Railroaded: The Real Reasons Al Franken Is No Longer A Senator

I came across an OP/ED while browsing MSN news, which takes a critical look at the real reasons behind Al Franken's hasty departure from the Senate. For those interested in things like justice, due process, fair hearings, a chance to confront your accuser and any other tenant of a fair/impartial adjudication of fact, the vigilante mob "justice" (more like lynch-mob) is rather disconcerting.

The source OP/ED examines several reasons, including the "Machiavellian political maneuver" orchestrated by 2020 hopeful, Junior Senator Kristen GIllibrand.

But Roy Moore lost, and Operation: Moral High Ground turned out to be an Acme rocket that blew up Al Franken and left Senate Republicans Meep-Meeping as they ran down the road to tax reform. In the end, the Democratic Party sacrificed one of their most high profile senators without gaining one square inch of moral high ground.

There should have been an ethics investigation. Unfortunately for Franken, there wasn’t time for any sort of fact-finding or due process; there was only time for politically expedient, angry mob justice.

Franken’s fellow Senate Democrat Joe Manchin said on Politico’s Off- Message Podcast that Franken got “railroaded by fellow Democrats” and that what happened to Franken was “the most hypocritical thing I’ve ever seen done to a human being.”

www.msn.com...

originally posted by: JBurns
For those interested in things like justice, due process, fair hearings, a chance to confront your accuser and any other tenant of a fair/impartial adjudication of fact, the vigilante mob "justice" (more like lynch-mob) is rather disconcerting.

Didn't he admit to and then apologize for his behavior? If he wants to confront them during a 'fair hearing' and get 'due process' I suppose he can file a defamation claim against the accusers but I seriously doubt that is going to happen.

If you don't want to be accused of groping women, don't grope women.
That's sound logic.

He’ll probably run for President.

I'm sure the pictures of him committing sexual assault had nothing to do with it.

a reply to: JBurns

What do you think would have happened if they hadn't "railroaded" him? In this day and age, with #metoo? They couldn't have just swept it under the rug, no can do any more. Certainly not in regards to Trump and Moore, but even without those two the DNC could not have kept him without alienating massive swaths of young or female voters.

This was never about gaining moral high ground. Not so exciting, it was simply about not loosing the moral high ground they already had; higher risk and lower reward.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus


No, he denied some allegations and for others said he didn't remember it that way. He specifically stated his apology/statement wasn't an admission of guilt, just an apology for the fact that those women "believed" he acted inappropriately in some way.

Regardless, what harm would a fair and impartial hearing cause? How is it ever beneficial to jump the gun and render justice from a drumhead?

a reply to: Cutepants


Nor am I suggesting it be swept under the rug. Franken is an opposition (D) politician, from where I stand. Republicans are the most altruistic & disinterested observers to comment on this because it isn't our party/elected official/vote we're talking about. We already know my party will ignore accusations without evidence/appropriate due process, and this is 100% about Dem Franken and Machiavelli. Sorry, Gillibrand.

What would've happened? A fair ethics hearing (which he asked for) would've been conducted by the Senate ethics cmtte, and conducted a thorough and impartial investigation (vs. Jr. Sen. K. Gillibrand and her mob calling for vigilante justice)

Maybe Franken would've been dismissed? Maybe censured. Maybe fined (who knows). The point is that we never got a chance to find that out, nor did we get a chance to determine whether or not his accusers were telling the truth. That is the entire point of an investigation/hearing, to be a finder of facts. None of which involves public opinion trials and other.

Like I said, I don't care for Franken (or most Democrats). But as an outside observer, I still call bull#.

I think he should run again in a few years.

If people vote him back in, after knowing what went on.

Then it's on them.

originally posted by: JBurns
Regardless, what harm would a fair and impartial hearing cause? How is it ever beneficial to jump the gun and render justice from a drumhead?

How has he been deprived from taking any of them to court? Methinks he will not do this since the gory details will most likely show what a goddamn creeper he really is.

"Backfire" comes to mind when discussing this subject. And "Karma." When a witch-hunt boomerangs...watch out for flying broomsticks. Ouch!

originally posted by: Bluntone22
If you don't want to be accused of groping women, don't grope women.That's sound logic.

And get photographed doing it. Slam dunk.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
If you don't want to be accused of groping women, don't grope women.
That's sound logic.

I'd have thought that a couple years ago. Not so sure anymore.

Stuart Smalley stepped down so fast it leads me to believe there's far worse skeletons in his closet than we'd care to know about.

Of course his resignation had nothing to do with a photo that showed him groping a sleeping woman on a plane--and by the way, she was a democrat. And it had nothing to do with the long line of democratic women who said he groped them...Nope, poor little Franken and his constant hatred and intolerance for those who don't share his views was "railroaded." What a loser.

It should read "Dumbass:" Real reason Al Franken is no longer a Senator" Thought I'd fix that for ya.

originally posted by: JBurns
a reply to: AugustusMasonicus


No, he denied some allegations and for others said he didn't remember it that way. He specifically stated his apology/statement wasn't an admission of guilt, just an apology for the fact that those women "believed" he acted inappropriately in some way.

Regardless, what harm would a fair and impartial hearing cause? How is it ever beneficial to jump the gun and render justice from a drumhead?

the only one that jumped the gun was franken himself, he wasnt forced out, he choose to leave, its pretty obvious he left BECAUSE he didnt want the impartial hearing, BECAUSE he knew he was guilty.

he ran from a hearing. that is all that happened.

most likely the evidence he had been being blackmailed with for all these years which is now in wikileaks possession, was used by someone to tell him to resign or itd be released, hence his swift departure.

franken isnt the only one whos blackmail is now being used to force them out. good riddance.

a reply to: JBurns

Wow just like a liberal,caught red handed but yet a conspiracy of who? himself?

A picture is worth a thousand words, but photographs tell a thousand lies. The guy snapping a series of Photos on that C-17 was doing a Bella Lugosi kind of stunt. Of what was probably a six or more series of snaps, only one was published as the subject got right down to the USO Nookie. And women on the USO circuits are "NOOKIE".

Measured against Bob Hope, this is kindergarten cr#p. Plus Al Franken in Arabic would go as "The Franken---". The C -17 was coming back from Afghanistan, so Arabic must have been in their minds. Any photographer on board that Air Force Cargo Plane had to be a professional. And these guys don't take single shots, if they can help it. So what happened to the rest of that series of snaps??