After Seventh Accuser Comes Forward, and With Moore Leading in Polls in Alabama, Democrats Finally Demand Al Franken Resign

That Moore is ahead now is important -- when they thought Doug Jones would just win, even with Al Franken still in the Senate, Democrats were perfectly fine keeping him.

But now with Moore ahead, Democrats realize their own indulgence of Franken (and Conyers, until a couple of days ago) is giving Republicans not just permission to vote for Moore, but a Fuck You Then Too imperative to vote for him.

So now they're calling on Franken to resign.

But only after a seventh accuser tells Politico he tried forcibly kissed her and said, seriously, "It's my right as an entertainer."

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."

So now, with that, and seeing that they can't have both Doug Jones and Al Franken at the same time, the Democrats have found the Courage to ask Franken, very nicely, to step aside and help them get All The Political Power.

Within minutes of each other Wednesday morning, Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Patty Murray of Washington, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Claire McCaskill of Missouri forcefully called on their colleague to leave office.

They didn't ask "forcefully." They're almost apologetic about it. They say it's "best" for Al Franken to step aside. They don't condemn him.

This is about as strong as it gets -- and note, Gillibrand says Franken actually has the right to just go through an easy-peasy ethics review rather than resign.

Apparently Gropin' Al will be giving some kind of statement tomorrow. He probably will resign; an unexpected, once-in-a-generation chance to hold a Senate seat in Alabama is too big an opportunity to waste protecting this fat, flabby unfunny clown, who will be replaced by a Democrat (as a Minnesota's governor will appoint Franken's replacement).

posted by Ace at 01:30 PM

| Access Comments