I'm taking down the live feed. Did you watch? Here's the NYT report now: "Senator Al Franken Resigning Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations."
What's most notable about that speech — which I watched live — is that Al Franken did not apologize for anything he is accused of doing and he persistently — as strongly as he could — asserted his innocence. He may have conceded that in some form, some of the accusations are based on things that really did happen, but not that anything said about him is accurate. I heard an expression of confidence that a fair investigation would vindicate him, but that he is being forced out for the good of the party, because his colleagues will not stand by him and give him due process but need him gone so they can go after Roy Moore (if Roy Moore happens to get elected next week). What a sad, tawdry mess! How is this supposed to bolster support for the Democratic Party? If Franken believes he is a good man being subjected to unfair treatment, he should stand his ground. He seems to be getting out of the way so that the forces of personal destruction can run wild. If he won't confess to precisely what he did wrong and apologize, he should not have resigned. I'm thoroughly disgusted. He didn't give the Democratic Party firmer ground to stand on as it promotes women's equality. He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt.
And that is my quickly typed instant impression.
December 7, 2017
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He's going to resign.
Lefties successfully test launch a Watergate. Now for the real target.
He's going to abdicate. Take up with that Simpson woman, most likely.
...and there it is. The turn to Trump.
Poor Franken, he’s right about the irony of him leaving and Trump staying.
Smarmy he has always been, and smarmy he remains.
"I'm taking my talents to South Beach!"
Woah. I did not see that one coming, Senator Franken.
I get the feeling Ann really wants us to watch this.
“....and there it is. The turn to Trump.”
Because it’s glaringly OBVIOUS.
Inga: "Because it’s glaringly OBVIOUS"
The Clinton team would like to take a moment to discuss things that are obvious to them....
LOL
Now he's just molesting all of us.
BTW, Al Franken admits no wrongdoing.
At all.
He is calling his accusers liars.
And the left cheers.
So much for "believe all women". Another fake lefty/dem position tossed onto the political funeral pyre.
Unexpectedly.
On the Second Posted version, Fanken is refusing to resign. On the first, he is speaking in the personna of Stewart Smalley.
“The Clinton team would like to take a moment to discuss things that are obvious to them....”
The Roy Moore apologists should want to take a moment to discuss their reasons for turning their backs on Family Values.
Good God, what an ego.
Paul Wellstone is still dead.
It's not obvious, Inga. You are completely OBLIVIOUS.
Look it up. It is a different word - it applies to you.
You might also look up DISINGENUOUS.
Build your vocabulary and you might improve your reasoning. That is, if you want to be intellectually honest.
Inga: "The Roy Moore apologists should want to take a moment to discuss their reasons for turning their backs on Family Values"
I LOVE that you think that is effective.
Don't change a thing. Please. We are counting on you.
It's glaringly OBVIOUS that some people are ready to destroy the country in order to save it.
I think he is being too clever.
He is not resigning immediately. Why?
He wants Roy Moore to be seated. Then he will withdraw his resignation.
What a wimp.
What's with the resigning in the coming weeks stuff?
Everything must go! We lost our lease! (But we haven't stopped looking for it....)
“Good God, what an ego.”
What did you expect him to do, grovel? As for ego, I’d point to Trump’s and have you compare the two.
Now he's jacking off into a ficus.
He has not learned a thing!
Senator Menendez did far worse things to women and is obviously corrupt.
We will know the left takes this seriously when they force him to resign.
I wonder when Elizabeth Warren will publicly speak on her false claim for so many years of being a native american and receiving professional advancement for doing it?
Not that its irrelevant to the 2020 race. The combo of Kamala and Michelle will be knocking Fauxahontas out of contention before the primaries even begin.
When will Blake Farenthold be forced to resign?
Inga: "What did you expect him to do, grovel?"
Inga defends the guy who just called his accusers liars.
On TV...for all to see.
So much for Ingas and lefts very very very very very new concern for believing all women.
LOL
With every post Inga becomes ever more the poster child for Fen's Law.
It's what we like most about her!
Inga: "When will Blake Farenthold be forced to resign?"
Never heard of him.
When will pedophile rapist Menendez give up his seat? I'm guessing never.
And Inga is very studious in avoiding any mention of him. I wonder why that might be?
Inga, why should politicians resign over this?
Have crimes been committed? (Other than the crime of boorish behavior, which is not, of course, criminal)
Let them run for re-election, and have their constituents decide.
Inga said...
“The Clinton team would like to take a moment to discuss things that are obvious to them....”
The Roy Moore apologists should want to take a moment to discuss their reasons for turning their backs on Family Values.
Even now it is about taking down Moore. Inga doesn't care about any of the victims or in the case of Moore's accusers people caught making forgeries and lying.
The left doesn't give a shit about women. Just watch Menendez skate through unscathed. They all voted for Bill.
Drago doesn’t care about the fact that $82,000 of tax payer money was used in a settlement with Farenthold’s sexual harassment victim. His outrage is saved for lefties because Drago wants you to look left, always look left, never look right to your own sexual molesters and assaulters. Drago is one of the most blatant partisans in these comments sections.
Franken is Bannon letting the establishment know that he can play that game too.
'“That m----------- Matt Lauer,” Vieira began when she took the stage. Already, she reportedly had the crowd laughing.
“I am amazed that I have time for this stupidity,” she said. At the time, Vieira not only co-hosted the Today show, she also hosted Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and had a family to take care of. Vieira noted that that's a lot of balls to juggle, which led into her next joke.
“Look at Katie Couric. She juggled Matt’s balls for six years," she said. "That’s three years per ball. She squeezed those suckers so tight, she left nothing for me. Thanks, Katie,” Viera said.'
http://popculture.com/celebrity/2017/12/06/matt-lauer-today-show-meredith-vieira-vulgar-joke-roast/
It would seem that vulgar language and rumors of sexual peccadilloes are rampant among the ruling class. Take out one of ours and I will take out one of yours.
And Franken is probably one of the least offensive ones. Taking out somebody who really hasn't done anything all that offensive (in their judgement) emphasizes how easy it would be to take out others.
I thought for sure he would announce he was staying in the senate and, going forward, would choose to live as a gay man.
"Inga said...
Poor Franken, he’s right about the irony of him leaving and Trump staying."
So Inga feels sad for a abuser of women because others haven't been punished. More proof that lefties could give a rats ass about women, they only care about power.
MadisonMan: "Let them run for re-election, and have their constituents decide."
Agreed.
Due process is central to our society and way of life. Al Franken, like anyone else accused of something criminal, deserves an appropriate process and presumption of innocence.
If it is political then it is properly adjudicated at the ballot box.
But Inga and her pals want a very different Mao-ist type "solution" to these things, but only in ways that advances their political power.
So, Conyers has to go, after 4 decades of Ingas pals all knowing and doing nothing, but only because its a safe dem seat.
Franken has to go because the dems need the issue and Franken can be replaced by a dem.
Now, the fun part is when standing on principle hurts your party in the short term: Menendez.
The dems response to Menendez......Nothing.
The evidence is clear and undeniable.
Because it’s glaringly OBVIOUS.
If that's true, then it wouldn't need to be stated. It only serves to lessen any words of contrition by seeking to turn the spotlight away from himself. It's boring and its pandering.
Now listen to Trump: “This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course — not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended.”
He could have said, "Hey, Bill Clinton RAPED somebody." But that would have been boring.
Instead he goes with Bill Clinton says filthy, nasty things on the golf course. That makes you say, "Hey, that's new information. What did Bill say that was worse than 'grab them by the pussy'?" Particularly for people who previously thought "grab them by the pussy" was probably the worst thing you could say, Trump subtly lets them know there are far worse things to be said in private company.
And yes, Trump mentioned Bill Clinton and rape but in a direct attack on Hillary, not during his apology.
Franken should have apologized and then in a few weeks or months he could have brought up Trump in his NYT "where is he" piece.
Or his comeback monologue on SNL where it might be part of a joke with some originality.
Rejected Al Franken speech:
"Before I was a Senator, I was a comedian. And before that, I was a high-school wrestler. So, to be honest, Yes, I thought it was pretty fun to grab ass, and squeeze boobs. Now, I've come to realize that that conduct was wrong. And, now, I'm coming out gay to fight the NRA."
Curious George: "So Inga feels sad for a abuser of women because others haven't been punished."
Inga is actively defending a guy who is calling his accusers liars.
And she thinks no one notices.
Inga: "Drago is one of the most blatant partisans in these comments sections."
LOL
“Even now it is about taking down Moore. Inga doesn't care about any of the victims or in the case of Moore's accusers people caught making forgeries and lying.”
Even now extremist partisans deny that ALL allegations against Trump and Moore are true. Every last one a lie! Who else accused women of lying regarding accusations of sexual assault? Could it be Clinton, who you Rightists like to throw out there daily? How does this make you any better than the Left Who didn’t believe Clinton’s accusers?
Is the hypocrisy of what you’re doing entirely lost on you?
The ruling class' real problem is that thanks to the loss of control of mass communications it is no longer possible for them to bullshit the masses concerning who and what they are.
When will pedophile rapist Menendez give up his seat?
Not until after the new Democrat governor is sworn in. The Democrats may pretend they now have ethics. But their ethics still yield to power.
Inga: "Even now extremist partisans deny that ALL allegations against Trump and Moore are true. Every last one a lie!"
You need to work on these 2 sentences a bit more and repost.
Inga said...
When will Blake Farenthold be forced to resign?
When he left starts being a decent and not completely amoral movement that is led by disgusting corrupt people.
Interestingly I'm seeing a lot of pissed off Dems on Twitter who feel like Franken was tossed under the bus by the Dems.
Al Franken, lefty hero and firebrand JUST told us 10 minutes ago that not all allegations are true.
In fact, Franken went further and said he DID NOTHING wrong and that the Ethics Committee, if given the chance, could have proven that.
Franken was calling ALL his accusers liars.
Just now. On TV. Which Inga watched. But Inga "missed" that part.
LOL
If it weren't for logical fallacies (Et Tu, Quoque?) Inga would have no logic at all. To be fair, saying "Blake Farenthold" over and over is kind of mesmerizing.
Inga said...
Is the hypocrisy of what you’re doing entirely lost on you?
I am no longer surprised at just how stupid you are.
Inga, you don't believe Monica's blue dress?
Alfranken did not fail to live down to my worst expectations — I'm innocent! But my political opponents are guilty! Am I psychic or what?
eric: "Interestingly I'm seeing a lot of pissed off Dems on Twitter who feel like Franken was tossed under the bus by the Dems."
That is a natural response when someone witnesses the dems tossing Franken under the bus.
But Inga STILL defends him!
Fantastic!
Poor Franken, he’s right about the irony of him leaving and Trump staying.
The truth is that people knew about Trump and voted him in despite the media's attempts to undermine him. The swamp is so dirty that adding Trump diluted the concentration of sewage.
The irony is the people who went hardest after Trump based on his off-the-record comments to Billy Bush had the most to hide themselves.
That is the irony the majority of Americans are witnessing as Franken speaks.
I bet you guys didn't know that the Internet was going to usher in a new age of peace and love and understanding. A utopia where issues could be discussed in a frank and fair manner and resolved using logic and reason.
Of course the people stating that would then go on Usenet and engage in flame wars over which version of Unix was superior.
brylun: "Inga, you don't believe Monica's blue dress?"
All leftists KNOW that blue dresses LIE!
Now, had it been a paisley design, well. That would be different.
By the way, when exactly is Franken resigning?
Exactly?
He's not going to really resign.
Poor Franken, he’s right about the irony of him leaving and Trump staying.
"Life is full of little ironies for stupid people." - P.J. O'Rourke
I get depressed every day thinking about how Bill Clinton - Male Feminist doesn't have an office in the West Wing. All because of that asshole Trump!
Ron Winkleheimer: Of course the people stating that would then go on Usenet and engage in flame wars over which version of Unix was superior.
Good times, good times.
The most self-serving speech I've ever heard and he had the audacity to proclaim, "This is not about me". LOL!
Fen's Law writ large. Lefties have no intention of living by the same rules they expect of everyone else. I think the dems made a strategic mistake if they are doing battle field prep to take down trump on boorish behavior towards women. They will have to spend years trying to clean their own stable first before anyone will take them seriously.
That is a natural response when someone witnesses the dems tossing Franken under the bus.
To me it looked like they put him under the bus, and then set the bus on fire.
He. Had. To. Go. For the good of the party.
Conflicting edits thing again
and again
Oh, and I agree, he has no plans to resign. He is trying to ride it out. He is hoping that something will happen to vindicate him and he can wiggle out of it. The party will need to up the pressure.
Agreed that Franken won't, and never for a moment genuinely considered, resigning. It'll be withdrawn a few days after the Alabama election.
Al Franken: "everyone who accused me of groping is lying. Everyone who accused trump of groping is telling the truth."
Why, exactly, does it take "weeks" to step down again?
LOL
Paul Wellstone has not been going around raping and killing women.
Since he's been dead, at least.
He gets to set the terms of resignation? Must be nice. I wonder how much more money he gets with his pension if he stays until 2018.
Stuart Smalley: “You know what? I think this is the best show I’ve ever done. And you know what? I deserve it! Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me![*]”
Except for all those girls whose names I won’t mention.
Today’s Daily Affirmation,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ldAQ6Rh5ZI
He intends to resign over the coming weeks. He can still vote and he can still change his mind.
Everything isn't all that ambiguous, but it certainly is corrupt. Franken just conforms to reality.
Btw, I think Mr. Franken will soon be considerably wealthier.
You may not hear of it though.
“He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt.”
Well. Maybe looks aren’t deceiving.
Inga: conservatives claim that all the accusers of Trump and Moore are lying! Absurd!
Franken: All my accusers are lying.
Inga: Poor Franken, victim of conservative hypocrisy!
The Ingas of the world just don't get it- the right refuses to play by their rules any longer, and it is clearly driving them nuts.
I'm thoroughly disgusted. He didn't give the Democratic Party firmer ground to stand on as it promotes women's equality. He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt.
Everything is ambiguous and corrupt. Are you wishing they hid it better?
"If he won't confess to precisely what he did wrong and apologize, he should not have resigned." - the Althousian star chamber allows no Alford pleas. Think about what is demanded there, the only way out to to require him to testify against himself.
I guess it's glaringly ironic that Menendez continues on in the Senate with no avalanche of calls for his resignation. "Underage hookers" What a fucking headline?
Except that Irony doesn't mean that. It doesn't mean what Inga said it means either, it's not "rain, on your wedding day, or a fly in your chardonnay"
And just watch, if Moore wins, Franken will forget to resign.
I see Inga is blathering about Blake Farenthold, an obscure Republican Congressman, who is repaying 84,000.
It's weird though how Inga can find an obscure Republican congressman, but is totally silent about 1) Bob Menedez and 2) Obscure Democrat Congressman from Nevada Ruben Kihuen, who is out there accused of sexual harassment and also is fighting back saying that Nancy Pelosi fully approved of him running as a Democrat candidate even though she knew all about it.
Inga's silent as a mass grave about Menedez and Kihuen, aren't you? You are defending Franken, who just called all women liars.
What kind of defender of woman are you, Inga?
--Vance
Fake news.
Franken did not resign.
I'm hearing alot about that theory, that this speech was intended to position dems nationally and impact the Alabama race.
Once that race is complete, and assuming Moore wins. why wouldn't Franken stick around?
Plus, by always delaying the "inevitable", Franken maintains leverage within his own party. To what end I could not even guess.
He has no intention of resigning. When the mouth-breathing child rapist Moore (who also denied all charges against himself) is elected Franken plans to be holding a tiki torch at the front of the mob calling for Moore to be refused a seat.
I really need more popcorn for this.
Ron Winkleheimer: The ruling class' real problem is that thanks to the loss of control of mass communications it is no longer possible for them to bullshit the masses concerning who and what they are.
Their real problem is that they still don't seem to understand this.
In my more sober moments I tell myself that their ongoing "respect mah authori-tay!" meltdown should disturb me (powerful people detached from reality can be dangerous). But mostly I just find it hilarious.
This is about Farenholt dammit! Not Menendez! We need Menendez's vote!
"He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt." His party is deeply corrupt and likes ambiguity because it hides and camouflages bribery, malfeasance, and decadence.
The longer he tried to hang on to his job, the more desperate he looked.
Moore should come out and say he'll quit as soon as both Menendez and Franken are actually gone, not just promising to leave, from the US Senate; and a Republican replacement for Menendez is seated.
Then sit back and watch the screaming.
--Vance
In her partisan rantings Inga ignores the fact that both Trump's and Moore's supposed sins were/are known to the voters before the respective elections, and the voters have/will pass judgement on the accusations at the ballot box. Both Franken and "the icon" were elected before their accusers spoke; hence were not absolved by the voters. That's a YUGE difference, but one you are probably not capable of understanding.
Althouse said:
" He didn't give the Democratic Party firmer ground to stand on as it promotes women's equality. He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt."
Spot on.
Oh Inga called on Menendez to resign alright. It's just that true believers like her have zero pull in the Democratic Party or the press, who are more concerned with power.
Best comment yet: "I find it appropriate that a guy who got his senate seat due to vote fraud is finally exposed as a feminist fraud."
Althouse said..."I'm thoroughly disgusted."
Yes, though completely unsurprising behavior from Al Franken.
Inga could do some good for feminism by heading over to comment boards populated by liberals and Democrats and educating them about Menendez's many faults, including his use of "Underage hookers." What an execrable phrase BTW, Althouse should write a post on that alone. It needs to be deconstructed and put to rest.
The Democratic character is Pro-Choice. They deny due process on principle. The implication is a presumption of guilt. They are color diversitists. The implication is that they deny individual dignity. They are also burdened by a heavy veil of privacy. It seems that they cannot reconcile feminist ambitions with their other principals or principles.
The era of Al franker is over so while he was scoring coke (by his own admission) Roy Moore was dodging grenades as an MP in Vietnam.
Moore should come out and say he'll quit
Virtue signaling? Strategic leverage? As long as it's not a Pro-Choice judgment.
And now we are hearing about a senior DOJ official who has been demoted for meeting secretly with Christopher Steele and the Fusion GPS founder.
The longer Trump remains in office the more this becomes a fight to the death between the Deep State and the administration.
Just witnessing the continued stone-walling by the FBI director this morning over the FISA warrants was irritating. Wray and the FBI team cannot give up the most important unconfirmed piece of the puzzle....yet: and that will be that it was Strzok himself who put together the info for the FISA request that the deep state Hillary/obama allies used to spy on the Trump campaign.
The FBI is fighting tooth and nail to keep that from the Congress. Why?
Well, in the words of Inga, its OBVIOUS.
Am I missing something regarding Roy Moore? Are the allegations against him not 40 years old? Is there no statute of limitation on these transgressions?
Already seen on my Facebook feed: Now that Franken has resigned, it's time to go after Moore and Trump.
(sigh)
From the Frankenstein perspective, why should he admit any wrongdoing? Maybe, in a couple years, he'll run for Senate again or Governor. Better for him to say, in the future, "I was railroaded, but I took one for the team"
Republicans have to live with their mistakes forever. Almost newspaper article about Nixon mentioned watergate or his resignation from August 1974 to the day he died. Meanwhile, Clinton's impeachment and lies were tossed the memory hole by the MSM.
So, this Frankenstein is Democrat, he'll probably be popping up on TV or running for another office in 2020, if not sooner.
Althouse: "He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt."
Perhaps we are all sometimes venal and corrupt individually in our decisions and actions. Yet because we decide and act as individuals it is somehow diluted and less impactful overall.
But when we give over to the Government to decide and act for us, the venality and corruption becomes concentrated in a powerful few.
Just a thought from a card carrying Libertarian. If you do not like what they do with the power, do not give them them power.
"Yancey Ward said...
The Ingas of the world just don't get it- the right refuses to play by their rules any longer, and it is clearly driving them nuts."
In Inga's case that's a short trip. She could walk it.
"womens equality" is also awfully ambiguous.
And because of that, it is usually also extremely corrupt.
There are whole industries living off the corruption of this little phrase.
Its starting to look like 10 little Indians at morning joke:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/harold-ford-fired-morgan-stanley_us_5a29743ee4b0b185e53a0ce6?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004
Darrell said...
Paul Wellstone has not been going around raping and killing women.
Since he's been dead, at least.
There are so many ways a person can make the world a better place.
Trump, of course, never did anything remotely similar to Frankenstein's sexual harassment. The best the Dems could come up with was women saying Trump kissed them on the lips in a public setting - instead of on the cheek.
Moore's accuser, meanwhile, has credibility problems - big time. And the incident was 35 years ago, with nothing since that date.
No comparison to Franken's behavior.
I'd feel worse for Franken if he was legally elected the first time around. He should never have been a Senator.
MadisonMan said...
Already seen on my Facebook feed: Now that Franken has resigned, it's time to go after Moore and Trump.
Until now they haven't? What planet are these people on?
Franken's decision means that the Democratic Party's polling indicates that Roy Moore is sure to win in Alabama next week.
Inga said...When will Blake Farenthold be forced to resign?
As I understand it the rule is now is at the 7th woman...or I guess anything more than 6 accusations. I mean Gillibrand et al. were all "it's up to him, wait and see, wait for the ethics investigation" until two days ago, right? That was their line for about 3 weeks, with accusations 1-6. After 6, though, they started calling for him to immediately resign.
So that's the standard. Is Farenthold up to 7 yet?
Its amazing how disciplined the Democrats are compared to that McConnell clown show.
Turkey McConnell won't even reprimand Flake for giving money to a Liberal Democrat!
Meanwhile Schumer can drive Franken out with a wave of his hand, while keeping 47 Democrat senators marching behind him like Robots.
Incredible.
Entertainers gotta entertain.
He didn't give the Democratic Party firmer ground to stand on as it promotes women's equality.
Man forced to resign, women hardest hit.
He didn't give the Democratic Party firmer ground to stand on as it promotes women's equality. He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt.
I'm trying to wrap my head around the world view informing these two sentences.
Maybe I'm over-thinking this; the explanation is probably simple.
"How is this supposed to bolster support for the Democratic Party?" Faux question, right? I mean, this is a play for female sympathy and solidarity. Maybe a few midwestern lawprofs won't play along, but many women will. They've been wronged, doncha know, and the Dem party is gonna put it right.
"He seems to be getting out of the way so that the forces of personal destruction can run wild." No. He is getting out of the way because he would be paralyzed politically and so that the Dems can rebuild power in Minnesota and the Senate. The forces of personal destruction are just a tool in the culture/gender war. For a brief moment, they did run wild, threatening to undermine prog power by tainting prog media and prog politics. This is the unwilding, the restoration of the Narrative about Dems as promoters of "women's equality."
"I'm thoroughly disgusted." You and half a dozen other swing voters.
"He didn't give the Democratic Party firmer ground to stand on as it promotes women's equality." As if they need "firmer ground." They will promote "women's equality" by demonstrating women' weakness and exploiting women's tender feelings, and woe to anyone who points out the contradiction.
Franken illustrates the folly of the left in trying to equate all things as being equal or of the same magnitude and conservatives falling for that trap.
Playing grab ass and having pictures of it equals rape? Making crude jokes = extreme sexual abuse on the level of Weinstein. Sending a picture of your junk to your consenting girlfriend who gets mad and sends it to everyone = I don't even know what to equate that to. The most innocent or stupid things = horrific abuse. ALL MEN are scum and must be punished. Is this the mantra? All women must be believed and are never lying...tell that to the Duke LaCrosse team.
The reason for this equation is, of course, to create an environment of mass hysteria in order to bring down Trump for the dastardly act of winning the election.
THEY (the lefttards) thought that they would be running Hillary, the queen of denial, against a mushy politically correct Jeb. Instead they get a man, who isn't politically correct, who won the hearts and minds of the rest of us politically INcorrect deplorable assholes out in the real world.
Trump must be punished. WE deporables must be taught that we have no right to elect whom we want. Plus...how dare the people of Alabama be ALLOWED to vote for someone that the left or RINO Romney (loser) doesn't approve of. We MUST ALL BE PUNISHED.
If it weren't that this is a struggle of life and death for our country's existence and for society's survival, it would be something amazing to stand on the sidelines and get schadenboners over the spectacle.
Unfortunately, IF the liberals succeed in overturning a legitimate election and ousting a President....it may mean life or death in the literal sense.
Ann said...He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt.
I disagree. He made everything look more ambiguous and more corrupt.
Hey Al, if you did nothing wrong please explain the photograph.
“As I understand it the rule is now is at the 7th woman...or I guess anything more than 6 accusations. I mean Gillibrand et al. were all "it's up to him, wait and see, wait for the ethics investigation" until two days ago, right? That was their line for about 3 weeks, with accusations 1-6. After 6, though, they started calling for him to immediately resign.”
Trump has 16 accusations on record. Who on the Right is calling for him to resign? Farenthold actually used tax payer money to the tune of $87,000. When will the call for them to resign be expected?
So far.... crickets.
IF in fact Franken actually DOES resign. He didn't. He appears to be conditioning it on Moore's reception from the Senate. Franken isn't gone yet. By the way, how long has the NEW standard for Democrat Senators/Congresscritters been in place? Is Menendez still in Senate?
"He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt." It's terrible when someone makes everything look ambiguous and corrupt.
I'll bet Inga has disabled the "M" on her keyboard so she cannot even accidentally type "Menendez".
Yeti alpha 6, the planet khan was marooned on,
Inga, for the record, I won't be calling on Trump to resign just because the Dems through Franken under the bus.
When the accusations against Trump are credible, then I may consider it.
Until then, how's Bob Menendez doing? I mean, if you want that moral high ground and all. Go ahead, through him under the bus too.
Jeff Sessions will be pleased, when he wakes up from 9 to 3 midday snooze.
Completely OT fun anecdote. Went to an actual physical bookstore last night. Browsing bookstores used to be one of my favorite things. But, thanks to Amazon, I hadn't been inside one for at least a year. So, I am wandering around and a clerk asks me if she can help me. I ask her where the computer section is (looking at what books were being offered used to be a good way to tell what languages and technologies were hot.) She leads me to the shelves while explaining they didn't have computers but there was a section with books about computers. She was very young.
Is Farenthold up to 7 yet?
No, he's still on one--and only creating a "hostile work environment" at that. Which means he could have had a Pirelli calendar on his wall or in his desk. And since defending lawsuits takes big money, any payout less than $100k is thought to be cheaper than the defense. So the $84k paid out in Farenthold's case would have been considered a bargain.
Inga: "Trump has 16 accusations on record. Who on the Right is calling for him to resign?"
The fake Rather National Guard documents and fake golden dossier crew is demanding that we take their "evidence" seriously!
LOL
CNN Headline:
Franken attacks Moore and Trump in resignation speech.
Oops that lasted about 15 seconds.
Now its back to 24/7 coverage of "Trump Jnr refuses to discuss conversations"
There is a Constitutional method to remove a President for High Crimes and Misdemeanors. That Inga is consumed with hate for him does not yet rise to that level.
Paul Wellstone
His funeral was when the mask slipped, and the modern Left began to reveal itself.
Thought experiment: If a photo with Trump pretending to grope a woman's breasts (like the one with Franken) had come out in the middle of the presidential campaign, would it have sunk Trump?
Well, that might be the funniest thing Franken's ever done.
Inga - thank God you're back. You have at least 12 people who want to interact with you.
Man, you should start your own blog with this kind of interest!
How is this supposed to bolster support for the Democratic Party? If Franken believes he is a good man being subjected to unfair treatment, he should stand his ground. He seems to be getting out of the way so that the forces of personal destruction can run wild. If he won't confess to precisely what he did wrong and apologize, he should not have resigned. I'm thoroughly disgusted. He didn't give the Democratic Party firmer ground to stand on as it promotes women's equality. He made everything look ambiguous and corrupt.
Yup.
If Franken stayed, then the Republicans would counter Moore accusations by pointing at Franken. Unfortunately for the Democrats, Franken's decisions to claim innocence while also retiring also helps Moore. Moore has denied all wrongdoing to the extreme position of denying meeting people he very clearly met. His vehement denials of plain facts is so astonishing it almost seems to have redounded in his favor!
In this bin scatterplot there were two other bins that Franken could have selected. He could have protested his innocence and refused to resign -- which frankly I think he should have done if he believed in his own denials. Or he could have admitted his depravity and refused to resign. Like Moore, he could have aspired to the laurels of the unrepentant heel.
So why did Franken agree to resign? Even if he had acted the cad as claimed, not one of his caddish actions rise to the level of the actions of Hollywood's new pariahs, let along those of Conyers. Nor do his caddish actions achieve the kind of creepiness that even Roy Moore's legal dating life provides.
The pressure put on Franken is social. To appear on Capital Hill must be agonizing. It takes a supreme level of will or blindness to work with people who have made you an object of hatred.
"need him gone so they can go after Roy Moore (if Roy Moore happens to get elected next week)." Sounds good to me. Let him get elected, and we'll all go after him. I'm absolutely great with him resigning, or being ejected from the Senate; a Republican would be his replacement. Let every Republican in the Senate demand his replacement.
I strongly approve of Franken's weaselly resignation statement to the extent that it undercuts and sabotages the Democrats' attempt to clear the decks to attack Moore and Trump. Now they can be painted as throwing an innocent man (so he claims) under the bus for the purely partisan purpose of giving them elbow room to attack their political enemies. Heh heh heh.
Inga, go ahead. It's easy.
Simply type M-E-N-E-N-D-E-Z.
It won't kill you. It's not like you are dating a Kennedy.
Correction: $84,000 on tax payers settlements for Blake Farenthold. Where are the commenters who just a couple of weeks ago were demanding that those who had tax payer settlements paid out to settle their sexual harassment charges, immediately resign? Or did you think they were only Democrats?
"[UPDATE: Franken resigns.]"
No he did not. He said he would "in the coming weeks."
"Inga said...
Correction: $84,000 on tax payers settlements for Blake Farenthold. Where are the commenters who just a couple of weeks ago were demanding that those who had tax payer settlements paid out to settle their sexual harassment charges, immediately resign? Or did you think they were only Democrats?"
Who are those commenters Inga? List please. When you are done with your bleating that is.
Trump has 16 accusations on record.
Accusations mean nothing anymore without some proof. I can accuse Inga of all sorts of things. I have heard that she is really an evil Wiccan who sacrifices black cats on a full moon evening at midnight. We heard it from some of her high school buddies (who wish to remain anonymous) They all spent much time using Oiuja boards for malicious intent at their drunken slumber parties. Sources say!!! Lets find some more people who are willing to make anonymous unproven statements!!! Shall we burn the witch based on a few unproven accusations? I say YES!!!! Burn baby burn.
Is this the environment that you want to live in?
Franken, on the other hand has actual photos of being a dope and a stupid lug. Others have financial records of their misdeeds while in office and records of illegally using tax payer money to cover up their acts.
Personally, I think Franken is just an adolescent lout in a man's body who has had too much power and has never grown up. Grab ass is stupid but doesn't rise to the level of a Polanski, drugging and raping children. Being a lech and uncouth are not necessarily prosecutable crimes. Especially when those actions were done years before becoming a public figure, when he was just a low talented clown.
Franken had to be thrown under the bus in order to make an equivalence to Trump being a boor and playboy in his own youth.
This is the world that left has created. The shit storm is blowing back on everyone including "icons" who were previously untouchable. Eat it bitches.
Trump has 16 accusations on record
Yeah. After Hillary and the DNC put out a call for complaints in August/September 2016. They could have gotten a million on record but they chose to go with women that actually were in a mile of Trump and could prove it. And if you subtract the ones that worked for Hillary or the Clinton Foundation--and forgot to mention that--you might even have a negative number.
“Simply type M-E-N-E-N-D-E-Z.”
I’ve already called for Menendez’s resignation. Do try to keep up.
He is resigning but he hasn't resigned. I can't believe he is making everything look ambiguous and corrupt.
Wait for him to start a round of whataboutism about Moore. He can be a Giant of the Senate yet.
So what real news did this potemkin story cover up, went Conyers nephew seem to be chip off the old block, the uhr resignation, the disclosure of the FBI supervisor re Benghazi.
The timing of his departure is all about year-end Senate votes, specifically on tax reform. If Republicans show signs of slippage on the tax reform bill, and Democrats see the possibility of scuttling it, they will need every single vote, Franken's included. He stays until year's end, giving his employees an opportunity to look for jobs. Dayton will appoint his replacement early next year.
In 2 weeks, Franken will withdraw his resignation based on a box full of letters (all from women) found in the trunk of a car begging him to stay in the Senate.
Inga: "I’ve already called for Menendez’s resignation. Do try to keep up."
I was wondering if you wanted another chance to do and ...and MEAN it.
LOL
Remember how yesterday Inga accused me of supporting the "Diddling of 14 year old girls" because I said that Moore's accusers are liars?
A note: the accusation against Moore is that he invited a 14 year old girl to rub his genitals through his underwear. Nothing about actually having sex. Even if you believed the accusation, he never had sex with the girl. According to her own words.
But here Inga is, openly and blatantly refusing to denounce an actual child rapist who did in fact have sex with 14 year old girls and likely younger. Bob Menendez. Or she only
I suppose next she'll resort to calling all of us "Grand inquisitors!!!!!!!" by asking her about why she's remaining silent about Democrat child rapist Senator Bob Menedez. Surely she shouldn't be expected to say that Democrat Senators shouldn't be allowed to rape children! Just like it's terrible to ask her to denounce murdering Republicans in cold blood! That's just not fair to ask her to say Democrat child rape is wrong, or that Democrats shouldn't kill Republicans.
Right, defender-of-all-women-except-girls-raped-by-Democrats-Inga? All-women-must-be-believed-except-when-they-accuse-Democrats-Inga? (see Al Franken, today, blaming all his accusers. Inga was praising him up and down!)
--Vance
Qwinn: "In 2 weeks, Franken will withdraw his resignation based on a box full of letters (all from women) found in the trunk of a car begging him to stay in the Senate"
And all the letters will be from female "felons". Which is not surprising, given that felons represent an important voting bloc for Franken.
...that's gonna leave a mark...
I am enjoying watching the Left and the MSM eating their own. All of us at this blog seem to realize the real motive for all this fake anguish. The Pivot Cometh. Many of us knew this would be coming. Will they manage to damage Trump? No, readers, they will not. But they will try. They have to try.
As part of the phenomenon of Trump the MSM recently lost a small part of its ability to destroy people it doesn’t like. Even a minor diminution of this capability is very troubling to the MSM. The MSM and the Democrats will sacrifice a few unimportant politicians and a bunch of celebrities and other Lefty figures and it will be interesting to watch because of its rarity but I do not believe it will work.
The Russia Collusion narrative had to be abandoned for lack of credibility. In fact, with the revelation of the corrupt Uranium One deal, that narrative was turning against the Left. Much the same will happen with its replacement, the new Obstruction of Justice narrative.
Did he really resign? Let's see what happens after Roy Moore is elected. If one hangs around Washington, DC, long enough one becomes thoroughly. Often it turns out that "thoroughly" is not nearly cynical enough.
Don't forget about the tax vote. Franken is staying to vote NO, while the Dems scramble to flip 2 votes (Flake, or McCain, or Collins). The margins are very thin, here.
“Accusations mean nothing anymore without some proof.”
There were accusations of rape against Bill Clinton, no conviction that I know of. So you want to assert that Hillary was correct in painting them as bimbos? Why does the Right want to emulate what they hate about the Left? How does this make sense?how does that not make you hypocrites?
There is proof of Blake Fahrenthold’s sexual harassment. Who on the Right is calling for his resignation?
Don't forget about the tax vote. Franken is staying to vote NO, while the Dems scramble to flip 2 votes (Flake, or McCain, or Collins). The margins are very thin, here.
He didn't give the Democratic Party firmer ground to stand on as it promotes women's equality
Women's equality means women nagging. They're doing that.
If women want actual equality, they'd have to completely change their interests. Otherwise nagging, a primary interest of women, will be the extent of it.
Lake Hobegone loses another prominent resident.
“....see Al Franken, today, blaming all his accusers. Inga was praising him up and down!)”
Really? Quote me. Don’t just lie, that’s too easy for you.
Menendez was indicted over 2 years ago and Johnny-on-the-spot Inga has just recently called for him to resign!
Wow. That's some Clinton level delay right there!
Settling an accusation does not equal admission of guilt, Inga, not in the world the Left has created where the process itself is the punishment.
"If Franken believes he is a good man being subjected to unfair treatment, he should stand his ground."
-- I wonder if at any point, if Franken truly believes he's innocent, he ever thought: What if... what if Roy Moore is also innocent?
Again, Inga ignores Ruben Kihuen, Democrat Congressman who is accused of sexual harassment and who is claiming that Nancy Pelosi was completely ok with him running even though she knew all about the sexual harassment charges.
Why are you ignoring Ruben Kihuen, Inga? You blather about Blake, but avoid ruminating about Rueben?
--Vance
Menendez can announce he will resign in the coming weeks, too.
"Inga said...
“Accusations mean nothing anymore without some proof.”
There were accusations of rape against Bill Clinton, no conviction that I know of. So you want to assert that Hillary was correct in painting them as bimbos? Why does the Right want to emulate what they hate about the Left? How does this make sense?how does that not make you hypocrites?
There is proof of Blake Fahrenthold’s sexual harassment. Who on the Right is calling for his resignation?"
WHat proof?
"Poor Franken, he’s right about the irony of him leaving and Trump staying."
-- Give me proof as solid as we have against Franken, and I'd be glad to see Trump leave.
Should these sentences be treated equally?
"Grab her by her..." versus "Grab you by your..."
Lessee.... earlier this thread, Inga: "Poor Franken!" And then praising him for hitting Trump. And for hitting Moore. Yes, you were defending Franken.
--Vance
He didn't give the Democratic Party firmer ground to stand on as it promotes women's equality
That's a menstruation reference.
There is proof of Blake Fahrenthold’s sexual harassment.
What the claim of creating a hostile work environment? As I said, that could be a girlie calendar on the premises. Look at the bullshit charges against Herman Cain--from women that weer serial filers,
I will believe he is leaving when I see it. That means, he has left and Governor Nutball has appointed his replacement.
To be fair, saying "Blake Farenthold" over and over is kind of mesmerizing.
Will Inga stop after the 451st iteration? Or will she just burn some books?
"Why are you ignoring Ruben Kihuen, Inga? You blather about Blake, but avoid ruminating about Rueben?"
Inga can't "go there" with Kihuen, because then she would have to deal with the reality that Nancy Pelosi herself was one of Kihuen's biggest enablers.
Just like all the other hundreds if not thousands of lefty female enablers of dem sexual harassers.
That would definitely get in the way of the desired narrative.
Don't worry Inga. There is no way in the world the MSM is going to focus on Pelosi's horrendous hypocrisy and fakery.
Vance is too busy adjusting his Torquemada hood to become informed about Rep. Ruben Kihuen. Now let’s hear how many Republicans are calling for Blake Farenthold’s resignation?
“Again, Inga ignores Ruben Kihuen, Democrat Congressman who is accused of sexual harassment and who is claiming that Nancy Pelosi was completely ok with him running even though she knew all about the sexual harassment charges.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/363521-house-dems-scrub-kihuen-from-incumbent-program-after-harassment-allegations
“House Democrats’ campaign arm removed freshman Rep. Ruben Kihuen’s (D-Nev.) name from its 2018 incumbent program last week following a report about sexual harassment allegations against him.
The incumbent program, called "Frontline," gives incumbents a fundraising boost and helps support their campaign operations.
Kihuen, who represents a top swing seat, was one of 19 Democratic House members who were named as the most vulnerable incumbents in 2018 who would receive financial assistance through the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC).
But following allegations that Kihuen made repeated sexual advances on his former finance director during his 2016 campaign, Democrats including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and DCCC chairman Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) called on him to step aside.
A source familiar with the decision told The Hill that the DCCC scrubbed Kihuen's name from the program and website immediately upon learning of BuzzFeed’s investigation from last Friday.”
I wonder which male harasser Pelosi will next support and then throw under the bus when it all comes out?
#LeftyPrinciples!
Kihuen must be from a safe Dem seat, then.
Still wondering what Inga thinks about Pelosi supporting him knowing all about the allegations, booting him only when it went public.
Yes, Inga. And Kihuen has responded by saying that it's all a crock because Nancy Pelosi herself knew about his sexual harassment charges and was perfectly fine with them. See: http://www.businessinsider.com/ruben-kihuen-sexual-harassment-allegations-nancy-pelosi-dccc-2017-12
Battle royale brewing there! Sucks to be a Democrat knowing that Nancy Pelosi approves of Sexual harassment, isn't it?
--Vance
But Kihuen hasn't actually resigned, yet.
And Pelosi (or her political operatives) knew, beforehand. And that during the feminist extremity of 2016.
-- Give me proof as solid as we have against Franken, and I'd be glad to see Trump leave.
Matthew.
Even assuming that Trump and Franken (for example) are equivilant assholes, louts and cads in their previous lives as private citizens, why should minor actions (I don't mean actual crimes but just being jerks) be cause to make either of them have to abandon their elected offices.
Frankly, I think that Franken should not have resigned if all they have on him are some stupid grab ass photos and being a grabby hands jerk when he was a private citizen. IN office, that is another story because he is now on the people's dime instead of his own time.
What they may or may not have done in the past may or may not be reprehensible. Unless they are committing crimes in office, and not just being crude and possibly objectionable personalities, they have been elected by their constituents and there is no reason that they should be tossed from office. THAT is the prerogative of the voters.
Just as it is the prerogative and the right of the voters to elect known assholes, cads and louts if they want. The voters of Alabama, may or may not, decide to elect Moore. They may decide to not believe the UNfounded accusations against him and send him to Congress. THAT IS THEIR RIGHT.
“House Democrats’ campaign arm removed freshman Rep. Ruben Kihuen’s (D-Nev.) name from its 2018 incumbent program last week following a report about sexual harassment allegations against him."
-- That statement is untrue. Democrats have known about the charges since the primaries at least. Reporting it that way disguises that fact and is dishonest.
I disagree with Althouse. I don't want to hear a detailed confession and hollow apology from Franken. I say let him beat a hasty retreat and let the Dems go wild---so they can quickly implode & flame out Seriously, you want an elaborate explanation? ---From Franken? I don't have the stomach for yet another awkward mea culpa with parsed language and even more vague-ry. A quiet Franken is always a better route. Sadly, however, I don't think we've heard the last of him.
Twitchy says erections have consequences
30 - 40 congressional sex predators to be outed.
Word on the alt- is that there will be nothing left of the CBC if all are held to the standard applied re Conyers.
What would he have done had the Governor of Minnesota been a Republican?
Herb Bitman: "What would he have done had the Governor of Minnesota been a Republican?"
He would have stayed.
Just like Menendez.
And the dems would have shut their traps about it.
30 - 40 sex predators in Congress? Seems low.
How about the Senate?
But it's not a resignation-resignation.
DBQ, I have to agree. Behavior while in office may be just cause for ejection but past history? Who would be safe? The sainted Obama did cocaine which was clearly illegal.
Those who have pointed to the false headline are correct: Franken did not, in fact, resign but merely said he intended to resign from office in the next few weeks. Surely someone as word-conscious as Althouse should have notice this error.
Think of the many times a potential candidate for office has denied their lust for office by saying they have 'no intention' of running.
Correction: He said 'in the coming weeks'.
>Just as it is the prerogative and the right of the voters to elect known assholes, cads and louts if they want.
Granted equal treatment, I'd be happy with that.
No way will Franken resign under any circumstances. Hell, these politicians stay in power as long as they possibly can. Look how many of them - Clinton, McCain, Conyers, Pelosi - cling to their positions until their withered claws are pried loose and they either croak in office or are pushed out the door. All of them are at the age when normal humans who are in good health at retirement age are enjoying their grandchildren and the pleasures of pursuing interests they didn't have time for when they were still in the workforce. Franken is as addicted to power and his position as anybody else and he sure is hell not going to simply walk away from it.
The more I follow politicians the more contempt I develop for all of them - on both sides of the aisle. That's why I want limits on their power and I don't understand why run-of-the-mill libes don't see that. You really want these scum buckets and soulless bureaucrats to have MORE power? You want them dictating every detail of your life? WTF is wrong with you?
“But Kihuen hasn't actually resigned, yet.”
Neither has Farenthold.
Nonapod said...
30 - 40 sex predators in Congress? Seems low.
Based on the standard of being a "a grabby hands jerk" (in DBQ's excellent phrasing), I would say 80-90%.
mockturtle wrote: Correction: He said 'in the coming weeks'
In 63 or 64, give or take.
I tend to agree in general that what Franken is accused of was boorish but not criminal, and it should be up to the voters to decide if its bad enough to merit leaving office.
That said, considering the voter fraud that got him in office, and the fraudulent accusations the Left has used to destroy innocent men (Herman Cain, Ted Stevens, so many others - remember the guy who was destroyed for the crime of tapping his foot in a bathroom?) while letting guilty Dems off over and over, let's just say I can't be arsed to defend Franken on principal alone. I'm ok waiting for the scales to balance somewhat first. I'll save my outrage for the continued Leftist attempts to crucify conservatives without evidence. Franken, who is first in line to throw those kind of lies around, hasn't earned any respect or defense, and the scales aren't anywhere near balanced yet.
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