Here's the problem, SG.
With two more women having come forward, a pattern of behavior has been shown. There has been sufficient corroboration of their claims to make it impossible to discount them.
How much it amounts to is an entirely different subject, and I have no problem with the idea that it is small potatoes when compared to things like Moore's pursuit of underage and young teenage girls, but the point is that the comparison is a different subject.
Franken has clearly shown a disrespectful pattern of behavior.
He's actually the only one that has been respectful.
Pattern of behavior - you do need to look at his actual pattern you know. Not just the accusations by themselves.
From the latest HuffPo article:
In a statement to HuffPost, Franken said, “It’s difficult to respond to anonymous accusers, and I don’t remember those campaign events.”
The second woman told HuffPost that Franken cupped her butt with his hand at a 2008 Democratic fundraiser in Minneapolis, then suggested the two visit the bathroom together. She spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear that the allegation could affect her position at work....
“I can categorically say that I did not proposition anyone to join me in any bathroom,” Franken told HuffPost.
...But it is a mistake to try and characterize an established pattern of behavior as insignificant. ...
Just like it's a mistake to conclude these accusations show an actual pattern other than grope jokes have been common in Franken's comedy career.
One woman in this story did not tell HuffPo who she was so that the story could be verified. I can see not wanting HuffPo to reveal the name, but to just call up and make this anonymous accusation, that Franken flatly denies, and we still don't have an actual pattern. We are supposed to believe Franken secretly grabs asses and no one knows about it that is around him all the time.
And then there's this one:
The first woman, a 38-year-old book editor who was living in Minneapolis at the time, told HuffPost that she had just finished performing with a feminist choir at the Women’s Political Caucus event, which Franken and his wife, Franni Bryson, attended. After the ceremony, she and other members of the choir approached him for photos.
“My mother loves Al Franken. She listened to Air America [on which Franken had a radio show] every day,” the first woman said. ”I saw him and asked if we could take a photo together for my mother, and we stood next to each other ... and down his hand went.”
HuffPost spoke to two sources close to the first woman who corroborated her account.
"Down went his hand"
I can see any number of scenarios here.
1) An innocent placement of a hand where people put arms around each other for a group photo and an overzealous feminist who is sure it was a purposeful butt grab. Heaven knows we've seen that in our own skeptic community.
2) Franken is a serial butt grabber: when his wife is around, when the women's husbands are around.
3) Outright lies with a political motive.
I don't find #2 credible at this point.
And I'm not going to be PC'd into it lest someone accuse me of a double standard, especially given, BTW, many of those same people admit this is not anything like the other sexual harassment scenarios.
And that should be a clue here. With the rest of these guys we have actual sexual abuse and harassment, including multiple reports that "everybody knew". There is no questionable couple of seconds that may or may not have been valid perceptions in the other cases.
In addition Franken has decades of supporting women and women's causes, no history of serial affairs cheating on his wife, coworkers willing to support him from two different work settings, justification for kissing in the skit in question, Tweeden's double standard re grope jokes, Franken's very sensitive-to-the-accuser apology ...
No, I won't be PC'd into ignoring
all the facts in Franken's case and jumping on the 'OMG he's one of them' bandwagon.
