Here's another thing that bothers me about Franken's assassination: his apology

when Tweeden came forward with her accusation, Franken did what everyone who is serious about living with their fellow humans should do: he took her account at face value, assumed it was true from her perspective, and treated her emotions and claim of being hurt as legitimate. He validated her feelings, let her know that he heard what she was saying, and legitimized her as a person by explaining why someone might feel violated or hurt in the circumstances she described.

“What my intention was doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am chained to that photo. She didn’t have any ability to consent. She had every right to feel violated by that photo. I have apologized to her, and I was very grateful that she accepted my apology.”

See that? He didn't try to claim she wasn't hurt because he didn't intend to hurt her. He didn't try to say her feelings weren't valid because she didn't express hurt at the time. He didn't say she was full of shit or just as bad as him or anything else.

He treated her expression of being hurt as legitimate, from a person whose opinion of him mattered, and gave a text book excellent apology.


Now, if Tweeden weren't such an obvious GOP ratfucker, this would be exactly how any person should deal with accusations and harms like this. Don't deny it, argue, or de-legitimize the other person. Take them at their word, see things from their perspective, and realize that your perspective might be different from theirs.

His apology was a beautiful example of how to apologize and treat someone you've hurt with respect for their perspective and feelings.

And everyone (even people here) read it as if it was an admission of guilt on his part. What he was doing was setting an example for everyone to follow, in how to treat accusations like these with respect, kindness, and legitimacy. Especially if they are surprising to you.

Anybody who has been in marriage counseling will recognize exactly what he was doing, and what he was demonstrating. A class act.