduct/
Man, that is one fucked up girl.
It is this ignorant attitude that is going to blow this whole thing up for women
DeleteWhy anyone watches that female idiot (12:38 PM) should be called upon for analysis. Sarah Sanders is nothing more than a friggin' liar! She's proven it daily in her news conferences. Good God Almighty! She actually refers to herself as a Christian!!!???
ReplyDeleteSex Wars: The Fall Of Western Dominance
ReplyDeletehttp://testosteronecivilization.com/sex-wars-the-fall-of-western-dominance-2/
It’s tough to argue with Frank Underwood (or with Oscar Wilde, who he famously quoted early on in House of Cards), saying, “Everything is about sex, except sex. Sex is about power.” And if sex is about power, then sexual misconduct is about misuse of that power.
ReplyDeletehttps://lawandcrime.com/opinion/lets-face-it-anger-problems-sexual-harassment-go-hand-in-hand/
sex, bullying and money...in that order
DeleteThroughout my life I've only submitted to sex to get something I want. I think 90% of women would agree with me.
DeleteDemocrats are facing an important test with Al Franken.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.vox.com/identities/2017/11/22/16671676/al-franken-bill-clinton-roy-moore-sexual-harassment-democrats
Utter bullshit.
I am hating this lumping them all together shit with being in such a highly charged frenzy. Preying on teens and grabbing someone's butt just ain't in the same ballpark. Nor is using one's position of power to intimate or threaten. Nor is forced sex, violent assault or pedophilia even close to the same context. It's so far out of whack with grouping all these events together, without the hysteria that is accompanying every new 'revelation'.
Al Franken made some bad choices, and took liberties that clearly made some women uncomfortable.
And then you have to ask...what's next? Oh, he touched my bare shoulder, oh he brushed my bare leg...what part of the body isn't fair game? Human beings touch. When will hugs be outlawed because of full body contact? Geeze.
And why the fuck should Al have to pay for the sins of Bill Clinton?
Why should Al have to be the fall boy for the Dems? Utter crap on a cracker, that's what I say.
And I'm a woman.
I don't care about any of it, Roy Moore, Al Franken, Louis CK, Weinstein, who cares. Life happens, a lot of shit happens in this life, not all of it is cool, but hey, move on. Life's too short to get stuck on all this silly shit, and plus absolutely NO ONE got hurt or killed. People are so knee jerk puritan, but hey, that's 'Merica, a retarded nation bred from Puritans. No good can come from that, if you ask me.
DeleteDemocrats can tell the difference.
DeleteIt's the Deplorables that can't.
The GOP knows the difference but they are out to get Franken. It's all political. They want to pull his fangs before Mueller really turns up the heat. Franken has made Sessions sweat. Sessions is vulnerable. Franken is just too smart and they don't want him on any committees that might be taking testimony from anyone, especially about Russia. This is their way of muzzling him.
If they think he'll resign, he won't. He knows exactly what is going on. The only question will be will his constituents re-elect him. You can bet his Republican challenger will bring up all of this ass grabbing stuff.
But there is no way in hell he is even close to the pervert and predator that Molester Moore is. Or that pussygrabber in the White House.
After objectives served well.
DeleteWhat ARE you smoking @ 406?
Agree with 1:15,also a woman
DeleteI had to laugh.I asked a question in the grocery store the other day,when the clerk,an older man, returned.he put his hand on my shoulder to get my attention
If it had been Franken,I could run to the tabloids and scream sexual harassment!
Puritan? No one is claiming that for your "sit back and enjoy the moment" opinion.
DeleteMy first thought when I read about this latest stuff is
ReplyDeleteI'm going to ignore every anonymous allegation about Al Franken until I'm certain that Vladimir Putin had nothing to do with it.
Al Franken can't resign until Trump does.
DeleteI do not believe that AF asked a women to go in some dirty bathroom with him.I do believe he is very short,when he stands with his arm around someone,his arm would rest lower on their back than an average height male.
ReplyDeletelol, who are you the ghost of Johnnie Cochran?
DeleteCochran would not be dealing with anonymous. There is no reason to believe anything about any anonymous accusers. Anonymous accusers throw shade on the accusers with names. Their accusations need to be stronger or they won't be believed.
DeleteThat is why the investigation matters. They can determine what, if anything, needs to be dealt with.
Hello, Jackie Cochran was smart enough to have OJ try on the gloves and realize they didn't fit. Duh, I have major respect for that guy because he kept an innocent man from going to jail for murder!
DeleteHa ha OH innocent,really funny and for a guy that only dated and married white women, he sure played the race card well.
DeleteAlso the guys name is Johnnie
4:04 PM
Delete"called looking for “a Nicole Brown lOOk-a-like.”"
https://pagesix.com/2017/10/07/o-j-simpson-looking-to-spend-his-free-time-at-the-bunny-ranch/
2:43 No.I'm just the wife of a short man.
DeleteOJ wasn't innocent. He was found not guilty. That's a whole different thing.
DeleteThey claim he is cupping ass. 3 to 4 seconds of cupping.
ReplyDelete“Al and I did a comedic sketch for Bill Maher’s ‘Politically Incorrect’ called ‘Strange Bedfellows,’ in which the whole point, as the name makes clear, was that we were doing political commentary from bed. This shoot was looking back at the sketch, and we were obviously hamming it up for comedic effect.
ReplyDelete“I’ve been great friends with Al and his wife Franni for over 20 years and there has never been anything remotely inappropriate in our interactions.”
In fact, Huffington — the co-founder of the Huffington Post and CEO of wellness company Thrive Global — has previously credited their in-bed interviews as having made her career.
“[Franken] once gave me a picture of himself that said, ‘I made you,’ — and in many ways he did,” she said during a 2014 book launch, The Hill reported at the time. “The biggest thing I did in my career was in 1996, when I went to bed with [Franken] for a comedy bit called ‘Strange Bedfellows.’ ”
The segment featured both in pajamas. It once ended in a pillow fight.
“Good evening. I’m the beautiful but evil Arianna Huffington, in bed with the talented but smug Al Franken,” she said in introducing one conversation.
https://pagesix.com/2017/11/20/new-pics-show-al-franken-grabbing-arianna-huffingtons-breasts-and-butt/
The market has officially become saturated with sex stories.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else just totally tuned out?
I really couldn't care less about any of it because it would take a millennia of court time to figure out who is lying and who is telling the truth.
Fuck it, grow up people, sometimes shit happens, own it, those it happened to get the fuck over it and everyone else just move.the.fuck.on.
Yes.it is me too until something else takes over the news cycle. Hope is something like trump and whole administration is indicted
DeleteNOPE NOT EVEN CLOSE" those it happened to get the fuck over it and everyone else just move.the.fuck.on."
Deletea HOT PiTckfork up the a$$ might make you
'thinkdiffernt'.
It's a wear down technique. The GOP is looking to normalize and trivialize sexual assault until we grown numb to it. It worked to get Trump elected. It will work to get Molester Moore elected.
DeleteJust look at all the shit they're doing because we are so distracted trying to prevent other shit from happening. They're bombarding us and we can't track it all.
E! investigating Ryan Seacrest misconduct claim
ReplyDelete“Recently, someone that worked as a wardrobe stylist for me nearly a decade ago at E! News, came forward with a complaint suggesting I behaved inappropriately toward her,” Seacrest said in a statement Friday. “If I made her feel anything but respected, I am truly sorry. I dispute these reckless allegations and I plan to cooperate with any corporate inquiries that may result. I treat all my colleagues with kindness, dignity, and understanding, as this is a principle that’s core to who I am. Throughout my 25 years in the entertainment industry, the majority of my co-workers have been women, and I’ve endeavored to foster a positive work environment of mutual respect and courtesy, as that’s how I believe it should be. I’m distraught that anyone or any situation would call that into question. I’m proud of my workplace reputation, and believe my track record will speak for itself. I’m an advocate for women. I will continue to support their voices.”
https://pagesix.com/2017/11/17/e-investigating-ryan-seacrest-misconduct-claim/
They know we're not idiots.
ReplyDeleteBut they know the Deplorables are. They are just going to whip them up into a frenzy of demanding that Franken resign and that Moore be seated once he's elected. Will of the people and all that crap.
Sounds like Roger stone put an ad on social media,looking for women that Franken touched in a photo op.
ReplyDeleteLike these photos weren't all taken in public and don't you have to stand close together when using a phone?
This is turning into a claim to fame. I think most people have acted in inappropriate ways. Unless someone is like Cosby, who drugged people and denies it, no one deserves public ridicule.
ReplyDeleteIt is turning into a huge #metoo, and at times I wonder if it's bandwagon jumpers for attention or actual truth.
DeleteNo one deserves public ridicule? Surely you jest.