Congressional Sexual Harassment Thread (Al Franken & Co.)

[JPhillips]

I think everyone, including the GOP, is scared to create a precedent of resigning when we know there's been some unknown amount of harassment settlements and a number of accusations against sitting congressmen.

Once the light is turned on, who knows how many men will get caught up in this.

[thesloppy]

It'll be interesting to see if this shift in attitudes towards sexual abuse ends up being an/the impetus to clear the boomer generation out of positions of power, both in government and industry. Plenty of folks want to dismiss this stuff as merely a difference in culture between generations, and if that's true it just goes further towards showing why a group of 70-80 year olds shouldn't be in charge of determining the terms & laws of our current culture.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

Plenty of folks want to dismiss this stuff as merely a difference in culture between generations, and if that's true it just goes further towards showing why a group of 70-80 year olds shouldn't be in charge of determining the terms & laws of our current culture.

Why? They've got more sense overall than the following gens of snowflakes. I'd sure as hell take the failings of the older one over the comic/tragic uselessness that seems to be prevalent in the younger gens.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

It'll be interesting to see if this shift in attitudes towards sexual abuse ends up being an/the impetus to clear the boomer generation out of positions of power, both in government and industry. Plenty of folks want to dismiss this stuff as merely a difference in culture between generations, and if that's true it just goes further towards showing why a group of 70-80 year olds shouldn't be in charge of determining the terms & laws of our current culture.

I really don't think its just the boomer generation. I think there are plenty of Gen X that are in positions of power that also abuse their authority.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Why? They've got more sense overall than the following gens of snowflakes. I'd sure as hell take the failings of the older one over the comic/tragic uselessness that seems to be prevalent in the younger gens.

Based on what? The younger generation hasn't had the same chance to govern (and fail) yet, as far as I'm concerned. It also seems worth pointing out that if we likewise judged the Boomer generation against the stereotypes of their youthful ideals then we'd expect the complaints today to be about their unchecked feminism, civil rights concerns and sexually liberated attitudes, rather than the exact opposites.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I really don't think its just the boomer generation. I think there are plenty of Gen X that are in positions of power that also abuse their authority.

For sure, but in those cases it's usually regarded as a failing of the individual, rather than excused as a leftover response from a bygone era.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Isn't that a safe Dem seat in a state with a Dem governor? What's the downside for the Dems of losing Franken and putting someone else in?

It was a safe seat for Franken. As an open seat I think it is very much an open race. HRC won the state by less than a point. D governor right now and the Ds are likely to keep the governorship next year really based on the current candidate crop, but both houses of the state legislature are safely Republican.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Jas_lov

Franken shouldn't resign unless Trump does. Trump and the Republicans have no moral authority on this issue.

No. Franken should resign and the Dems shouldn't hold themselves to a lower moral standard just because the other side does.

[NobodyHere]

I'm all for letting the voters decide who their senator should be, not the parties.

But the Democrats should get rid of Bill Clinton's superdelegate status.

[JPhillips]

I would agree that he shouldn't be expelled. I'm very uncomfortable with the idea of expulsion in all but extreme crimes, and, yes, that includes Roy Moore. They should both leave voluntarily, but if they don't it will fall to the voters.

[Jas_lov]

And now Charlie Rose goes down. Suspended by CBS.

[Autumn]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

It'll be interesting to see if this shift in attitudes towards sexual abuse ends up being an/the impetus to clear the boomer generation out of positions of power, both in government and industry. Plenty of folks want to dismiss this stuff as merely a difference in culture between generations, and if that's true it just goes further towards showing why a group of 70-80 year olds shouldn't be in charge of determining the terms & laws of our current culture.

That would be fantastic. I'm so tired of being held hostage to a whole series of really outdated approaches to life. I think it's pretty safe to say that if all the sexual misconduct comes to light, there won't be many of these guys left in power, and good riddance. There's nothing fundamentally better about any one generation over another, but the fact is that the bulk of the rest of us are ready to move on to a more enlightened approach to life, and it's these guys clinging on to their power and their secrets that are slowing us down.

[Sweed]

So power only corrupts boomers? yeah, ok

Here's a news flash for you.... It won't get any better when the next generation takes over.

[QuikSand]

So, this $15m in taxpayer money that has apparently been handed out secretly in settlements arising from members of Congress accused of harassment and the like... that's all coming, out publicly, pretty soon, right?

I'm not sure they'll pass the big reform bill that's been filed...but airing out "the list" is such an obvious thing for the gathered throngs to seek, isn't it? And if a few heads have to roll along the way, so be it.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

So, this $15m in taxpayer money that has apparently been handed out secretly in settlements arising from members of Congress accused of harassment and the like... that's all coming, out publicly, pretty soon, right?

I'm not sure they'll pass the big reform bill that's been filed...but airing out "the list" is such an obvious thing for the gathered throngs to seek, isn't it? And if a few heads have to roll along the way, so be it.

No question that should be the goal and down with them all.

[JPhillips]

I'm a little torn about the list being public. It wouldn't be hard to match names and dates to when people left employment, thereby exposing victims. I don't want any of the victims to face an army of on-line detectives trying to prove they lied.

[Autumn]

Originally Posted by Sweed

So power only corrupts boomers? yeah, ok

Here's a news flash for you.... It won't get any better when the next generation takes over.

A) I don't think this is only a matter of power. In these particular cases we're talking power combined with cultural attitudes around sex and gender. And I'm talking more generally simply about attitudes and openness towards race, sexuality, gender, etc. I think that younger generations start from a different default position there.

B) Taking out a calcified layer of powerful old rich white guys means real opportunity for diversity. As we see in every layer of society, even when nods towards diversity are made, they rarely make real headway because the folks at the very top don't give up their power. We get female actors, but very few directors, for example. Little change in diversity in corporate America because hiring new diverse employees doesn't trickle up into management. Clear these people out and suddenly there's opportunity to put a black female at the top of a studio or a company. Unless there's wholesale change at the top, it will take forever for minorities to move up into positions of power, just as we've seen in the world of football where it took forever to even get African-American coaches, and how much longer until the owners look like modern America? I'd like to see the equivalent of the owners turned over and those opportunities go to a more diverse, openminded crowd. Will they eventually be corrupted by power? Sure. But then we'll have new problems to deal with rather than the same old ones.

[Ben E Lou]

9 Democratic Senators (and counting) are calling for Franken to resign.

[Ben E Lou]

Senator Franken will be making an announcement tomorrow. More details to come.

— Sen. Al Franken (@SenFranken) December 6, 2017

[Jas_lov]

I think Franken should resign but I like how the GOP is actively promoting a pedophile and nobody seems to care anymore. Moore will just get elected and go on like nothing happened.

[CrimsonFox]

yup. Franken should say he'll resign if Moore and Trump do. Only fair

[Kodos]

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...ken-to-resign/

[JPhillips]

I did not anticipate conservatives and Fox News coming to the defense of Franken.

[cuervo72]

Wait, they are? Though if so, he IS a man (vs Gillibrand, who is setting herself up as the leader here), and if they generally don't agree with whatever D leadership does...I guess I can see that.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I did not anticipate conservatives and Fox News coming to the defense of Franken.

Most likely they want to create division in the Democratic base.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I did not anticipate conservatives and Fox News coming to the defense of Franken.

Why wouldn't they? Is there any downside, especially if--as many suspect--the decision is already made? They get to claim consistency on not calling for the heads of Moore/Trump, and it reinforces the anger for some of the far left who are already angry at the Dems over this. ("SEE!!! EVEN FOX NEWS UNDERSTANDS!!!") I'd think that the Republican/Fox response could help push a few more far lefties to vote for third parties or sit out elections.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I did not anticipate conservatives and Fox News coming to the defense of Franken.

They want sexual assault and harassment to be something they can attack Democrats over but they don't want an environment where Republicans might get punished or be expected to resign for it.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by mckerney

They want sexual assault and harassment to be something they can attack Democrats over but they don't want an environment where Republicans might get punished or be expected to resign for it.

It's this all day long. They don't want the D's to have the high road in 2018 and what may come with Trump down the road. They don't want this to become a 'thing'.

[JPhillips]

To be clear, I understand why, I just didn't see this course of events playing out. Can you imagine the odds on a bet in 2012 of Franken resigning whilst the GOP defends him?

[Ben E Lou]

Wow. Watching his speech now. If he's resigning, he ain't going down quietly.

[Ben E Lou]

"Some of the allegations against me simply aren't true. Others I remember quite differently."

[Ben E Lou]

Wow. He basically said that the ethics committee would have exonerated him, but he's resigning anyway.

[Ben E Lou]

Yeah..this is pretty accurate:

Kind of an odd resignation speech:
I have promoted women's issues.
The allegations are not true.
I'm leaving.
Trump and Moore are worse.

— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) December 7, 2017

[ISiddiqui]

Holy crap!

SOURCES: @CNN and @washingtonpost working on exposing 20-30 congressional members 4 sexual harassment. #DC

— Michael Trujillo (@mikehtrujillo) December 7, 2017

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Holy crap!

SOURCES: @CNN and @washingtonpost working on exposing 20-30 congressional members 4 sexual harassment. #DC

— Michael Trujillo (@mikehtrujillo) December 7, 2017

Only 20-30? (Seriously, I'd assume that number would be higher...)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Only 20-30? (Seriously, I'd assume that number would be higher...)

Those are just the ones they're choosing to go after.

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I did not anticipate conservatives and Fox News coming to the defense of Franken.

I did notice a conservative on the Washington Post suggest Clarence Thomas step down, since they could replace him with a 32 year old clone

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Only 20-30? (Seriously, I'd assume that number would be higher...)

Maybe those are the numbers they have proof about. As the WaPo showed recently, they go through some lengths to verify their exposes.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Those are just the ones they're choosing to go after.

It's the one's that received taxpayer settlements from what I gather.

[RainMaker]

Down goes Harold Ford Jr.

Exclusive: Former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Fired For Misconduct By Morgan Stanley | HuffPost

[Kodos]

Is anyone else waiting for Mitch McConnell to be accused? Tell me that guy doesn't do creepy stuff.

[RainMaker]

I don't even know anymore. McConnell seems like the boringest person on the planet.

Then again so does Joe Barton and he was sending pics of his junk to women.

[I. J. Reilly]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I don't even know anymore. McConnell seems like the boringest person on the planet.

Then again so does Joe Barton and he was sending pics of his junk to women.

With all the shit going down dick pics are kind of boring. At this point if she's over 18 and he didn't touch her it's almost chivalrous.

[miami_fan]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/07/politi...gns/index.html

Arizona GOP Rep. Trent Franks will resign, sources say

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/07/politi...gns/index.html

Arizona GOP Rep. Trent Franks will resign, sources say

Supposedly this is for asking two female staffers to be surrogates for a child. And not in the "we'll have a doctor do this" sort of way.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Is anyone else waiting for Mitch McConnell to be accused? Tell me that guy doesn't do creepy stuff.

he's a '"puts the lotion on its skin or it will get the hose again" type of guy hands down

[stevew]

McConnell has definitely told a young staffer to go get the butter* at one point in time.



*Nobody is going to get this Last Tango in Paris reference.

[NobodyHere]

But I'mm sure he's told some female staffer to get the TurtleWax

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

But I'mm sure he's told some female staffer to get the TurtleWax

Thanks a lot. Now I've got the damned TurtleWax jingle stuck in my head.

[RainMaker]

This is the weirdest approach to getting laid I've seen in awhile.

Female aides said Franks suggested intercourse to impregnate them - POLITICO