Why can't Al Franken just say he won't run for reelection?

[Chasstev365]

If it's OK for Joe Barton, why not Al?

[NCTraveler]

1. Why keep comparing people.

It’s a really poor thing to do.

Your subject line is spot on. I think it should be one of two options being considered.

[Demsrule86]

2. He should because the GOP will fuck us over when the tax bill comes back...they will make certain

the seat is left vacant.

[tgards79]

3. Two reasons

1) He should resign because why wait? He's a serial harasser so why does he deserve to keep his job?
2) Politically speaking, it gives the person who is named to replace him (which will be a Democrat) one year in office, and incumbent status, which will help in their "re-election" campaign in 2020

[mythology]

4. Because Joe Barton hasn't been accused of doing anything without consent

He sent naked pictures to a woman (or possibly women), he was in a relationship with. Franken is accused of groping and forcing kisses/physical contact on women without their consent. That consent thing really matters.

[Lee-Lee]

8. There is a pretty big distinction there

That seems lost on many.

[KewlKat]

5. Why is it when a rethug is accused he's innocent and the victims are liars and will be sued?

Conyers had gone thru some sort of action as there was a payout, but Franken has NOT has his day in court or had an ethics review WHICH HE WELCOMED. I hope for the sake of the nation, he's allowed to let the system work for him....innocent until proven otherwise. His accused actions, while if true are bad, are not of the level of the others we've heard/read about recently.

[ollie10]

6. If Franken resigns, special election would be in 2018

So we would have TWO Senate seats to defend.

What could go wrong?

[still_one]

7. Exactly, but even more importantly, Al Franken deserves the ethics hearing, and to defend himself.

I really am disappointed with the Senate Democrats trying to stifle that investigation, and have this completely tried in the press, with much of it based on anonymous sources, or those who have identified themselves as trump supporters.

Why are people resistant to that ethics hearing?

In fact, it has been reported that Governor Dayton has indicated he would appoint his Lt. Governor to fill Franken's seat, and the Lt. Governor has made it clear she does NOT want to complete Franken's term to 2020, so that guarantees a 2018 special election, and puts that seat at risk.

Ethically, strategically, and politically we are cutting our nose off to spite our face, and putting the country at great risk for a republican agenda through 2020.

Iff that kind of risk is being taken, it is only fair that Franken be given a chance to defend himself.

[Lee-Lee]

9. Because ethics investigations wont cover most of the allegations

If you look at the Senate rules and the history of the ethics committee they only investigate matters that occurred while the person was a member of the Senate.

They don’t get into events prior to a person being a member of the Senate and therefore subject to Senate rules.

And I doubt you will ever get the Senate to agree to expand the power or scope of the committee to investigate things that preceded a persons membership in the Senate, not even once. No other Senators want that precedent.

[still_one]

13. Yes they will. Bob Backwood went through such an investigation, and was expelled from the Senate as

a result of it, but resigned before that occurred, but only after the ethics panel

[Lee-Lee]

16. The allegations against Packwood were from when he was a Senator

Those fall under the scope of what the ethics committee will investigate.

It a huge distinction that matters in this case.

Only one of these allegations, as far as I know, comes from a time when he was in the Senate. Most of the more damaging ones do not and would not be under the scope of what the ethics investigation would cover.

[still_one]

17. Franken has a right to that hearing, and should NOT consider resigning until that occurs.

Interestedly, a good number of Democratic Senators calling for Franken's resignation were around when Bill Clinton was accused of sexual harassment, including rape by one of Bill Clinton's accusers, and not ONE of those Senators called for his resignation, where the charges were even more severe against Bill Clinton, and the excuse, "times have changed", doesn't cut it, especially when talking about rape and sexual assault which several of Bill Clinton's accusers accused him of

If Democrats play there cards right and force Franken out before 2018, we might have an opportunity to lose that seat to Norm Coleman, seeing that the Minnesota Governor plans to appoint the Lt. Governor to replace Franken if he decides to resign, and she has made it very clear she has no interest in serving out Franken's full term

I hope Franken doesn't resign until that investigation is done, but if he is considering it, he absolutely should not do it until AFTER 2018

[ollie10]

11. Everything you said is right on.....

....but this charade is about scoring political points for presidential wannabees.......at the expense of course of the truth, at the expense of the Senate, at the expense of the voters of Minnesota, and at the expense of future victims of witch hunts who will be hunted by the Republican hate machine because of how easy it was to set up Franken with the help of foils like Gillebrand.....

[still_one]

14. If Franken resigns because of this before an investigation, not only will there be a 2018 special

election for his seat, putting it at risk, but it puts at risk the vote on the tax bill reconciliation that will be coming back from the Senate, and a whole host of other issues on the republican agenda.

[Orsino]

10. He may be guilty of conduct unbecoming any elected official...

...and maybe he knows there is no defense he can hide behind.

[ollie10]

12. yeah and maybe his father helped assassinate JFK?

It worked against Cruz, so why not follow that play book?

[Orsino]

15. Well, that's an option...

...if we are refusing to believe any of Franken's accusers.

I thought that maaaaaaaybe the first might have been a ratfucking, but all of them? I'm not there.