Al Franken's office has finally emailed this response to my entreaties:

[Mister Ed]

It's been quite a while since I emailed Franken's office to beg him to remain in the Senate and undergo an Ethics Committee investigation. Here is the somewhat belated response:

Office of Sen. Al Franken
December 21, 2017

Dear Ed,

Thank you for contacting my office. I appreciate hearing from you.

I have announced that I will resign from the Senate. This was a hard decision. But I am confident that Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith will make an excellent United States Senator. She is a dedicated public servant who's worked tirelessly on behalf of Minnesotans and she will continue to bring that spirit to Washington.

It's been the honor of my life serving the people of Minnesota in the Senate for the last 8 years. Minnesota continues to be one of the most civically engaged states in the nation. And I'm so proud that - by listening and learning from your ideas and experiences - I've been able to continue the tradition of finding commonsense solutions to problems that affect our state.

For many of us, the 2016 election represented a very real threat to not just the advances we made during the Obama Administration, but also to our neighbors, friends, and family members who are at risk of being harmed by the dangerous policies of this administration. In the face of this, I am proud to see how many Minnesotans have joined me in defending the progress we've made.

As we look ahead toward the next fight, it's important that we remember how far we've come. When I joined the Senate in 2009, people who are gay or lesbian were outlawed from serving openly in the military, same sex marriage was illegal in all but a handful of states, people could actually be denied health coverage because of an illness, and families were much more vulnerable to lenders who could issue mortgage loans without taking any meaningful steps to see if a consumer could repay them. We have made real progress that we should be proud of.

Senator Paul Wellstone - whose seat I have been so honored to hold-used to say that politics isn't about winning or losing - it's about improving people's lives. And over the last 8 years, that's what we've done. We've stood up for what we know is right, worked hard to find common ground, and made people's lives better.

Today, people are more engaged in the political process than I have ever experienced in my career. From the Women's Marches across the country to defeating efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, people are raising their voices. The passion I've seen this year makes me confident that - despite the significant challenges we face - progress is still possible.

Thank you for contacting me. I look forward to working with you - as a citizen and activist - to make life better for Minnesotans and people across this country.


Sincerely,

Al Franken
United States Senator

[irisblue]

1. .

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I'm still just enraged that my awesome senator got railroaded

by members of his own party. It sounds like he's going to remain active in some way, so that's good. But still...

[still_one]

28. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Tatiana]

39. That's the only encouraging thing about this unfortunate turn of events.

He's not going quietly into the night.

And actually, without having to wear the "statesman" title of Senator, maybe he can fight fire with fire the way we want our politicians to do.

[smirkymonkey]

3. What a mensch!

So sad to see him go.

[Cha]

16. Good word, smirky!

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Yes!!!!

[loyalsister]

5. "I look forward to working with you - as a citizen and activist"

I hate the whole debacle and I hate to see him go. And, I think he made the choice that he thought was best. I like the idea of him following a path similar to that of Obama and Jason Kander who have both taken to working on grass roots efforts to advance Democratic causes.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. We will need him here in MN to be sure Tina Smith is re-elected

in the special election in 2018 so the Dems hold that seat. I think he could do a great job with that campaign.

[loyalsister]

7. Exactly

He seems like someone who will join grassroots efforts wherever he can help. I can see him making a profession out of campaign and other citizen activism.

[trc]

14. How about Governor Franken? nt

[roamer65]

27. ..

[Cha]

17. He's seems to think very highly

of Tina Smith.. as does Gov Dayton.

[LakeArenal]

33. What do you expect him to say....

He's a high minded man. He's towing his party's line (to my great sorrow) and it's a bitter, long haul.

[GarColga]

8. There was something very weird about all this

Honestly, Franken seemed almost eager to resign.

[DFW]

9. One can only hope .......

I hope it was only to show his fellow Democrats in the Senate who piled on against him, "OK, so now you've won. Just WHAT is it exactly that you think you've won, though?"

My biggest hope is that he quotes a certain Republican--an Austrian Republican, to be exact: "I'll be back!"

[Pantagruel]

10. I love Al

But I'm troubled he hasn't flat out denied violating any of his accusers. That would have to be step one to saving his senate seat.
Al ain't going there for some reason?

[Mister Ed]

20. His reluctance to call women liars is exactly that.

His reluctance to call women liars is not a tacit admission of guilt. It's a reluctance to call women liars.

[Ghost Owl]

21. He has

At least two of the anonymous accusations he denied outright (the "let's go bang it out in the bathroom" one, and the "It's my right as an entertainer" one). He also denied the others (aside from Tweeden), but politely, without attacking, because he doesn't want to contribute to culture of screaming down women who say they've been assaulted/harassed. He said he "remembered them differently" and asked for an ethics hearing. He wanted to make his case in the hearing, and not in public statements.

AFAIK, he only admitted to taking the picture with Tweeden (but not groping, not the assaulty predatory kiss), and putting his arm around Dupuy (but that was such a fucking non-issue, she may not have been comfortable with it, but Franken did nothing wrong; it was a miscommunication, a clash of expectations; it was not a groping, not meant to intentionally belittle or objectify). He apologized if he ever made any woman uncomfortable, because he is not an asshole. He wanted to change the tone of how women are responded to, and it bit him in the ass (and I think is just going to cause future accused to just outright deny and call them liars, lest they be damned by niceness like Franken was).

People are used to accused blasting the accusers, denying flatly, calling them liars "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" etc. People aren't used to a man not lashing out at his accusers, and I think that caused people to assume he was guilty or not denying it.

[DFW]

24. Having grown up in the thick of DC politics, I can think of one

Since there is no video evidence one way or the other, Al could have made this into a long, drawn-out "he said-she said" thing where he would have been the main focus of the news cycle for a few months. Fox Noise could have paid for a few dozen more "offended parties," and have had Franken do nothing but denials for the next half year. He would have survived, of course, but our chances to take back Congress would not. He knows what budget Fox has, and he knows that we can't match it, and without every single Senate Democrat having his back, he couldn't manage NOT to be the subject of a TV news broadcast every night.

Remember the so-called "Obama scandals" of five or six years ago? There was no such thing, of course, but that didn't stop Fox from making "them" their lead news story for a while, and even the other news outlets touched on them briefly until they discovered there was nothing there. Except for Rachel Maddow (I think--I don't live in North America any more, so I don't get US TV) NO other commentator had the guts to say the emperor had no clothes. They just let it drop, as did Fox eventually when no one was interested any more. It lasted months, and Obama was in the White House. As "just" one member of the Senate with over half his colleagues refusing solidarity, Al Franken had no such chance.

How's that for a reason?

[disndat]

41. Franken asked for Ethics Committee Hearing

Before the anvil was dropped on him by 33 of his fellow Senate Democratic peers, some of whom had flawless progressive credentials, Leahy, B. Sanders, Wyden for examples. How are you going to challenge them by asking for due process?

[calimary]

18. Welcome to DU, GarColga.

To this non-Minnesotan, there was something very outrageous and tragic about all of it.

As to your other remark, if I were in his position, I seriously doubt I'd want to keep working with all those people anymore. I think I'd be eager to resign. Most of those folks in my party turning on me, sticking a shiv in my back and railroading me out before I had any access to due process as I'd asked for and volunteered for. I'd feel totally ganged up on, and IF I did change my mind and announce I wasn't going to resign, I'd have no way to know whether the windmills in my party wouldn't start spinning again if something came up. I'd have NO confidence that anyone supposedly on my side would stand with me and not throw me under the bus again.

Good riddance to them all. I bet he's glad to get out. That was a real slap in the face. Kirsten Gillilbrand better not come asking ME to support her for a presidential run. The only way I'd ever vote for her would be under protest, just to get a Dem into the White House.

[MontanaMama]

40. I think so too.

But I've heard a few whispers from folks who know more than I do that he will roar back into the public discourse locked and loaded. He knows he was railroaded and I suspect he will have lots to say when we see him next.

[Nevernose]

11. On a similar subject:

I just got a letter from Steve Bannon. Seriosuly!

Well, kind of him, at any rate. The weekend after the Women’s March, one of the attendees organized a letter writing event at her house. We mailed it then, addressed to 1600 Pennsylvania.

Marked “return to sender.” On Tuesday.

(Sorry for the thread-jacking! )

[mountain grammy]

12. This made me cry..

Will 2018 be as awful as 2017..probably

[Hulk]

15. Not even one complete year of this fascist swine..

...and I can't bear to watch the news, read the internet...lift my head out of the sand.
I just can't imagine 3 more years of this miserable son of a bitch!

[NurseJackie]

13. We've lost so much. Our party is weaker.

[wellst0nev0ter]

19. Anyone notice how the dodgy accusations myseriously ended once he resigned?

I certainly have

[3catwoman3]

26. I commented on this very thing a couple...

...of days ago, in a related thread. This whole thing stinks like dead fish,

[mascarax]

22. Thanks for sharing, Mister Ed (n/t)

[raven mad]

23. ....

[RealityChik]

25. I have this fantasy,,,stay with me now...

That Senator Franken just switches places with Tina Smith and takes her place as Lietenant Gov of Minnesota. Then runs for Governor when the current Gov's term is up. This gives him plenty of time to "redeem" himself (as if he really needs to). Then he runs for president! Sure, it's the long way around but just as good, right?

Well, I can dream, can't I?

[DownriverDem]

30. Sounds great to me!

I think you have laid out a very workable plan.

[Susan Calvin]

31. From your keyboard to the governor's ears. nt

[DownriverDem]

29. Maybe so but

please move on. I do understand how folks feel. However we have so much to do to deter the repubs. Besides I bet Al will be in a future Dem Administration before too long. Al would want us all to focus on beating the crap out of the repubs in 2018.

[riverwalker]

32. If I were him. I'd press slander & defamation charges

against the first two claims, they were the most damaging and gave the other ridiculous claims validity. I would clear my good name.
Leeann Tweeden is easy. With the EXIF photo data, and witnesses on the plane, and possibly at the rehearsal. he could prove her claims were deliberate lies. The photographer and original photo would be evidence. So would her nefarious relationships with Hannity & Stone.
Lindsay Menz would have to explain why her face didn't register the "shock" she claimed if her ass was squeezed in front of her husband. Her original photo would also be analyzed since the one she gave MJ Lee was a screen shot of a photoshop so had no EXIF data. (Was it cropped?) The reported "collaborating" Facebook posts by her and her sister do not exist. No one has seen them, they never existed, which also puts MJ Lee of CNN in legal jeopardy for running the unverified story.
I would hire a good private investigator first of all, to sniff around motives.
Yeah, I know, I'm in denial and anger and not very realistic. Just venting.

[member12]

36. 32. If I were him. I'd press slander & defamation charges

That's a good idea IMO.

There is virtually no evidence that the claims were even truthful. It smells like a political hit against a great leader to me.

It seemed that way from the start.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

34. Im crying.

Gillibrand is my Senator and I not liking her much since her incredibly horrible action.

😪😪😪😪😪😪😪

Dammit. I need to pull myself out of feeling this way. Not good for my health.

[SunSeeker]

35. ...

[flying_wahini]

37. Maybe he will run for POTUS!

Here's to hoping!

[seta1950]

38. Hi

😢😢