Why Franken now? Does this smell odd to anyone else?

[htuttle]

I'm just going to post this food for thought, then head off to bed for you all to consider. So feel free to roast me as you see fit until tomorrow morning. I'll check back.

I'm starting to get a wee bit suspicious about the timing of the renewed interest in Al Franken stepping down from the Senate, and the events that led up to it. It's because there aren't too many issues that really divide Democrats right now, and that happens to be one of them.

It's just the sort of chum that FSB throws in the water once they identify a potential schism in a culture that they are fucking with. They pry at the fissures, and usually enflame both sides.

There are a lot of reasons to be sore about the way that Franken left the Senate, but I'd suggest you look carefully at original sources about it all, and think twice before passing something on that you aren't certain about. I mean factually certain, not what your gut thinks, too.

That's all.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Sorry, I don't think Jane Mayer is a Russian troll.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Anyhow, it really isn't dividing Democrats; Gillibrand never had a chance at the nomination and Franken has been part of the reason ever since it happened.

[htuttle]

3. Sure, but it pays to check nowadays

[madaboutharry]

8. Really!

Maybe this how journalism works.

Gillibrand miscalculated. And I don’t believe she has no regrets. If she doesn’t it shows an unwillingness for self reflection, which I think is an important quality for a president to have.

[The Wizard]

36. She could lose her Senate seat

if Franken challenges her in a primary.

[madaboutharry]

41. They're from different states.

Gillibrand is from New York. Franken was a Senator from Minnesota.

[maxsolomon]

46. Yeah but he has a condo in Manhattan

IT COULD HAPPEN.

[stopdiggin]

22. the "timing" is all on the Mayer article (and it's a good one)

nothing spooky about that. Would certain parties maybe attempt to exploit something that was already out there? What do you think?

[Vogon_Glory]

24. The timing could have been better

If I were trying to tank contender Gillibrand’s campsign, I’d have done it early in next year’s primary season.

[hatrack]

25. Hadn't heard there was anything to tank . . .

[Vogon_Glory]

33. Me Neither

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

44. She's managing that just fine herself.

[Merlot]

47. Even with out the Franken issue she would not have gotten far

To many strong contenders in the race already, she had no way of breaking through.

[Loki Liesmith]

2. Lol Mayer was working the story for months

The timing is due to the reporting being done.

[democratisphere]

4. Some THINGS you don't forget.

THIS is one of them.

[Skittles]

5. no, it doesn't smell odd

a thorough investigation was something that always should have been done

the railroading of Al Franken is what STUNK

[brooklynite]

6. Who does Franken "divide" besides a handful of bloggers?

The average voter isn't thinking about this at all.

[4now]

7. Divide the Democrats - It is an easy game to play

[Generic Brad]

9. Perhaps he's healed from the betrayal and trying to move on

This feels more like a reintroduction into public life for him. And if he’s bitter about what happened to him, he’s entitled to feel that way.

[True Dough]

10. "It's because there aren't too many issues that really divide Democrats right now"

I feel completely the opposite. We're embarking on primary season and there's lots of division over who's the best candidate.

We have a real divide over whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi is handling the impeachment situation optimally.

There's a split over whether The Squad represents the change we truly need versus being a bunch of upstart pot stirrers.

I'm sure I'm forgetting other polarizing issues, but we have plenty to bicker over these days. But, despite all that, we can all still agree that Devious Donny has got to go in 2020!

[PatrickforO]

18. I hear you, but Trump's racist tweet against these four young women

sure did allow us to circle the wagons, didn't it?

We're fundamentally different from Republicans. There are actual differences in brain waves and in the type of intelligence between libbies and conservatives.

So, we snipe at each other, shoot each other in the foot and so on, while the GOP gets all their members to spout a short list of talking points over and over and over and over, even if they are outright lies, the repetition finally makes them seem normal.

And they win. They lie, they cheat, they play dirty, they are immoral, amoral, racist and altogether against everything this country should stand for, but they win.

Like this thing about Medicare for All? Sure, I want that, but I'm fine with reforming ACA and putting in a public option. Even with that, there's literally tons of corporate cash lined up against that happening, but it is time to elect Dems that aren't beholden to these corporations and hold them accountable for doing the right thing for us. And it doesn't have to be a sudden utopia, either. But we do have to make forward progress.

I guess my point is that our differences aren't all that big compared to the fascist circus that's happening over in GOP-Trump-party-land. We do have some serious hair splitters here though. I know, cause I can be one of them

[MyOwnPeace]

32. BRAVO!

Great response - thanks!!!

[at140]

51. +10....good post

[lordsummerisle]

11. Sorry, but who is FSB? /nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Russian intelligence.

[brooklynite]

13. Was Franken an accomplice or a dupe (since he chose to give the interview now)?

[pazzyanne]

20. An accomplice for what?

For destroying his own political career? Yah, right!

[stopdiggin]

21. I think you might have misunderstood

pretty sure that was tongue in cheek.

[brooklynite]

23. The OP is claiming that the timing of this article is "suspicious"...

[pazzyanne]

38. Thanks for replying, brooklynite.

[moondust]

14. Doubt it.

The election is more than 15 months away allowing plenty of time to get over it and move on.

[Tactical Peek]

15. Nope.

Department of Simple Answers to Simple Questions

[dalton99a]

16. Nope. Totally appropriate

[PatrickforO]

17. Good point. This could be coming up because the Russians want the Republicans

to stay in power, and the Republicans are desperate to stay in power, and their billionaire donors and corporations are wanting them to stay in power.

And Trump stupidly tweeted a racist screed against the Squad and that healed the split that was happening and forced Pelosi and Schumer to circle the wagons including these four young Congressional freshmen. So that healed that.

And 'Murika ain't a never gonna go sosh-al-ist' really isn't getting much in the way of legs.

Trump is going after their patriotism and politics because he cannot argue issues, and we are arguing issues but need to be focusing with single minded intensity on ending the racism and closing those concentration camps.

So now we have Franken to fight over again!

Why, what a miracle!

[marble falls]

19. And I don't think Al Franken is a "wedge" issue for the most of Democrats.

[Act_of_Reparation]

49. Agreed.

"Some guy I don't know thinks Al Franken shouldn't have resigned! I've had enough! I'm going to change my vote to Ross Perot's disembodied earlobes!"

- No One Ever

[Roland99]

26. Distraction from Epstain and Twitler's own rape victims

[onenote]

27. when would have been the "right" time in your opinion?

There's always several things happening at once. And there is always someone who will claim that any story is a distraction from some other story.

[yardwork]

28. I don't think that Vanity Fair is part of the deep state.

[delisen]

29. Article rightly addresses Schumer's major role in forcing

Franken's resignation.

I think it is a useful article precisely at this time.

[IADEMO2004]

31. Message of the article to me was beware the media news cycle stampede.

[htuttle]

30. * * Fair enough * *

I wrote the OP because I just wanted people to ask themselves the question about the sources and timing.

Please do ask yourselves the same question every time a new issue arises that is likely to have an effect on the election. We're going to be inundated with more fake crap than ever before in the next 12 months.

[beachbum bob]

34. Why? Gillibrand tried to make a national name for herself at the expense of Al Franken and she

is unable to step back from it. A sure sign of a failure to be any type of leader and why she has no traction. I wouldn't vote for her to be dog catcher

[DFW]

35. One thing of which I am factually certain

Without even going down a list, I can name five Democratic Senators who are running to be nominated as our candidate in a presidential election that will be held less than 16 months from now. Al never even made a peep about wanting to run for president, and I still think he would have done a far better job than any of them.

If you believe that Al Franken was unjustly, or even merely prematurely, pressured to leave the Senate, seeing as how it was due to a Republican-orchestrated action--again, whether or not you believe it had any basis in fact--then you have to consider by whom. If these Democratic Senators fell so easily for such a scam, do you seriously want ANY of them in the Oval Office, negotiating with Putin on arms, with Xi on trade, or with McConnell over ANYTHING having to do with the USA? I certainly do NOT. No one says that we HAVE to settle for second best, let alone fifth best or tenth best. We do not need our own Boris Johnson.

I also think Schumer needs to be replaced as Democratic leader in the Senate, but that is something that is less urgent unless the Democratic leader in the Senate becomes majority leader. In THAT case I want him out as soon as the new congress is sworn in.

[Trumpocalypse]

37. It could be that Franken is planning on running again

And this is first step in his rehabilitation.

[brooklynite]

42. What will he be running for?

Primarying the Democratic Governor?

Primarying either of the Democratic Senators?

[Trumpocalypse]

43. If Klobuchar gets on to the ticket

Her seat will be vacant and he could run for that.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

45. He wouldn't have to run if the governor appointed him to fill the vacancy.

[Trumpocalypse]

50. True

But then there would be a special election in 22.

[LanternWaste]

48. That never happens...

"Primarying (sic) either of the Democratic Senators?"

[brooklynite]

52. My point is: which existing Democrat deserves to lose so you can get Franken back?

And don't suggest he run against Gillibrand; she just got re-elected handily. Franken never came up as an issue.

[seaglass]

39. It's Franken's revenge on Gillibrand. That's all. n/t

[CentralMass]

40. No.

[Takket]

53. Considering this is on the radar of about 0.01% of the population,

I would say no.

[Hortensis]

54. But more like 80% are aware of Franken-Tweeden etc.

The Republicans were using Joseph McCarthy "the allegation proves the crime" tactics to take down a number of Democrats, using liberal and other LW causes as weapons against themselves (#MeToo passions in this case.

I believe what happened to Senator Franken, and the blatant lack of due process, did a lot to hasten national awareness of this viciously ruthless RW tactic and has done a great deal to defuse it.

Post-Franken, the Republicans tried to use it to take out 3 levels of Democrats whom the people of Virginia had replace Republicans with, the governor, lt, gov, and attorney general, which would have returned control to the Republicans. In spite of massive RW publicity nationwide and passionate calls for a popular and effective Democratic governor's resignation for wearing a black-face costume in college 50 years before, it failed. All 3 are still in office, though Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is still trying to clear himself of the rape allegation.

Anyone remember anything since? There must have been subsequent attacks below national-media radar?