“ also provides the defense of Franken that he, to his detriment, never really gave himself.” - Aaron Blake, Washington Post Let’s remember that the next time.” - Eddie Scarry, Washington Examinerįranken mishandled his response to the allegations. It’s nice, though, that liberals are reconsidering their blind devotion to the #MeToo cause. Due process is nice but fairly safe to skip a few steps when there’s a photographic evidence and the accused admits to feeling shame in an apology. “The Al Franken case is what #MeToo was created to address: Powerful men who behaved inappropriately with women. Liberals only regret what happened because one of their own got punished.

“His decision to resign under a cloud of scandal in December 2017 was entirely in keeping with his approach to politics over the past 15 years, displaying seriousness about the moral weight of political work and a willingness to put cause above ego.” - Matthew Yglesias, Vox Perspectivesįranken showed he was an honorable man by stepping down. If he did have ambitions toward getting back to the Senate, his next chance would be in 2020, when he could challenge Tina Smith, the woman who took over his seat when he resigned. What’s next: Franken has not talked publicly about a potential return to politics, although polling suggests he may find support among voters in Minnesota. Kirsten Gillibrand, who was the first member of the Senate to call for Franken to resign and has faced backlash for doing so, said she has “no regrets.” They specifically point to the awkward position for the party in having Franken question Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing. It’s unfair, they say, for Franken’s career to end when these men have been allowed to continue their political careers.įranken’s resignation was necessary, some argue, so Democrats could maintain moral authority when working to combat issues of sexual impropriety. Others contend that, even if the allegations are true, Franken’s misdeeds pale in severity when compared to the accusations against prominent Republicans like President Trump, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. “Al deserved more of a process,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy called his decision to join the voices pushing out Franken “one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made.” The argument is that Democrats were overzealous in an attempt to be seen as having a “no tolerance” policy towards harassers. The writer Jane Mayer said he was “railroaded.” Sen. Why there's debate: The New Yorker article reinforces a belief that Franken's resignation was a mistake. Seven other women later came forward with allegations of inappropriate touching or unwanted advances. Much of the New Yorker story examines the first public accusation against Franken made by Leeann Tweeden, a conservative radio host who said Franken had forcibly tried to kiss her and had groped her while taking a photograph of her sleeping. Franken also said he “absolutely” regrets resigning. In a story published Monday in the New Yorker, seven of those senators said they regret pushing him out of office. Al Franken resigned amid allegations of misconduct from eight women.įranken's resignation came after dozens of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate called for him to step down. What's happening: In December 2017, two months after the #MeToo movement gained intense national attention, Sen.

Leeann tweeten liberal or conservative