...that was good.

and on top of everything else, as a Minnesota resident I am outraged that my vote was taken from me. I just hope some good eventually comes from this, but, as has become disgustingly apparent by the support for Roy Moore, Republicans can't be shamed, so sacrificing one of our own - one of our best and most effective senators - will likely have been for nothing.

If you'll excuse the rather obvious metaphor, the crowd demanded his crucifixion but not that of the real criminals. Unfortunately in this case Franken won't be resurrected, nor will he take their sins away.

How could I have omitted the disenfranchisement of an entire State?

As a Minn. native I agree totally, they have taken a self serving stance that does nothing more than put them in the limelight and hopefully will come back and bite them on the posterior portion...They have taken due process out of the equation and lowered themselves to to the same level as any and all lynch mobs I have seen or heard of... All in an attempt to blow their own horns....Sadly I am not one of any of their constituents and cannot vote against them unless of course any of them run for potus

vote for them..... "Sadly I am not one of any of their constituents and cannot vote against them unless of course any of them run for potus"

Vote our mind. We can see who the candidates are nominated and go from there.
Not sure the op was talking prez anyway.

Lots of candidates to watch in 2018.

Support Randy Brice to replace Lyin’ Ryan. Right now that’s where my support is.

Martin O'Malley comes to mind.

He has a reputation as a bit of a horn dog. Given the current climate, that is not helpful. If he were merely a gun nut or refused to let the kitchen at the Governor's Mansion serve deviled eggs because they make Baby Jesus cry, well then, that would be just peachy.

Please note, I do understand that I am just repeating gossip. But it is something that I heard. Part of the problem is that O'Malley has been described as very "telegenic". It is not just women who can be taken less seriously because they are good-looking.

seems like that would pretty much depend on who is running doesn't it... actually I will vote for the best candidate based on my own criteria not someone who I was told to vote for...

involved in the Franken thing...there are governors, the House...

This Minnesotan agrees with you 100%. When the Senate called for his resignation, they took away our vote. Al represents us, not his fellow Senators.

I agree.

#BelieveWomen never meant this.

for intelligence and thoughtful words...

"The faster I work, the farther behind my party pushes me." Senator Gillabrand, and others with Presidential aspirations, I do not suffer fools, including myself.

5. Senator Franken. What more is there to say except please forgive them for they know not what they do.

“I do not suffer fools, including myself.”

All them NFL players are kneeling for justice.

Justice is a big word that covers a lot of ground.

I hope it will apply here.

Larry Craig changed his mind and didn't resign.


God I hate comparing Al to Craig, but Al can change his mind.

Merkley and Wyden, but not so sure of some of the others. Hard to tell if it was cold political calculation, or not; like with Gillibrand. Did McCarthy know not what he did?
Or is it the working of a mind that is incapable of logical or ethical thinking, or even good political strategy? Granted, Dems are not known for superb political strategy, and I also see echos of McCarthyism here.

And what an untenable precedent they have set with this action. What do they do the next time the right sets up one of our progressives? Does anyone honestly think they will stop with FRanken? After such an easy win?

I think Schumer and Gillibrand knew exactly what they were doing.

to blow up the Party and put in jeopardy upcoming elections?

I think they were blinded by ambition and thought with the support of the now infamous list actually thought it was a good idea.

But it was a blunder. I think they underestimated the reaction of the public.

Just so I can primary the hell out of these two fuckwads.

But, whatever it takes.

it through.

so that we lose again

sadly since we rely on big money,the ptb don't have to listen to us nobodies...that is kind of what they are proving here

i am not saying EVERY dem that went along with this is involved (some are just easily lead) but the ones leading it, they are not on the 99% side

I am actually surprised and heartened by the tsunami of negative that she has engendered.
It is a beautiful thing.

i am surprised at all the venting that has been allowed...which means there is some reason for allowing it

I prefer to wait and see what happens.

I will be able to primary her.
We will see what she does in the next few years.
I plan on sending her emails every week asking what she has done about the fascist in the White House.

K and R

is my profound fear. I deeply wish I could just suck it up for the good of the bigger cause, but this simply cannot stand.

Is turning people off due to being overly ridiculously PC.

#3 is so in line with my thoughts. The Idiots have assumed that women have no minds, and that rankles me no end.

I worry that I won't want to vote next time out, even though I haven't missed an election since I could vote (I'm 77) and I live in a state ruled by idiot Brownback supporters. More and more I see my party being brought down closer and closer to the level of the ignoramuses who now control the tea-bagger party. And I will feel hard-pressed to support those who railroaded Franken.

THEY SHOULD HAVE INSISTED ON INVESTIGATING THE ALLEGATIONS.

Sorry for the yelling...

Madame Defarge has learned from past experience about the pitfalls of mob rule, but she still has some fire left in the belly when it comes to les vrais injustices.

One would hope that after (x) number of times this strategy has failed miserably, the Party leadership would figure out it's a losing plan.

Clearly, that has not happened yet.

The Dems knew exactly what they were doing & didn't much care. I wish Franken would "Un-resign." We all deserve better

I don’t think they anticipated this kind of blowback.

That they simply didn’t want to continue to deal with the trickle of accusers, regardless of how questionable the stories were. They were understandably weary of this, and of the fact that many women and some men were genuine victims but were not believed over the years. They were more concerned about what they thought were “optics” of appearing to protect an abuser simply because he was one of their own, than about doing what good Dems should do.

1) I think that, in the case of public figures, when credible accusers with evidence of serious wrongdoing come forward in the media (for example re Harvey Weinstein), it may be desirable but it is not necessary for there to be a trial before the accused is asked to leave a position. And there should be protections for potential victims if the accused remains in the position.

2) I realize you put quotes around the women’s vote in point 4. Women’s votes are no more monolithic than are men’s votes. Women and men who deplore workplace harassment and other discrimination, sexual assault, etc., also want justice for all and do not want falsely accused people harmed or disproportionate punishment meted out. The evidence of this is how many women have expressed their outrage at the Dems’ unfairly pressuring Franken before an investigation.

Imagine the pain and outrage of women whose male family members, friends, colleagues have been unjustly accused and punished.

it has to be.

That would be easier for some than for others. The actual statements by the senators were pretty varied in how they addressed the issue. Some, particularly Warren, sounded downright reluctant or unenthusiastic. If you got the less strident of them to turn around, maybe to say 'given additional input we've received we now believe it best to let the Ethics Committee do it's job' then Franken could postpone his resignation pending the committee findings.

Al Franken has not yet resigned. He said he would do that in the upcoming weeks.

What do you suppose would happen if we were to ask the Governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, to put a hold on naming a replacement?

Senator Franken needs to have the time and formal venue, while he is still in the Senate, to clear his name. He is NOT an abuser, molester or harasser. He's a normal man. He poses for photos with thousands of people. He puts his arm around people when posing for photos. Big frigging deal.

Once he clears his name, while still in the Senate, we can call for apologies from all 33 of those back stabbing creeps. And he will serve the next five years of his term.

I think it's worth a try to demand a hold on the replacement, although a slim chance. Dayton seems to be really tight with Lt Gov Smith, whom he is rumoured to favor for the replacement - so tight they have the same email contact (a little weird, see below).

I'm calling tomorrow.

Telephone: 651-201-3400
Toll Free: 800-657-3717
Minnesota Relay: 800-627-3529
Fax: 651-797-1850

This is the odd link to emailing.....on the contact page below
Email
Send your questions and comments to Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith

https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/

Also calling Senator Klobuchar who did not call for Al's resignation but wasn't not effective at stopping the lynching. Don't know if or how hard she might have tried.


Washington, DC
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3244
fax: 202-228-2186

Metro Office
1200 Washington Avenue South, Room 250
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Main Line: 612-727-5220
Main Fax: 612-727-5223
Toll Free: 1-888-224-9043

idée!

I'm in despair over what they've done—not just to him, not just to the stature and credibility of the movement—but to us.

You don't get rid of one of your strongest fighters in the middle of a right wing coup!

c’est vrais, n’est-ce pas?

As one of my favorite contributors, your vote of confidence means a lot. Alors, merci!

Living in what used to be called The Massachusets Bay Colony, I have thought about the witch trials in Salem (with their exemplary due process ) and I think what we’ve just seen is the Revenge of the Witches (and Warlocks). I am really disgusted with the way Al Franken (who himself called for an ethics committee probe into his own conduct) has been railroaded. I will be very reluctant to vote for any of those senators who participated in this travesty in any primary over the next three years.

Thank you, Mme. Defarge. I am still seething. I've worked very hard for campaign after campaign of good Dems for decades and I have never been so disgusted by the national Dems, even my own Tammy Baldwin. Good luck getting another dollar or lick of work from me. Ever.
And Gillibrand, your presidential ambitions are over.

It was hard to do but... that's the voice she left us with.

Wyden and Merkley, my reason for unsubscribing to their email lists. I have voted for each of them in every single election, but my future support is now very much in doubt.

Two good men who were sucked into over-reacting female angst?

Where was the due process bandwagon? Hasty. Rash. Sen. Franken deserved your support. I am disappointed. Couldn't you have figured out a more effective response, one that would not have resulted in our party appearing to be hasty, rash and frankly, stupid?

Thank you so very much. I wish I could write more, but at the moment I'm just too burned out.

ma chère!

Btw, I named my Flamenco red Volvo S60 Miss Scarlet.

I’m calling it crazy. When Dems behave like fascists we are truly lost. I’m predicting and hoping the next potus nom will not be from the senate. There are plenty of others who could run I’m sure.

I’m posting this for the third time today. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/10/yoffe-sexual-harassment-college-franken-216057?cid=apn

definitely a must read!

He just seems like the kind of Democrat where I'll say 48% "No Chuck this is the wrong move" and 52% "I'll grudgingly support you Chuck but I'm tired of Democratic leaders who shoot the Party in both feet."

Have you seen how Franken performed in committee hearings?

He was holy terror when he confronted Sessions and various Trump appointees!

Now Trump, the GOP and too many Wall St. Democrats are rid of him.

Yes, Franken's hi jinks were (probably) inappropriate. But he was entitled to a hearing.

Not remotely in the category of Trump's and Moore's behavior.

I doubt very much that Franken's antics were the real reason for his ouster.

The Senate is now a safer place for the GOP and the Trumpistas.

Who will, or can, replace this brilliant progressive?

Ernest Partridge

They got played like cheap fiddles by Roger Stone. As Al Gone once famously said, "It's time for them to go." This weak kneed response to Republican skullduggery has to stop. When you appear weak you lose. Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything.

Franken switched parties and chose to stay in the Senate rather than resign. Democrats lose a seat and Republicans gain one.

Last edited Mon Dec 11, 2017, 10:36 AM - Edit history (1)

Merci à vous!

Just snapped shut.

None of the senators who railroaded Franken will get a penny from me going forward, and I invite any primary candidates of those senators to send me an email asking for money.

These people are too stupid to govern and need to be replaced by pols who naturally possess a spine and can walk upright.

You hit the nail on the head.

Are we really listening if we can give equal weight to life long Republicans recounting sexual abuse of girls in comparison to adult women recalling furtive touches in a public forum? The fact that anyone in AL was willing to speak out against Roy Moore is testament to how serious the charges are.

Dem leadership has provided a premise for the GOP to come after any Dem without challenge. Looks like they've found another way to guarantee the GOP's grip on out country.

Hélas!