Senator Al Franken accused of sexual assault

[Orlong]

Women who were molested will NEVER come forward "for attention", because the kind of attention they get when coming forward is almost entirely negative, ranging from the "she was probably asking for it" crowd to the doxxing and death threats that flood victims' Twitter feeds these days.

As for why she would come forward now as opposed to years ago, if you've even sniffed around the news lately you'll see women are coming out in droves to accuse the monsters from their past. They probably feel a smidgeon safer doing so now because so many brave victims have already come forward with their horror stories. Their anger and hurt have not gone away. Now they may have an outlet to express and accuse without having to become a victim AGAIN and they are taking it. I'm hoping every one of them gets justice, be it for assault at the tiny hands of an orange-faced shithead or assault from personalities/politicians I (formerly) admired and respected.

Or they are jumping on the bandwagon figuring everyone will believe them (even if it never happened or is greatly exaggerated) now that there are so many and get a big payday out of it

[Wyrt]

Or they are jumping on the bandwagon figuring everyone will believe them (even if it never happened or is greatly exaggerated) now that there are so many and get a big payday out of it

What do they get paid in? Rape threats?

[Adam Jensen]

If more women come forward on Franken, I'll change my judgment, but I don't think this as an isolated incident is something he needs to step down for.

Right.

Franken apologized, and from what I understand, the woman accepted it. He meant no harm and realizes now that despite that, he caused harm. He owned up to it. He took responsibility for it.

Unlike Moore, who's denying everything, or Spacey who said "WTF, I'm gay now!", or Donald who grabs them by the pussy.

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What do they get paid in? Rape threats?

Sorosbucks.

[Benggaul]

Or they are jumping on the bandwagon figuring everyone will believe them (even if it never happened or is greatly exaggerated) now that there are so many and get a big payday out of it

Uh, right, sure. What a wonderfully ignorant world you've encapsulated yourself in. The humiliation and trauma of having had to suffer through a sexual assault isn't generally something women take lightly. While I'm sure there were cases in the past of people "faking" an assault for some sort of recompense, those were few and far between, whereas the instances in which women HAVE actually been assaulted is staggering. Start with pretty much any woman you're related to.

Yeah, sorry. "Bandwagon" assault claims aren't a thing. In this instance, where there's smoke, there's almost certainly fire.

[Fabray]

The ridiculous things is everyone calling for Moore's head with absolutely no evidence other than someone who was a part of Clinton's campaign accusing him of sexually harassing her, and then we get an actual picture of Franken grabbing a woman's tits and everyone is blowing it off as nothing. Guess thats just politics. If Moore did it, then he should be strung up too but until we have evidence or a guilty verdict, then the only one people should be outraged at is Franken

He's not grabbing her breasts though. How can you expect to be taken seriously when you're being incredibly dishonest?

[Frosteye]

Women who were molested will NEVER come forward "for attention", because the kind of attention they get when coming forward is almost entirely negative, ranging from the "she was probably asking for it" crowd to the doxxing and death threats that flood victims' Twitter feeds these days.

As for why she would come forward now as opposed to years ago, if you've even sniffed around the news lately you'll see women are coming out in droves to accuse the monsters from their past. They probably feel a smidgeon safer doing so now because so many brave victims have already come forward with their horror stories. Their anger and hurt have not gone away. Now they may have an outlet to express and accuse without having to become a victim AGAIN and they are taking it. I'm hoping every one of them gets justice, be it for assault at the tiny hands of an orange-faced shithead or assault from personalities/politicians I (formerly) admired and respected.

I mean yeah I agree with you in general -- the circumstances as they are though, I don't really think he did anything outrageous given the current climate.

Definitely sexual harassment, which isn't a good thing -- but it doesn't sound like he really meant to victimize her in any way. The picture thing seemed like something he thought was a joke.

[Templar 331]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...jrt?li=BBnb7Kz

"Senator Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the president hasn't, I think that's a very clear distinction,"

More clear than you know.

[Benggaul]

I mean yeah I agree with you in general -- the circumstances as they are though, I don't really think he did anything outrageous given the current climate.

Definitely sexual harassment, which isn't a good thing -- but it doesn't sound like he really meant to victimize her in any way. The picture thing seemed like something he thought was a joke.

Of course it was meant as a joke. He was a comedian. Here's the thing, though--it's not a joke to the woman in question and it wasn't his place to assume that it would be okay with her without her explicit consent.

I love Al Franken. He's done some pretty great work since he became a Senator--most notably in the fight for women's rights. But he was wrong when he did that thing and he has to pay the price for it. He's apologized and she's accepted, but as a Senator--someone with the well-being of a LOT of people in his hands--he needs to face an ethics panel and whatever penalties may arise from it. Given that it appears to be an isolated incident from his time as a comedian--before he became Senator--and the aforementioned apology was accepted (and Leeann Tweeden herself has said she doesn't want him removed from office) I imagine the penalties would be light, if any...but the process still needs to happen.

EVERYONE needs to be held accountable for their actions. The 16 women who brought forth allegations against Trump are still waiting for their justice. Perhaps as more stories continue to come out there will be more mounting pressure to bring HIM to justice.

[Deletedaccount1]

Well this thread has turned into a shit show.

It was a shit show from the start with the usual suspects coming in here to defend someone on their side.

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I'm willing to more or less blow off Franken's picture. I don't think it's particularly funny, but I don't think it's evidence of much other than Franken being a lecherous old dude with a lecherous old dude's sense of humor. I don't give a shit on the whole. I'm more concerned with a culture that thinks an unfalsifiable tale from a decade ago is cause to terminate someone's career than I am with whether Al Franken took a joke picture where he mimed a titgrab.

This isn't partisan in any way. I don't think anyone that posts here regularly would describe me as a Democrat partisan.

Politicians should not have careers with stains on their records. Serious jobs in the federal government where you actually earn your position and are not elected into it hold people to high standards but people in elected positions can get away with whatever they want. This is something that people who have never worked in the federal government fail to understand and it is why beltway people care more than the general public.

[Omega10]

Given the political climate we have my vote is for him to resign and move on. It can be argued that, technically, what he did was not bad enough to warrant him leaving the Senate. But the battle ahead will be bruising, and no good will come out of it regardless of the results.

[SirBeef]

Because child rape is just the same as two adult rehearsing a kiss, right? All 9 women are from Hillary's campaign? Really? At what point do you decide to stop lying to yourself and WAKE UP.

It's Orlong. Never.

[Travis B]

Because child rape is just the same as two adult rehearsing a kiss, right? All 9 women are from Hillary's campaign? Really? At what point do you decide to stop lying to yourself and WAKE UP.

He's clearly getting his talking points from Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who basically said the other day that unless the man admits it, it didn't happen.

[Grapemask]

He's clearly getting his talking points from Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who basically said the other day that unless the man admits it, it didn't happen.

And went on to say that if that person is voted into office, then the accusations are clearly false.

So clearly what we should do is wait for the 2020 election. If Al Franken is voted in again, then none of this actually happened.

[Breccia]

Axios reports that Franken is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Multiple news sources are prepping for the next accusations.

If true, hold on. This could be a bumpy ride.

[draynay]

Wasn't the tip of the iceberg dozens of accusations ago?

[Breccia]

Wasn't the tip of the iceberg dozens of accusations ago?

Not in the context of federal lawmakers, no.

[Anevers]

Would this be a pot and the kettle situation?

In a video recently uploaded to YouTube by user Desmond Perkins, the woman who appeared on television apparently disturbed by an unwanted kiss she received while on a USO tour with Senator Al Franken in 2006, can be seen aggressively kissing Robin Williams before giving him a smack on the behind just two years before.
http://bipartisanreport.com/2017/11/...obin-williams/

[Blur4stuff]

If she did this in coordination with people like Stone as a hit job against dems... it would do significant damage to the movement to oust harassers/molesters. Everyone coming forward about others are going to be considered liars without damning proof.

[Kujako]

Everyone coming forward about others are going to be considered liars without damning proof.

They already were... that's conservative defense step one, "everyone's a liar".

[Wyrt]

They already were... that's conservative defense step one, "everyone's a liar".

"They're just coming forward for the free death and rape threats."- Republicans when a Republican is accused of sexual misconduct.