The media (and even some repubs) are ripping democrats apart over treatment of Al Franken

[ecstatic]

The "high ground" narrative isn't working out so well. Democrats are being characterized as overly calculating and as having thrown someone under the bus for political expediency. So what exactly was gained from this? We're criticized regardless of what we do, haven't they learned this by now?

[SeaDoo77]

1. Don't Resign Al

I mean it.

[zentrum]

10. Just left him

…that message. But his ability to be effective might be permanently curtailed because of this public humiliation. He can't go after Sessions as he did because he will be the story in the MSM instead his points. Tragic.


So effing furious at the Dems.

[DownriverDem]

20. Stop Using your emotions

Put your energies into beating the crap out of the repubs. This is politics plain and simple.

[KPN]

24. It is. Piss poor politics at that.

Hard to focus on the Rs when our own party sabotages itself for "political gain" no less.

This was stupid and inept. Hard to have confidence in this kind of leadership.

[Alice11111]

35. #metoo...a double meaning now

[zentrum]

61. Yup.

[ananda]

13. Yes. Please, Sen Franken, do NOT resign!

nt

[DownriverDem]

18. His replacement

It's out there that Dayton (D) will appoint his Lt Governor, Tina Smith (D) as Franken's replacement. Talk about a strong message to the voters. Remember most voters are not political junkies and will see this as a good thing.

[rurallib]

26. need a clarification - do you say this because Smith is a conservative-Dem or because

you feel Franken just shouldn't resign?

I did a little looking to get a fell for where Smith falls on the spectrum and came up pretty much empty handed.

Thanks in advance

[Alice11111]

37. ...but she has to agree not to run for the seat.

Al could come back if he can beat this crap.

[KPN]

27. Strong message to the voters?

I believe you are dreaming.

[Lonestarblue]

33. Dayton plan

I read or heard somewhere that Governor Dayton plans to appoint Smith becasue she has agreed that she will not run for the seat. He plans to have an open primary where Democrats can beat each other up and give fodder to the Republicans. I don’t understand why he is not appointing a strong candidate who would then have name recognition for the real election. I don’t know what strong message he is sending to anyone!

[snort]

51. More purity bullshit.

Dems really need to stop trying to be all kumbaya all the time.

[ecstatic]

62. Omfg!

[mn9driver]

2. In this case, it was obviously orchestrated

with Franken as an unwilling participant. Running him out of town will backfire in 2018. The republicans are just pointing out the path that the DNC has chosen. Sad that we hand things like this to them.

[DownriverDem]

19. No it won't

Come on. Stop thinking emotionally.

[Alice11111]

38. Franken was not a "willing" particpant.

[Iliyah]

3. They trying to divide us. It's a GOP tactic

If he didn't, they would attack about the double standard. Damn if you do, damn is you don't.

It ain't gonna work and they know it.

[ecstatic]

7. You're right. We'd be attacked whether he stayed or resigned

So our response should be to do what's right, and forcing someone out for the things Franken was accused of is NOT right.

[DownriverDem]

16. No one should think it's right

It's about politics.

[bagelsforbreakfast]

52. Then piss on politics!😣

[Alice11111]

39. Yes!

[KPN]

32. Not only divide us,

it justifies their support for the chief pervert and Moore and perhaps others at the same time.

This was a foolish and stupid political calculation by Dems -- a frigging worthless, harmful stunt.

[rainin]

4. Democrats have been playing defense

as long as I've been paying attention. They bend themselves into pretzels trying to avoid Republican criticism. They never learn.

Republicans make ridiculous demands so when they get half, they've won ground and we've lost ground.

They are going to squeal about something. We are so afraid of them. Why don't our Democratic leaders start addressing the consolidation of media, the corruption of campaign financing, and the voting integrity.

I'm starting to wonder if Timothy Snyder is correct when he says the two party system is an illusion. We will be allowed to win 49% of everything until so much wealth has been transferred to the top that they no longer have a need to pretend.

[ecstatic]

8. The for-profit, corporate owned media is a big problem. Hardly a reliable fail-safe

for our democracy, although for the moment, it's better than nothing. Children are without healthcare and republicans have dreamed up the cruelest tax bill of all time. Yet here we are. They'll cover important issues for a split second, then they return to the foolishness of Trump's tweets, etc.

I really really hope the 2 party thing isn't an illusion but sometimes I do wonder. 😟

[DownriverDem]

15. I disagree

Maybe folks here are too young to understand it's about politics. You'll see.

[KPN]

34. 67 here. Is that too young?

How about you show us a past case where a political stunt like this worked to our favor if you're so sure we'll see based on what apparently is your years of experience?

[Alice11111]

40. I agree, especially with your first 3 paragraphs.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. We Want Franken Back!

This is as overcalculated as what a Dem leader did to Anita Hill. The other side of the coin.

[DownriverDem]

12. Nope

It's politics.

[rainy]

6. You are so right!!!

[DownriverDem]

9. It's about politics!!!!!!!!!!

This is about politics plain and simple. Politics is not for the faint of heart either. Politics is low down mean and dirty. The Dems are going to run on attacking trump and moore. The voters will see that the Dems have credibility on this because of Conyers and Franken being gone. If you are judging this emotionally, just stop it. It's politics.

[BBG]

21. Ugh Lee

Don’t like it but I get what you are saying. Thanks for spelling it out. Now to try and accept this ugliness which is going to be hard to do.

[KPN]

36. We already ran on attacking Trump.

How'd that work out? Re: Moore: great strategy, we trade one of our best for the R goon who replaces Moore after he wins and his counterparts expel him. Great political strategy that!

[Alice11111]

44. Got that right!!! 100pc

[ecstatic]

63. We already ran on sexual harassment in 2016. It didn't work

White women voted overwhelmingly with their husbands, who voted for trump. Are we really going to go for round two of pussygate based elections? It didn't work then, it won't work now.*
In fact, we're headed for a major backlash as more men get kicked under the bus without due process!

* Of course, there was also widespread voter suppression, hacking, etc, but if more women had voted for Clinton, all the usual repub cheating could have been overcome as in '08 and '12.

[mentalslavery]

11. I thought this purity was gonna give us the upper hand....

in shooting ourselves in the foot.....

[DownriverDem]

14. Not purity

politics

[mentalslavery]

28. Purity in politics

Democrats are soooo consistent and pure...

[bagelsforbreakfast]

53. Pure as the driven sleet in Al's. Case😣

[scarletwoman]

17. The Dems who pushed Franken out screwed the pooch -

screwed Al, screwed ME (I'm a Minnesotan), and screwed themselves

Great job, bozos.

[rzemanfl]

31. Exactly. n/t

[Alice11111]

42. ...and our country! The EU would say, what about us

& the rest of the world. The Repubs have made most of the world worse. Maybe Bebe is happy and Kushner and his foundation funding the illegal settlements.

[vkkv]

22. Please provide some links to help educate us all. I'd really like to see some REAL opinion pieces on

this please.

Otherwise...

[Valhallakey]

23. Just wait a month or so

You will see this again but from a state with an R governor. The Dems have set a standard and it will kill them or they will be accused rightly of having a double standard. Anyone who looks deeply into this can see it was a hit job, starting with Roger Stone announcing that Al was about to get it 2 days before any accusers came forward. We have some GOP dirty tricksters (and the rest of the GOP) ROFLTAO. In addition now their stance that Al was railroaded out of the Senate gives them cover when they don't act on similar (or worse) accusations.

[KPN]

41. Exactly!

This was a political calculation. We've been doing a lot of that the last 8 years. How has it worked out?

We lose because we overthink and put too much confidence in the American voters.

[kcr]

25. Good n/t

[rzemanfl]

29. It could be this is about someone's Presidential aspirations. n/t

[Alice11111]

46. Me thinks this.

[bagelsforbreakfast]

55. Me too😉

[pandr32]

30. We blurred important lines

...between awkward social behavior that will always be with us and preying on others. One is innocent, the other is intentional.
This is what the Republicans hoped for.

[KPN]

43. We got what the Republicans planned and wanted

and now they are building their justification for Trump/Moore by criticizing our public lynching without a trial.

Our leaders ineptly walked right into this one. No wonder so many lost confidence in our party and left.

[Alice11111]

49. The public lynching needs to be criticized. Maybe it

takes Repubs to do it. They don't care if they are criticized, as long as they win.

[Irish_Dem]

45. If nothing had been done they would be ripping us apart too. nt

[Alice11111]

47. Yep. So since we get ripped either way, let's pursue

the truth, rather than some imaginary high road BS, as it is not the truth. For sure, taking out Al WON'T help us in the elections.

[Irish_Dem]

48. I agree, I would like the truth from Franken and Dem leadership.

They have mishandled this situation.

[Alice11111]

50. You would have thought just one would have said,

hold my latte, while I check this thing out.

Was there anyone, any Dems?

[Irish_Dem]

54. I like to think the Dem leadership checked things out before they opened their mouths. nt

[Alice11111]

59. The facts suggest it was a token check, heresay

[Initech]

56. Yup - it was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

The GOP and the conspiracy theorists lured us into a trap and we fell for it. We have to stop this bullshit and start kicking them in the ass.

[Irish_Dem]

57. If you are going to be blamed either way, always do the right thing. Works out better in the end. nt

[Initech]

58. The GOP always does the wrong thing.

In an era where sexual harassment, assault and abuse stories are constantly in the news, they should have sent Trump packing. They should send Roy Moore packing. But nope, they're being assholes for the sake of being assholes.

I said yesterday - how do you take the moral high ground when you're dealing with a group of people who have no morals?

[Alice11111]

60. Kind of a no brainer. They put the ethics Investigation aside.