Senator Al Franken Kissed and Groped Me Without My Consent, And There’s Nothing Funny

NoahFence said:
This is the direct result of electing a pile of **** like Donald Trump president. Did perpetrators of sexual assault and molestation think women were going to keep silent forever?

Yea, right. Time for that seismic shift in our culture.
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So a possible bright side for his being elected?
 
Argumemnon said:
I need to name a consequence for Yuppy to do the right thing?

Well, that sure is very informative about you.
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:confused:

It seemed there was an implied consequence. I was wondering what it was.

ETA: and when you posted "WHY I don't understand the appeal of broccoli?" You did seem to imply it's because we should all agree broccoli is unappealing. So yeah, you could have been much clearer.
 
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tyr_13 said:
So a possible bright side for his being elected?
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There's a bright side to everything. Even a nuclear explosion!

I think it could have signaled the end of the road for his type of people. Provided we make it though the other side alive, I get the sense that predatory behavior is on the way out, thankfully.

Unfortunately people like Franken will get caught up in it. But can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
 
TheL8Elvis said:
ETA: and when you posted "WHY I don't understand the appeal of broccoli?" You did seem to imply it's because we should all agree broccoli is unappealing. So yeah, you could have been much clearer.
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You have a serious problem with making logical connections if you think one implies the other.

Really.

If person A says "I don't understand why people like pizza", the ONLY thing they're saying is that they don't like pizza and don't understand why others like it. They are not saying that no one else should like it, or that pizzas are too expensive, or have too much cheese on them, or were invented too late in history, or whatever. Any of these other things are complete fabrications.

Look, my post was clear: I don't understand the appeal of taking a picture of a sleeping woman and (at the very least) pretending to grope her. I don't find it funny or amusing or clever, but I do find it stupid. That's not a moral judgment, nor is it -- and it's amazing that I have to say this -- a statement about the woman's appearance. However, if we're to talk about morality, I think that depending on the context of the act, it might be morally wrong, especially if he actually put his hands on her without consent, or used the picture to harass or embarrass her.
 
bytewizard said:
Congresswoman Jackie Speier announced yesterday that Congress has had a taxpayer provided sexual harassment fund in place and the fund has paid out $15 million dollars over the last 10-15 years to settle claims against Congress members. Those who were paid off agreed to a non-disclosure clause, meaning no names of those accused will be made public. More of our tax dollars going to a great cause!
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What they should really do is void all the NDAs resulting from this fund and get it ALL out.
 
TheL8Elvis said:
The story, the pictures, the timing, the people ... :confused:

I didn't intend for it to come across as victim blaming.
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Let us go way out on a limb and suggest she had sex when was 12, her first three way when she was 13, and much like Madonna in the opening of Resiervoir Dogs, can't get enough D. And if you ask her, she'll send you a nude selfie.

Let us play pretend and assume all of that is true, does that make what Al Franken might have done any better?
 
TheL8Elvis said:
Whether the "victim" is sincere or making political hay.

I'll point out again, she brought up in the article:
"As a TV host and sports broadcaster, as well as a model familiar to the audience from the covers of FHM, Maxim and Playboy, ...."

If it's not important to context, why did she bring it up ?
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She explains why she brought it up in her article. As a Playboy/FHM model she was familiar to the audience of young men. It's clear she knew why she was there, as an attractive woman on stage for an audience of soldiers. She would act as emcee and knew the skits would feature sexual innuendo. When Franken suggested she be part of his skit that included a kiss she agreed.

The problem was he wanted a rehearsal and while ding so went too far for her comfort. She told him and then stopped all non-professional interaction with him. She claims he then treated her poorly and took a picture of her while she was sleeping with the intent to humiliate her.
 
The difference in responses from Moore and Frankin as well as their supporters is interesting
 
C_Felix said:
Let us go way out on a limb and suggest she had sex when was 12, her first three way when she was 13, and much like Madonna in the opening of Resiervoir Dogs, can't get enough D. And if you ask her, she'll send you a nude selfie.

Let us play pretend and assume all of that is true, does that make what Al Franken might have done any better?
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Ostensibly, the only reason she was there was she was a hot model.

When someone is in the business of selling themselves and their sexuality, someone else taking a crass photo of pretending to grab said persons breasts doesn't seem as egregious as other circumstances. I can easily see it having been a running gag, or something similar during the tour.

Again, this isn't meant to be in the context of "therefor she deserved it" - it's meant to be in the context of how adults on a tour might be expected to interact with one another, based on who they are and what they are there for.

Was it a funny picture ? Not to me as it is, not with no other context. And Franken would probably only dig himself deeper trying to explain one.

Let me also clarify this was about the picture - that we can all see and agree on. The kiss was wrong if it happened they way tweeden described it. But franken does seem to disagree it happened that way. And her political background, which I also posted, gives reason for pause on taking her story at face value with no questioning motives.
 
The picture and the allegations are bad. Franken should probably step down.

Democrats might come out of this even: lose Franken's seat, pick up Alabama's. The principle has to be: the Left holds their scumbags to account. That's worth more than a Senate spot.
 
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Fudbucker said:
The picture and the allegations are bad. Franken should probably step down.

Democrats might come out of this even: lose Franken's seat, pick up Alabama's.
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http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/...ent-calls-for-ethics-investigation-of-himself

en. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is calling for an ethics investigation into his own behavior after a woman accused him of kissing and groping her without consent.

Franken in an expanded statement on Thursday apologized for the incident, in which he groped television host and sports broadcaster Leeann Tweeden while she was asleep on a military plane during a 2006 USO tour.

“I understand why we need to listen to and believe women’s experiences,” he said. “I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate.”

...
Franken doubled down on his claim that he does not remember the rehearsal for the skit “in the same way” as Tweeden.

But he said Tweeden "deserved to be heard."

“The truth is, what people think of me in light of this is far less important than what people think of women who continue to come forward to tell their stories,” Franken said. “They deserve to be heard, and believed. And they deserve to know that I am their ally and supporter. I have let them down and am committed to making it up to them.”
 
TheL8Elvis said:
Maybe your communication skills need improvement.

Really.
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Considering that you just ignored the entire text of the post that follows what you quoted, I think the problem is not only on your end, but deliberate.

It's really mind-boggling to me how many posters here are looking for disagreement rather than discussion and understanding, but there you have it.
 
Fudbucker said:
The picture and the allegations are bad. Franken should probably step down.

Democrats might come out of this even: lose Franken's seat, pick up Alabama's. The principle has to be: the Left holds their scumbags to account. That's worth more than a Senate spot.
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Al Franken, steps down.

Roy Moore, Senator for life.

Totally worth it :boggled:
 
TheL8Elvis said:
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/...ent-calls-for-ethics-investigation-of-himself

en. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is calling for an ethics investigation into his own behavior after a woman accused him of kissing and groping her without consent.

Franken in an expanded statement on Thursday apologized for the incident, in which he groped television host and sports broadcaster Leeann Tweeden while she was asleep on a military plane during a 2006 USO tour.

“I understand why we need to listen to and believe women’s experiences,” he said. “I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate.”

...
Franken doubled down on his claim that he does not remember the rehearsal for the skit “in the same way” as Tweeden.

But he said Tweeden "deserved to be heard."

“The truth is, what people think of me in light of this is far less important than what people think of women who continue to come forward to tell their stories,” Franken said. “They deserve to be heard, and believed. And they deserve to know that I am their ally and supporter. I have let them down and am committed to making it up to them.”
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I believe the accuser. What Franken did is a disqualifier. I'm as liberal as they come, but we can't tolerate these men acting like this.
 
Fudbucker said:
The picture and the allegations are bad. Franken should probably step down.

Democrats might come out of this even: lose Franken's seat, pick up Alabama's. The principle has to be: the Left holds their scumbags to account. That's worth more than a Senate spot.
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Then we should kick out everyone who had one of those payments made to keep sexual assault in the house quiet. If we did it might well do interesting things to the political landscape.
 
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