Franken has a rare opportunity...

[LakeVermilion]

Its not often that America stops to hear the word of a U.S. Senator. In fact, most talks given by U.S. Senators are given in front of half empty sessions. Even then, its rare that anyone listens.

I believe that the cable networks will cover his speech live.

Franken can be humble and acknowledge that he has touched, tapped and maybe even pinched. He even might have kissed with lips closed or open.

After that he can stand straight and acknowledge that he works for the people of Minnesota. He can say that he believes in due process, as everyone should. If necessary, he can work as an independent for the people of Minnesota. He has experience and seniority, that counts for a lot.

He should say that he will stay, because he believes that the work is too important to walk away.

Let America listen to this...

[heaven05]

1. no matter

this whole thing is not but a virtual lynch mob out for Franken's blood.....guilty until proven innocent is the watchwords in this lynch mob after Franken. Much shame on any Democrat in that lynch mob....

[Bibluca]

2. And also say

"I wasn't aware I was upsetting anyone. Now I've learned, and It will never happen again."

And if people are still unsatisfied, say : "I'll resign when Mr. Trump does."

Then go on with his day at the Senate.

[still_one]

3. He has an opportunity to demand due process, and stop the McCarthyism that has seemed to take over

this country all areas:

"Obama isn't an American"
"Hillary killed Vince Foster"
"Iraq has WMDs"
"Obamacare has death panels"
"There is no such thing as global warming"
etc.
etc.
etc.

[Loki Liesmith]

4. He can also say that it didnt happen

If he believes it did not.

Doubt he will as the party has internalized the “all accusations are true” narrative tho.

[moriah]

5. The narrative is "All allegations should be listened to with an open mind."

Not so open your brains leak out.

Or, at least, that's MY narrative.

[regnaD kciN]

28. That makes the most sense...

...but it's not the narrative pushed by #BelieveAllWomen. That position, which I've had thrown in my face repeatedly in recent days, it that it's impossible that a woman would ever lie about being sexually assaulted or harassed. Therefore, if a woman makes the accusation, it has to be assumed to be true...and any "innocent until proven guilty" nonsense only enables rapists.

[davsand]

6. Franken has the opportunity to call out tRump and ALL the GOP.

Franken is toast. It sucks, I'm not confident that all the accusations are even legit (I've not seen all the women speak who have accused him) but he has admitted to some of this stuff and has apologized. He's certainly within his rights to an investigation, but having admitted it he's without a leg to stand on.

On a practical level, he is no longer in a position to be an effective legislator. The rest of the Senate has announced they want him gone. Again, not happy stuff, but a basic fact.

Al has a unique platform to stand up in public and challenge the orange assailant to own up to his own history, and step down. Similarly, this is an opportunity to call out the GOP for their own hypocrisy with assholes like that clown in Texas, Farenthold, as well as the support for Moore the pedophile.

It probably will do no good, but I suppose it's a teaching moment. Ain't nobody walking away from this happy--except maybe Jeff Sessions. Now Franken is off Jeffy's ass.


Laura

[moda253]

8. So your stance is that when someone admits to doing wrong

We destroy them. If that is true then I think we can safely say that America is toast.

[davsand]

10. The legal perspective is that a confession is accepted as valid.

Unless the confession is attained by force or from an "incapacitated" defendant the legal standard is that it's considered evidence in proceedings. Not sure where you are going with your question, tbh.

[58Sunliner]

14. This survivor disagrees. And I think you have the narrative wrong.

[Perseus]

18. I don't think he has admitted to anything

He called for an inquiry because he remembered things different than what his accusers were saying. As a matter of fact, when the first accuser heard he was asking for an investigation she said she didn't want one.

This is a shameful, in my view, miscalculation by the democrats, I believe this will come to haunt them. Franken was liked by people, he was a strong voice in the senate...shame on the democrats, they won't gain anything from this maneuver because republicans don't care, they have shown it over and over and I am sure they are celebrating now.

[moda253]

7. We are done.

This is it. THey have weaponized our own sensitivities to the point of absurdity and we are buying what they are selling.

This is absolute insanity and my money says it will not end with Franken. Meanwhile the repubs are openly campaigning for a fucking child molestor. And they are demanding he not be tried in the newspapers.

[leftofcool]

13. Yes indeed.

More Democrats will call for Democrats to resign while Congress gets taken over by pedophiles and rapists. I hop they are happy.

[Snackshack]

27. Yes...

“They have weaponized our own sensitivities to the point of absurdity.”

They have.

[regnaD kciN]

29. I am sure it will happen again...

...and, the next time it happens, it will be to a senator in a state with a Republican governor ready and eager to flip the seat. And Democrats have no leg to stand on if they don't treat that senator exactly as they treated Franken.

[idahoblue]

9. He should resign from the democratic party

[tmaynardr]

15. Yeah, and join the republican party

since they are okay with these type of allegations.

[Thor_MN]

11. He just said that he can't be an effective Senator while fighting false allegations

and events that he remembers differently.



Fuck.

[Jughead]

12. He could...

Say he will step down after Trump does.

[rainin]

17. The democratic leadership could have said that!

I am sick!!

[Honeycombe8]

16. He denies he did those things. But he can't stay. He's been effectively kicked out.

He can't do his job without the support of the other senators, esp the leader Schumer.

[sammythecat]

19. This is after the fact now,

but you're right. He didn't resign, he was forced to leave. What a depressing morning.

[Enoki33]

20. It is painful to see Franken leave, and I have conflicting emotions as

it is doubtful that all of the allegations are valid. He is however doing a great service to how we treat women as a whole by showing that decency and accountability still is achievable. He is also doing immense image revitalization to the Democratic Party as the public contrast between us and the Republicans could not be more stark, and this is coming just before the Alabama vote. He also is reminding the nation of the lowlife with no respect for women who is in the Oval Office. It is my view that those cold political calculations are more important as the reality is that the future of our nation is literally at a crossroads, and also possibly that of the world. Often we have to sacrifice personal choices for the better good.

[groundloop]

24. "showing that decency and accountability still is achievable" - sorry, I think you're wrong

I believe all that Senator Franken is showing right now is that Democrats can be railroaded. Will Crazy Roy Moore step aside if elected because of his history of preying on teenage girls - HELL NO. Will 45* step aside because of his history - HELL NO. I may be proven wrong but I don't believe that anything Al Franken has done in his past comes even remotely close to Moore and 45*.

[Enoki33]

25. Democrats are showing to the world that decency and accountability

are still achievable. How? By electing them. That is the vital message being sent. And we don’t have to say it. We just have to show it.

[LiberalLovinLug]

21. The Democrats are an Ouroboros

when it comes to anything like this. They do not stand and fight, because they dare not stand and fight. They take the easy way out, and screw the consequences, even if the Rethugs use their own hard knuckle response against one of their own against them in ads and then win the seat that the shamed Democrat is leaving.

I think he should resign. Then switch affiliation to Independent, and announce he will be running again in the special election for the same position. And say, "let the voters decide". Then he is free from the shackles of this seemingly impenetrable wall that Democrats have built around themselves, locked into a paralysis and only capable of a chorus of prerehearsed guilty pleas for every indiscretion leveled at them by their always conniving enemies.

The Democrats could just not run against him. He would be like Sanders, an independent who votes with Democrats. And then maybe one day, he might re-join when the coast is clear.

[Still Blue in PDX]

22. He did what he felt he needed to do, and his speech was darn near perfect.

I would also have liked to hear, "I'll resign when tRump does," but he did point out the irony of the situation.

My heart is broken, but it's not the first time.

[randr]

23. Somewhere in all this debate we need to draw a distinction between sexual impropriety

and sexual preditation.
I hope Senator Franken realizes he has the opportunity to address this and takes advantage of it.

[MrPurple]

26. He's possibly not even guilty of much impropriety