here's the optimistic franken calculus:

[unblock]

franken resigns and is replaced by a democratic governor with a new democratic senator. likely a woman to reduce risk of a repeat.

the replacement has enough time to establish herself and get re-elected so we keep a seat. it's not exactly a "safe" democratic seat, but certainly one we could hold if we do it right.


meanwhile, by avoiding a republican-controlled ethics investigation playing out during prime time over the summer/fall right before the 2018 election, we improve our chances to capture the house and/or senate.

more immediately, this might well us win the seat in alabama that moore is trying for. it's a close election and republicans are going all-in for the child molester, and getting franken out now makes it easier for us to attack moore hard.

we might even *gain* a seat we couldn't otherwise possibly win otherwise.


i'm not sure it will play out that way, but this has to be part of the thinking behind franken leaving now (well, presuming that's tomorrow's announcement).

[cilla4progress]

1. Yes!

Who are some likely MN women replacements for Franken?

Granholm is a Michigander, unfortunately.

[Wwcd]

8. Here are a few MN Dem women:

It just so happens that Minnesota has a lot of Democratic women who could make for viable Franken replacements – at least six, depending on who you ask.


One is Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith. Another is Attorney General Lori Swanson. A third is State Auditor Rebecca Otto. A fourth is state House Minority Leader Melissa Hortman. A fifth is Rep. Betty McCollum. And a sixth is former state House Majority Leader Erin Murphy.

Any or all of these women seem as though they'd be a smart choice for Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, should he have to appoint someone to take over from Franken.

[mac56]

22. Betty McCollum would be a brilliant choice

says this lifelong Minnesotan.

[Wwcd]

23. Yes she would! 👍☺

Counting on MN Gov to choose a woman, & McCollum would be perfect to send to DC.

[still_one]

2. Here is the problem I have with that, Franken has a right to have an ethics investigation done, and

we the people have a right to make our conclusions based on that investigation

It is hard for me to believe, though not inconceivable, that Franken would call for this investigation if he didn't want the truth to come out

[unblock]

6. i think it was explained to him that it would play out during campaign season

in the abstract, sure, he could fight this, but they do not want this during campaign season.

[still_one]

9. That may be their political calculus, but not giving a person a right to a hearing with this

investigation is going to hit them when donations start to dry up

[unblock]

12. i don't think this will affect donations much

it's certainly annoying, but i don't think an investigation would have helped franken.

at best no new allegations would come out and franken would have a chance to defend himself, mostly putting it in context, especially the uso tours. i mean, his *job* was to be a cut-up and play up the raunch.

that said, politically, franken's hope with an investigation was simply that time would pass and people would see it as a molehill rather than a mountain. after all the allegations against him pale in comparison to moore or donnie. nevertheless, he could see that this was all gaining steam rather than dissipating, so the investigation wasn't going to help him.

[MFM008]

3. how about he says "Piss OFF"

and says "why dont we wait for the INVESTIGATION to end"
Or brazen it our like the rapist in the white house and pedophile Moore.

[Wwcd]

7. That would be my suggestion. He's good enough, he's smart enough and doggone it.....

"Piss off, Jeff Sessions & Roger Stone"

[janterry]

4. That Moore race won't be impacted by Franken

At least I don't think so. We'll have to wait to see the analysis, post election.

But I don't think it really helps.

[brush]

13. I agree. Whether Moore wins or loses the repugs lose.

If he loses we gain a senate seat.

If he wins the repugs are no longer the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ike, they will forever more be the party of a pedophile and a pu_sy grabber.

And we can definitely saddle them with that in the 2018 campaigns.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. I believe people care about this stuff

When Leigh Corfman testifies to the Senate Ethics Committee on live television that when she was fourteen years old and Roy Moore was thirty two years old he invited her to his lair in the woods, laid down a blanket for them to lie on, seduced her into stripping to her underwear as he stripped to his , and tried to force her to touch his erect penis, Americans who aren't Deplorables will be aghast.

[brush]

15. Yes. And we can use her testimony in 2018 campaign ads.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. Getting rid of bad actors is the right thing to do. It's also good politics.

The Deplorables are beyond redemption as Hillary said. That leaves two thirds to three quarters of Americans who aren't.

[Wwcd]

5. I do agree with your point. As long as it is a solid DEMOCRAT appointed to Franken's seat.

A woman would be ideal.
I hope the gov takes Franken's advice as to who replaces him.

[CatMor]

10. Frankens first run was hotly contested....

Why did none of this come out then. Where were these women anonymous or otherwise then.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. We can use the issue to beat The Deplorables over the head with in 018 and 020

I suspect Pedo Moore wins. Because Alabama. The Moore hearings should be a doozy. The ratings will blow away the ratings for Watergate and Anita Hill.

[loyalsister]

17. Thanks for that

It's tricky and I have been neutral. If he resigns, there is no reason to argue about it in the media or here. I fully agree that it's a good idea to end the controversy with such an important election season coming up.
You make some very good points. I hope that's how it plays out.

[ProudLib72]

18. I have a problem with this scenario

All the false accusations that were set ups by Stone and Hannity are not discovered and those two ratfuckers get to continue their dirty tricks.

[TexasBushwhacker]

19. I do too

If he resigns without a formal ethics investigation, every Democrat in Congress will be a sitting duck for trumped up charges from anonymous accusers.

[unblock]

20. i agree, this is a big problem.

it really sucks having a right-wing biased media that cares thrives more on scandal and gossip than on issues and truth.

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Unless Franken knows something that we don't. Only he would know what's in his skeleton closet.

[lostnfound]

24. Who benefits if they are going specifically after progressives?

[unblock]

25. well that's the question, is this just a way to get some democrats/progressives out

or will republicans pay a price as well?

[SHRED]

26. How about this

We have an Ethics Committee investigation and Franken is exonerated.

[unblock]

28. that was what i was hoping for but franken doesn't appear to want that any more.

[Irish_Dem]

30. I was waiting for the investigation, but Franken made up his mind before that happened. nt

[AlexSFCA]

27. perharps

but don’t discount a likelihood of new accusations targeting other dem senators, especially in swing or red states. If Franken resigns, this mean a low bar precedent has been established. How many more dem senators may have to resign?

[unblock]

29. that's the worry. if republicans don't start paying a price, something foul is afoot.

[Irish_Dem]

31. Hope it plays out this way for sure.... interesting, women are now the "safe" candidates. :)

[OnDoutside]

32. Could Al come out tomorrow and announce he is leaving the Democratic

Party and registering as an independent ?

[unblock]

33. i seriously want him to announce he's becoming a republican

he should totally pull a colbert and say he feels more welcome in the republican party.

then spend the rest of his term just trolling the crap out of them!

[OnDoutside]

34. Hahaha