At least four senators are urging Al Franken to reconsider resigning, including two who issued statements calling for the resignation two weeks ago and said they now feel remorse over what they feel was a rush to judgment.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who urged Franken not to step down to begin with — at least not before he went through an Ethics Committee investigation — said the Minnesota senator was railroaded by fellow Democrats.
“What they did to Al was atrocious, the Democrats,” said West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin in an interview for POLITICO’s Off Message podcast to post on Tuesday. Subscribe here.
Franken's unusual timeline — in his departure announcement he said he’d go “in the coming weeks,” without setting a date — has fed the fleeting hopes that there’s still time to reverse course. However, Tina Smith, Minnesota's Democratic lieutenant governor, was named last week as his appointed successor.
People familiar with Franken's plans said he has not changed his mind and intends to formally resign in early January. He praised the selection of Smith and has begun working with her on the transition.
Look I like Al Franken just as much as the next progressive, but he can't go back on his word without damaging not only his reputation for all time, but also damaging the Democratic party in 2018.
There are no "take backs" when it comes to allegations of sexual misconduct.
Yes I think Franken was railroaded, yes I doubt the veracity of the statements by some of his accusers, but that really does not make a difference in the larger scheme of things.
The Democratic party has to be as squeaky clean, and as scandal free, as possible moving forward.
That is how they defeat the Republicans in the long term.
Donald Trump ran on "draining the swamp" in Washington, which of course never happened.
This time the Democrats need to run on draining the Washington sewer of pedophiles, sexual predators, and habitual pussy grabbers.
Squeaky clean and being the nice guys has gotten the democrats no where.
ReplyDeleteFranken should say the hell with it and go ahead with the ethics committee. I don't see that sleazy ball from Tx stepping down.
However Al is probably also thinking of his family and doesn't want them to have to endure the wrath of deranged republicans.
Well, someone has to be the adult.
DeleteAbsolutely.
DeleteUntil the Democrats are willing to play just as fast and dirty as the Republicans, they will continue to lose and continue to be the minority.
True that, mlaippua, but something going on more than any of us know. The silence is deafening.
DeleteMaybe he'll run for Governor of Minnesota and get his reputation back? Many Minnesotans thought he was railroaded. I believe he is popular in his home state.
DeleteLook at the non-presidential results in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016. Being the Party of Nice gets Democrats nowhere.
ReplyDeleteWhat those people did in Virginia was a winner for everyone. "Nice" was not in their lexicon.
Well, part of that losing streak was the change in policy of the DNC that concentrated on Federal level and left the bottom to fend for itself. That’s how they lost state races and then governorships. They stopped listening to the boots on the ground and gave all their attention to Wall St.
DeleteThey abandoned Howard Deans 50 state strategy.
Tom Perez talks a good game but I see change in attitude or policy from the current Democratic leadership.
Al Franken was railroaded. The woman in the photo was just as lewd as he was during the USO tour. It was poor judgement on his part, and he realizes that and apologized. Did she apologize for acting lewd? No she didn't. It was not sexual abuse, nor was it sexual harassment. It was what comics did, both male and female during USO tours. The other women asked for photos to be taken with him -- 3 to maybe 5 seconds for a photo to be taken, and the women moved on. If this was at the Minnesota State Fair, it was in the midst of thousands and thousands of people. There was no "quid pro quo" or if you do this, I will do that for you. No attempted sexual trysts. Al Franken has always worked for the people, for women, and for families. He is one of the best senators we have ever had here in Minnesota. I am a woman who appreciates those who had "me too" stories, but this was standard behavior by the majority of men who thought they were being nice, complimentary or whatever. I wish that men would learn from this, and look at their own behavior through the years. I doubt if there is a man alive who couldn't have been accused as he was of minor sexual behavior at one time or another. Yes, they shouldn't have done it. Yes, women were scared to say anything because of fallout. Yes, women were silent. But this wasn't intentional sexual abuse or sexual harassment. Momentary discomfort for the women? Definitely. Something they will remember because it was uncomfortable. Of course. Did they object or say anything when it happened. Of course not. It was not the only time it happened to them and we learned to accept it as men who didn't know any better. It's been the accepted culture of men and women the world over. Should Franken be scapegoated for behavior of all men. I don't think so. Should the culture change? Of course, it should. Am I happy that women stepped up and said "Me too!" Yes, I am. Should the culture change? Of course it should! Should Franken have decided to resign, no -- I don't think so!
ReplyDeleteYes,why hasn't LeeAnn resigned, her jumping on Robin Williams or who ever it was was far more disgusting than a pat on the butt,which she was pretty happy to do also.
DeleteFranken showed what a real man does in such a situation. however, it should have been investigated first. they all should be. it doesn't matter if repub or demo, it should be looked into. that includes the orange pervert in the White House. it is only fair, and the best way to find the truth. it is also the best way to find the fakes. the democrats are going to get a lot of false accusations.
DeleteThe woman at the state fair was afraid to say something in front of her husband and father? ridiculous. If true, the problem is her relationship with hubs and daddy, not Franken. Not even a "oh! watch your hands, sir."
DeleteFranken wasn't railroaded. Senators stood up for the country and told him to resign, and he did. Of course its
ReplyDeleteOf course it's men saying he was "railroaded." of course!
ReplyDeleteGee, some women stood up for women -- so the totally gukity
They weren't standing up for womem,they jumped on the 5 mins of fame train.
DeleteThe cases against franken do not even meet the criteria of sexual harassment
Women are going to lose this battle very fast if they continue to yell sexual harassment for a one time pat on the butt.
Ruskie
DeleteSorry, but I said from the start he was bullied into resigning by a Democratic lynch mob.
DeleteI also sent Gillibrand an e-mail saying I would never vote for her if she appeared on the Democratic presidential ticket and I sent Kamala Harris the same saying she would never again get my vote as my senator. I cited the same reason in both: failure to adhere to do process and violating Franken's rights by being judge, jury and executioner base on anonymous accusations and hearsay. Harris should have known better.
I stand by that.
I also sent Franken an e-mail begging him NOT to resign but to wait until the conclusion of the Ethics committee investigation.
This woman thinks Franken should NOT resign and has said so from day one.
Delete#me too Mailuppa, me too!
DeleteI wrote to Al personally, faxed my two CA Senators who were part of the railroading, and called the DNC to tell them how wrong this was. Let due process happen! Never thought I’d agree with Manchin, but I do: don’t resign, Franken. Go through the ethics committee investigation! Let’s get these ladies under oath and let them tell their stories to the world. Gillibrand, you have lost my vote for 2020, and Harris, too. Due process in a democracy!
DeleteSo the.totally guilty man was "railroaded."
ReplyDelete"It was comedy!"
DeleteNot to the person inflicted.
Don't reply to yourself. It's sad
DeleteThe question is guilty of what exactly. Nothing prosecutable. Nothing he did meets the standard of a sexual assault.
DeleteThe comedy was quite consensual and reciprocated. Pics to prove it.
DeleteYep. The moral high ground when your opponent has no moral scruples whatsoever (and evidently 48% of the American populace doesn't either) is plain stupid.
ReplyDeleteFranken should resign when T.Rump does. And ol' Fartnhold is not running, but also not resigning last I read. https://www.texastribune.org/2017/12/14/farenthold-leave-office/
OT...https://www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response/search/
ReplyDelete"FAIRBANKS, Alaska - A group of constituents visited Don Young's Fairbanks office today to voice their thoughts on the Tax bill, opening the arctic national wildlife refuge, and changes in healthcare.
ReplyDeleteSarah Dubowski was there and files this report.
"No filming, no filming."
"I'm with the media, KTVF?"
"Not allowed."
About 30 concerned citizens visited Don Young's Fairbanks office to express their concerns about the Federal Tax Bill being pushed through congress.
When the group arrived they were told not to film. At first Young's employee said it was because of sensitive documents in the room but audio recorders were also asked to stop. Media were forced out of the public office and recorded the testimony from outside the door.
Constituents spoke about the rushing of the tax bill which included changes to healthcare and a provision to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling.
Odin Miller; Activist>>: "Could we please request that this would be unnecessary if Representative Young, himself, would come to Alaska before the vote on the Tax bill and actually hear what Alaskans have to say about it. Representative Young, along with Senator Murkowski and Senator Sullivan, none of them have come to Alaska and had one single meeting with their constituents about this tax bill. This tax bill is being built as this historical 30-year thing, I would think that with a landmark piece of legislation like that, they would want to know that their constituents actually support them.-"
Silvia Daeumichen; Constituent>>: "I'm a single mom, living off the grid, I work hard to keep ourselves going and these kids are on kid care and if we don't have kid care anymore, they don't get medical."
Sarah Maupin; Constituent>>: "Currently if you go to the villages, if you want to get a jar of peanut butter, it's $20 dollars. We cannot survive off of store food. We are forced to move into the cities because there are no jobs and we cannot live off the land unless we have expensive equipment because the caribou do not go to the same places that they used to. We have to travel far, we get smaller caribou that are sick. Right now they are trying to lie and say that the caribou population won't be affected, that the birthing grounds won't be affected, this is obviously not true. This is not just food for us, this is a way of life, it is a spiritual wellness and when you take those abilities away from us, you are continuing to colonize us, to ignore us and to abuse us."
Sarah Dubowski Reporting."
There was Video of this exchange.
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/12/18/truth-republicans-exposed-tax-cuts-rich-cost-2-2-trillion.html
DeleteTRILLION. We are Sinking into the Abyss
I'm a woman and a democrat and I don't think Franken should resign, hell even the former gov of Minnesota thinks he should rescind his resignation
ReplyDeletehttp://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/12/11/arne-carlson-on-franken-resignation/
we democrats fail if we lose Franken on some "purity test" when obviously the republicans are not "testing" their own in kind
I'm still waiting for Ellen DeGeneres to speak out against Matt Lauer. That will NEVER happen.
ReplyDeleteLauer diddled Ellen?!?
DeleteBFFs teasing each other if you watch her show. She made a comment before allegations/firing #metoo. Yay for women, says she. I’d just like to see her admit it, and she won’t.
DeleteLet it go, fool.
DeleteI wouldn't want him to go back on his word, he's a great man, far too wonderful a person to be part of such a corrupt organization as our Senate. Kudos to him for sticking by his decision, he'll be much happier as a private citizen, I'm sure.
ReplyDeletenice try, Rings hollow as hells bells, 6:55
DeleteTina Smith isn't going to run for re-election so the Minnesota governor just threw that seat away.
ReplyDeleteFranken should resign as he promised. Then he should immediately start campaigning to get his seat back. When the voters of Minnesota vote him back into that seat, everyone else can SHUT THE FUCK UP because the voters will have decided. You know. like all those Republican assholes were saying about Molester Moore.
She said she would run for re-election.
DeleteIf he runs I bet she steps down.
DeleteI think that he has to resign now. But I do have a bit of a sickening feeling that he was set up. And I am really upset at the way the Dems all followed Kirsten Gillabrand's lynch mob. I seriously hope that she is not the next Democratic Nominee for Prez, because I don't want to vote for her, and probably wouldn't, even holding my nose. She threw "due process" out the window because it was expedient, and she didn't give a crap about destroying a possibly/probably innocent man's reputation in the process.
DeleteMueller’s team confirms plans to work on the Russia investigation through the end of 2018 — at minimum
ReplyDeleteefuting President Donald Trump’s “arrogant” assumption that the Russia investigation will be over at the end of the year, members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team confirmed they would continue their probe until at least 2018.
As The Washington Post reported Monday, “the special counsel’s office has continued to request new documents related to the [Trump] campaign, and members of Mueller’s team have told others they expect to be working through much of 2018, at a minimum.”
The possibility of the probe ending by the year’s close becomes even narrower considering that multiple witnesses, including former Trump aides George Papadopoulos and Mike Flynn, are continuing to cooperate with the investigation, the report continues.
Nevertheless, CNN reported Monday that Trump believes he’s going to receive an exonerating “letter” from Mueller — and those close to him fear he’ll have a “meltdown” if that letter doesn’t come soon.
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/12/muellers-team-confirms-plans-to-work-on-the-russia-investigation-through-the-end-of-2018-at-minimum/
oooooow - a Tiny-fingered vulgarian temper tantrum.
DeleteAlex Jones predicts that the only possible outcome of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s election interference and potential collusion with the Trump campaign is a Justice Department coup.
ReplyDelete“We have caught them in a gigantic, arrogant, foaming at the mouth, arrogance-fueled, rabid dog, reckless, naked, bold, ridiculous fraud, run by — it looks like — maybe 15 people in the Justice Department and the FBI,” Jones said, echoing right-wing talking points about corruption within the DOJ and Mueller’s team.
“I think they’re going to go ahead and make their move to kill the president. I think in the next 30 days, I think they’re going to make an assassination attempt,” the host continued in the clip posted by Media Matters. “I just — my gut — I see all of them together, they’re that desperate.”
A lot of Jones’ “smart sources” agree that the Justice Department is either going to give up the ghost or “activate their cells,” he said.
“I don’t want the president to be killed, but if they are dumb enough to actually do it, boy, they have sealed their warrant of death,” Jones continued.
“They’re playing chicken with people that are ready to mash down the accelerator, cause I know I’m mashing it down,” he concluded. “I’m pointing my car right at the nose of theirs, so is Trump, that’s the spirit.”
Watch the InfoWars host’s unhinged rant below, via Media Matters.
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/12/alex-jones-gut-tells-him-the-fbi-will-make-an-assassination-attempt-on-trumps-life-in-the-next-30-days/
It’s crazyass Alex Jones. No “sane” person cares what the fuck he’s peddling. Did he stop to sell his $25 taint wipes during his rant?
DeleteTrump Drinks Water Like Small Child During Big Speech
ReplyDeletePresident Donald Trump is getting lots of attention for his national security speech on Monday ― and as much for the way he drank water, as for what he said.
Trump reached for a glass of water during his address, and carefully held onto the small cup using both hands.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-water-national-security-speech_us_5a385b4be4b0c65287abc322?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Isn’t this the second time he’s done that? Or is it the third.
DeleteLast time it was a two handed bottle of water.
We have a temperamental toddler running the country.
Alex Jones’ ‘gut’ tells him the FBI will make an ‘assassination attempt’ on Trump’s life in the next 30 days
ReplyDeletehttps://www.rawstory.com/2017/12/alex-jones-gut-tells-him-the-fbi-will-make-an-assassination-attempt-on-trumps-life-in-the-next-30-days/
time for ole AJ to take something for his loose bowel problem.
DeleteYou mean his fat gut.
DeleteIf anyone is going to assassinste trump it will be putin.
DeleteMaybe melanomia is the manchurian candidate.
If anyone attempts to take out Trump, it will be one of his own Deplorable supporters or an Alex Jones looney.
DeleteUS Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he will force a vote on a bill that would reinstate the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules.
ReplyDeleteLegislation to reverse the repeal "doesn’t need the support of the majority leader," Schumer said during a press conference Friday, according to The Hill. "We can bring it to the floor and force a vote. So, there will be a vote to repeal the rule that the FCC passed."
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/12/there-will-be-a-senate-vote-to-reinstate-net-neutrality-schumer-says/
Off track:
ReplyDeleteThe White House is shutting down the “We the People” petition website to “overhaul” it and claims it will save a million dollars. They *promise* it will be back up by the end of January.
When are they doing this? Tuesday night.
When is Congress voting on the Tax Scam?
TUESDAY.
Oh, and there are 17 petiions that have garnered the 100,000 signatures needed to qualify for a response from the White House. How many have received a response?
None.
But then, you knew all that before I even told you, right?
Here’s a prediction. We the People will never go back online. They figure in 6 weeks we will have forgotten all about it.
Probably because we will be too distracted protesting about the Tax Scam, the firing of Robert Mueller and all of the other Shit our Orange Dictator is going to pull after the new year.
Dog, I wish he would just die already. Then we can work on impeaching Pence.
The reason the Republicans don't blink an eye at Trumps sexual predator behavior is because he is making all their wet dreams come true. The reason he is making all their wet dreams come true is because Vlad is showing him how to be ruthless and going for the jugular. Watch Donald make the move without a thought. That's a Putin tactic. That's how he covertly because the leader of his country and robbed the coffers. Little bald headed bastard is the riches dotard on earth they say. Let's watch Donnie aspire to be him.
ReplyDeleteI fear that you are right.
DeleteBeaglemom
200 BILLION
Deletehttp://fortune.com/2017/07/29/vladimir-putin-russia-jeff-bezos-bill-gates-worlds-richest-man/
I hope this fiasco teaches the Democrats that they should wait for the ethics investigation before forcing someone to resign.
ReplyDeleteTime to call out the lying nasty skanks that falsely accuse men to ruin their careers. And when caught? prison. 90% of women tell the truth and 10% are liars that con men, women and children to harm them. They are the nasty lying HIRED skanks. O Gee missy? and that rogue sheriff nano nano helped commit the crime. yep.
ReplyDeleteTime to pull the plug on alex jones, brightfart, rush limpballs, Hannity, fox no news, rt, and any white nationalist crap. cut off their microphone, vendors, ads, money.
ReplyDeleteTime for this, time for that lol.
DeleteOther people get to have their opinions too.
I support Al Franken totally.
ReplyDeleteFranken was steamrollered/railroaded and in good part by members of the Democratic Party. For that, I am ashamed. It dismayed me to see so many Democratic women senators jump on the steamroller/train engine to punish him without knowing all there was to know. That's exactly what the GOP and the media wanted to have happen. All of this was going on as the GOP was pushing through its heinous tax scam act. Democratic senators who were on the news berating Al Franken should have been on the news calling out their GOP colleagues for what they are - criminals who are willing to aid and abet a traitorous and villainous administration in order to pass horrible legislation that will gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Katherine Parker at the Washington Post, after the Kentucky legislator killed himself, wrote an op-ed saying that those accused and Roy Moore should have had their day in "court" so to speak. She's right but she should have been talking about Franken, the New Yorker reporter, Chris Mathews and others about whom the accusations have been flimsy and not predatory in the sense of real sexual assault. There are, after all, degrees in all behavior.
Beaglemom
OT?"“We came here all the way from different parts of the country as part of our fellowship and all of us pitched in to vote and canvas together and we got our boy elected,” the supporter, who is not identified, says.
ReplyDeleteEven though he says there wasn’t voter fraud in the election between Jones and Roy Moore, who has refused to concede the race, Merrill said he wants to find the man in the clip and clarify what he was talking about.
“Well, it’s very disconcerting when someone who’s not from Alabama says that they participated in our election, so now it’s incumbent upon us to try to identify this young man, to see what kind of role he played ― if it was to simply play a canvassing roll, or if he was part of a process that went out and tried to register voters, or if he himself actually became a registered voter,”"“I think it’s crazy that an off-hand comment is being used to suggest that there was a massive voter fraud scheme. It is almost as if they are actively looking for ways to perpetuate a myth of massive voter fraud,” Joshua Douglas, a law professor at the University of Kentucky, said in an email."Moore still has not officially conceded the election and in a fundraising email on Saturday said his campaign was investigating reports of voter fraud. There have not been any credible allegations that such fraud occurred, but a fabricated story alleging people were caught voting with fake IDs went viral on Facebook."
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/alabama-voter-fraud-investigation_us_5a39468fe4b0fc99878f1ac0
Just a poor choice of words. He obviously joined a local group to canvas and get out the vote so the locals could vote. Poorly constructed sentence that confuses the meaning.
DeleteWhere does Alabama rank in education? Is it 50 or 49. Wonder if this canvasser was from Mississippi, who is also either 50th or 49th in rank in education.
THIS is Sooo good...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/daily-show-song-for-women-2017_us_5a38c387e4b0c65287abe2c4