UPDATE: Franken resigns from Senate

[Dick Whitman]

Here's the latest.

Another woman says Franken tried to forcibly kiss her

A former Democratic congressional aide said Al Franken tried to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006, three years before he became a U.S. senator.

The aide, whose name POLITICO is withholding to protect her identity, said Franken (D-Minn.) pursued her after her boss had left the studio. She said she was gathering her belongings to follow her boss out of the room. When she turned around, Franken was in her face.

The former staffer ducked to avoid Franken’s lips. As she hastily left the room, she said, Franken told her: “It’s my right as an entertainer.”

 

[QYFW]

That last line is a doozy.

 

[Dick Whitman]

That last line is a doozy.

It sure is.

I do have some issue with this practice lately of letting anonymous women levy public accusations, though. But that's a tangent for another time.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

And Trump is still president.

 

[Dick Whitman]

And Trump is still president.

WHAT ABOUT TRUMP??!!

 

[User 11148]

I find it hard to believe Franken said that "It's my right ..." bit. That's of a piece with the quotes in the Rolling Stone campus rape piece. Seems too "good" to be true.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I find it hard to believe Franken said that "It's my right ..." bit. That's of a piece with the quotes in the Rolling Stone campus rape piece. Seems too "good" to be true.

Simply a variation of, "and they just let you."

 

[User 11148]

Simply a variation of, "and they just let you."

No, not simply a variation. Context is key. Trump was shooting the ****/bragging when he said his. Stipulating Franken said his, he was saying this to justify his behavior to his intended victim.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I find it hard to believe Franken said that "It's my right ..." bit. That's of a piece with the quotes in the Rolling Stone campus rape piece. Seems too "good" to be true.

My best guess is that he misread the situation and was making a self-deprecating joke to break the tension.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

No, not simply a variation. Context is key. Trump was shooting the ****/bragging when he said his. Stipulating Franken said his, he was saying this to justify his behavior to his intended victim.

Sure, bragging about the times he had done it.

 

[Dick Whitman]

No, not simply a variation. Context is key. Trump was shooting the ****/bragging when he said his. Stipulating Franken said his, he was saying this to justify his behavior to his intended victim.

Trump was talking about how easy it was to get sex when you're famous.

 

[QYFW]

We need a running thread.

 

[User 11148]

Sure, bragging about the times he had done it.

Right.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

A daily reminder that there is no way to make a Senator or Congressperson resign. You can tell them to, but that's it.

 

[QYFW]

No, not simply a variation. Context is key. Trump was shooting the ****/bragging when he said his. Stipulating Franken said his, he was saying this to justify his behavior to his intended victim.

Don't bother. You won't get anywhere with The Suicide Promoter.

 

[YankeeFan]

No, not simply a variation. Context is key. Trump was shooting the ****/bragging when he said his. Stipulating Franken said his, he was saying this to justify his behavior to his intended victim.

He could have said it as a “joke”.

 

[Dick Whitman]

He could have said it as a “joke”.

But you have to say right away that you're joking, like with prison rape jokes.

 

[MisterCreosote]

According to another thread here, it would be OK if the woman was receptive to it, so this is no big deal either.

 

[User 11148]

According to another thread here, it would be OK if the woman was receptive to it, so this is no big deal either.

Sometimes, in your jonesing to underscore your holiness in this realm, you don't make much sense. Are you saying that if the woman had been receptive to Franken's advances, it would still have been sexual assault? Or ... what?

 

[Dick Whitman]

According to another thread here, it would be OK if the woman was receptive to it, so this is no big deal either.

I think that was @RickStain 's argument. And the laws actually seem to read that way in a lot of cases. If you guess right, you're golden. It's sexual Russian roulette.