Don't resign, Sen. Franken at least not yet

[orangecrush]

His apology, abject, thoughtful and speedy though it was, did not quell demands from across the political spectrum that he step down.

Wisely, at least as of this writing, he has resisted.

The arbiters of sin always ululate for instant resignation or other forms of satisfaction while scandalous discoveries or allegations are still fresh, umbrage is on boil and perspective has not returned to its throne.

But as I wrote in 2009, generally the worst time to resign is when people all around you are insisting that you quit. Absent a true crisis where any delay will cause irreparable damage to others or yourself, you should wait. Let passions cool. If you're famous, allow the screaming headlines to fade and the angry pundits to train their righteous fire elsewhere.

I named this principle Roland’s Rule, after Illinois politician Roland Burris, who stoically ignored those who demanded that he refuse to accept the appointment to the U.S. Senate conferred upon him by Gov. Rod Blagojevich three weeks after Blagojevich had been arrested on corruption charges. Burris went on to serve nearly two undistinguished years in the Senate.

But I could have named it Jack’s Rule after Jack Ryan, who crumbled in the face of such demands. In June 2004, Ryan, a photogenic and wealthy political novice, resigned as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Illinois just three days after news broke that his ex-wife had alleged in their divorce that he'd pressured her to go to sex clubs.

Ryan, like Franken today, was greatly embarrassed and the object of considerable bipartisan indignation. But rather than taking a breath and waiting quietly for a celebrity tiff, natural disaster or ghastly crime to come along and capture the public’s notoriously brief attention span, Ryan bailed out of the race.

Had he toughed it out, my reporting experience tells me his sexual predilections would have become a minor issue as summer moved into fall. He almost certainly would have lost to Democratic nominee Barack Obama, but he would have done better than his replacement, the absurd Alan Keyes, and rehabilitated his image enough to fight politically another day.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/zorn/ct-perspec-zorn-franken-trump-resign-1119-20171117-story.html

[greeny2323]

1. What the fuck is this stupid shit?

"did not quell demands from across the political spectrum that he step down."

That's a fucking lie.

[dalton99a]

3. Good catch.

It's fucking bullshit

[orangecrush]

7. The article calls for Franken

To stand firm.


I just watched "Meet the Press", there is still a major shitstorm over this.

[GeorgeGist]

2. Fuck. This. Shit.

[orangecrush]

4. Agree

If he steps down, they won't call us "principled".

They will laugh at us and call us morons.

[backscatter712]

5. Franken should just ride this out.

He's admitted fault, apologized to the woman he groped, and while what he did was disgusting, I believe him when he apologized.

And he's not the one accused of habitual sex predation against teenage girls.

The mainscream media will move on to another shiny object. Ride it out.

[smirkymonkey]

6. I agree. This will blow over soon enough. We can not afford to lose one

of our most powerful voices in the Senate. This was nothing more than GOP dirty tricks as usual and there is not one valid reason that Franken should stand down.

[orangecrush]

8. And there is this...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029861640

Which, for SOME reason, isn't making the news....

[cwydro]

10. He didnt grope her.

His hands were not on her in the picture, and the kiss was consensual.

[moriah]

9. Is he even saying he will???

I thought all he said was that if the Senate wants to investigate him, he's willing to call their bluff.

And by doing so, he's keeping this from interfering with the testimony request from Beverly Young Nelson. I'll be the first to start a campaign to advocate that people accused of harming immature juveniles have investigative priority over people who were acting like immature juveniles.

[orangecrush]

12. Iirc

He was asked, and said "it's not my call."

(Assuming he meant he would follow minority leaders wwlishes.)

[lastlib]

11. DO. NOT. RESIGN. Period!

This charge is all made-up GOPee bullshit!

[orangecrush]

13. +1