Tammy Baldwin said something earlier on MSNBC that really bothered me.

[madaboutharry]

Last edited Thu Nov 16, 2017, 07:06 PM - Edit history (1)

She said that some funds that she controlled and had been slated for Al Franken would now be given to a woman's charity.

I think that reaction is inappropriate. Sen. Franken was wrong and his behavior was horrible. But a big difference has been that he has taken ownership of his behavior and issued a sincere apology. His apology was accepted. He is obviously very ashamed and wants to learn form this. I think this is in stark contrast to the often unacceptable response that many have to such accusations.

I think democrats need to take a deep breath and allow this to play itself out. To come out of the gate willing to throw him under the bus just doesn't seem fair. When someone acknowledges reprehensible conduct and issues a meaningful apology, I think they should be given a chance to prove themself.

[Kaleva]

1. It's money she got from Franken that she's donating

[Generic Other]

2. To what degree is a USO show a form of sexual harassment in and of itself?

I think of Bob Hope's comments about the bevy of beauties he appeared on stage with. It was the act back in the day. Stand up comic and sexy celebrities. Double entendre. Objectification of women's bodies. On and on. To entertain our troops. All the individuals over the age of consent as far as I can tell. All there to give the boys a show. It was like burlesque-lite, no strippers but lots of T and A.

I saw Jayne Mansfield at a USO show with Bob Hope when I was a kid. He leered, made nudge nudge wink wink jokes, acted like a sex starved stray dog. And so did the audience. The skits were suggestive, the jokes lame, and the woman made kissy faces and shook her booty while Hope drooled over her. That was the norm at these shows. And no doubt just as bad offstage.

Franken acted like they all acted. He initiated teasing, flirting, engaged in stupid pranks, but he did not assault her by pretending to grope her breasts. He took advantage of a sleeping person by pranking her with a camera. Immature. Stupid. But he didn't drug her, destroy her career, brag about grabbing her pussy, and he backed off after she rebuffed him. I think there is a distinct difference. He also apologized for his actions.

To compare his behavior to actual sexual predators like Trump, Cosby, Moore, Weinstein, Wiener is absurd.

[CincyDem]

3. This is what the seeds of "false equivalency" look like.

Wrong...absolutely.

Equivalent...no way.

But the history books written by the twitter-verse will put Al on the other side of the see-saw from Roy Moore (or DJT) and say "see, they ALL do it". And this will allow folks from Alabama to shrug their shoulders and say "what can we do? Who could we choose? Even the Democrats are just like Roy".

The swift response, the absence of denial, the lack of victim smearing...all that will be lost.

[Generic Other]

4. You are so right

Classic propaganda techniques being employed against us.

[RhodeIslandOne]

5. Some people may recall the line from "Full Metal Jacket" about Ann Margret at a USO show

There's no doubt the USO shows have a certain sexual weirdness about them, and Leeana Tweeden wasn't booked because she's Meryl Streep or Lucille Ball.

[mopinko]

6. this struck me as well.

and to put this in the same category as stalking kids and teenagers, is just stupid.