The Democratic wall begins to crack. Two DFL officials call for (((Al Franken)))’s resignation for sexually harassing Leeann Tweeden:
Two prominent members of Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party are calling on Sen. Al Franken to resign his Senate seat following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Although many other Democrats have called the former comedian’s actions disturbing, state auditor Rebecca Otto and Megan Thomas, president of the party’s official Feminist Caucus, say he should leave office.
The allegations were made Thursday morning by radio host Leeann Tweeden, who said Franken harassed her during a 2006 USO trip to the Middle East, before he was elected to the Senate in 2008.
Tweeden said Franken wrote a play to be performed in front of troops featuring a kiss, and then forced his tongue into her mouth after insisting on practice. A photo also shows a grinning Franken’s hands over Tweeden’s breasts while she was asleep.
Otto, a candidate for governor in Minnesota, said in a statement that “I believe it’s in the best interest of Minnesotans and of women everywhere for Senator Franken to resign, and to set an example to powerful men across America that sexual harassment will not be tolerated.”
Thomas, meanwhile, told the Washington Examiner that Franken’s misconduct was “every woman’s nightmare on a bus.” In a Facebook post, the longtime party organizer wrote that while she appreciated his progressive vote record, the fear Franken will instill in women is enough reason for his departure.
“The ‘political’ answer is to wait and not overreact. But I also know that the next time I see him in person I will, however fleeting or unneeded, be afraid because of what he is doing in that picture. No one should fear their elected representatives, so, sadly, for me, I think the Senator should resign,” she wrote.
After the initial allegations, Franken called for an ethics investigation into himself, and many Democratic colleagues called the allegations disturbing, but stopped short of demanding his resignation.
Otto’s statement was the first from a major officeholder to demand his resignation. Many state Democratic officials are standing by Franken for now, while expressing concern about the allegations.
Fish Lips Franken has to go. I don’t see any way he can reasonably survive that photograph and the credible details of the accusation by Tweeden. And, of course, there are already other credible accusers coming forward, so there will probably be more material evidence forthcoming. The difference between the Franken case and the Moore case is that Franken’s accusers have evidence and are credible, while Moore’s accusers have nothing but “evidence” that was clearly faked and are not credible.
Moreover, the accusations of Franken are consistent with his known public behavior, whereas the accusations of Moore are not.
That being said, the craven response of the Democrats, especially the female Democrats who talk such a big game about feminism and sexual harassment, is going to hurt them. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, in particularly, looks pathetic and cowardly.
The God-Emperor, on the other hand, has got this one down cold.
“The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?”