Did anyone notice that there was a 4th person in the room with Franken,

[pnwmom]

the woman, and the photographer? There is a man, wearing dark glasses, sitting on the right side of the photograph.

There could be other witnesses too, who we just can't see, and it would be helpful to hear from all of them.

An investigation should clear this up.

http://www.kabc.com/2017/11/16/leeann-tweeden-on-senator-al-franken/

[Motley13]

1. I am upset about Franken & I don't want to make excuses because I adore him but ck this out

Hooters, nude Playboy photos???? I know it is no excuse but ------ seems like she shouldn't be soooo offended

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeann_Tweeden

[JI7]

2. I questions the things she says but what you mention has nothing to do with it

[SaschaHM]

3. You're conflating being ok w/ Nudity + working at Hooters with being ok with being groped.

I loved wearing skinny jeans, short shorts and tanks in college. I also posed for a nude art exhibit. I was not amused or ok with having my dick yanked by an old man in a club.

The truth is that women in these types of profession are particularly vulnerable because people assume that someone stripping, escorting, doing porn, etc. would be ok w/ such a scenario and therefore must be lying when she says she wasn't.

[moriah]

5. Uh, please don't shame women who model by suggesting that means...

... they don't get to have boundaries, particularly about who touches them, how, or that pictures can get taken without their consent.

Someone posted a link to her USO show video. She was pretty clearly assertive about what her boundaries were going to be with the soldiers in her introduction, even if she did it in a friendly/flirty manner -- said she might give soldiers hugs, that got a shout, she said she made a "special exception" and gave a "kiss on the cheek" to someone whose birthday it was. And of course played that when guys said it was their birthday -- you can hear, after she doubts so many birthdays, someone shout "I've got ID!"

Yes, she was going to be autographing magazines showing herself wearing less than she was, and when she got wolf whistles about her low-rider jeans, let the room see her.

But just because a person is willing to let someone look doesn't mean they want people to touch. She's allowed to have those boundaries, and we should support the right of women who do participate in those industries to not be automatically discredited if someone does more than look.

[Motley13]

4. the picture I want to think is a set for a gag

the supposed kiss is something else. I haven't heard anything about him grabbing her genitals. Then of course he is just a senator, not the president.

[moriah]

6. There's a reason he's still Groper in Chief...

A really terrible reason.

[moriah]

7. I agree that there were enough people...

... present that we can at least establish whether it was a consensual pose or them actually deciding to take a photo like that while she was asleep.

I also agree that even through Kevlar, if you're that close to my tits while I'm asleep you better be my lover. I have bad PTSD that was from coming to in the middle of an alcohol-facilitated sexual assault. I couldn't have fallen asleep like that unless I was on meds or fully exhausted anyway, but if I woke up to someone that close to me I might hurt them before I realized what I was doing. (I already do a "fainting goat" startle thing when woken up unexpectedly anyway from someone across the room.)

I really see what he did as the guy-on-girl version of drawing a dick on someone's face during a sleepover. Already not funny in junior high, but understandable then. Not when you're a grown man. Immature and disrespectful. Not actual assault, but... still, damn.