Surprise, surprise. The mainstream media is already bending over backward to excuse Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) for his apparent sexual misconduct against radio host Leeann Tweeden.
An all-female CNN panel attempted to downplay what happened, with pundit Gloria Borger suggesting that Franken deserved forgiveness because, at the time of the assault, he was “not a member of Congress… he was just a comedian.”
Borger added that because Franken wouldn’t become a Senator until 2009, in her mind, never was in a position of power over Tweeden – it’s not a big deal.
“We’ll see if her coming out gives other women sort of, you know, more purpose and allows them to talk about people who are currently in positions of power who could affect them,” said Borger. “Franken has no effect on her at this particular time in her life.”
Of course, Franken was an influential figure in the entertainment industry, which Tweeden desperately wanted to succeed in. Later, Borger reiterated her comments:
“I look at this and I look at Franken, and I’m sure he’s remorseful, and I’m sure he’s beating himself up over it, cause he’s in a lot of trouble over this,” she said.
“I don’t doubt his remorse at all,” she said, claiming that Franken “is suffering tremendously.”
But CNN wasn’t the only news outlet to downplay Franken’s actions – which Tweeden described as leaving her “embarrassed, belittled, [and] humiliated.”
The Washington Post published a column, by self-described feminist Kate Harding, urging Franken not to resign.
Harding, who wrote a book on rape culture, was more explicit than Borger: she didn’t want Franken to resign because, like her, he’s a Democrat.
“Cynics on both the right and left will presume I am passing by this particular steam tray on 2017’s smorgasbord of feminist outrage because Franken is a Democrat, and so am I… In the most superficial sense, this is true,” Harding wrote.
While Franken, if he resigned, would be replaced by another Democrat–the Governor of Minnesota, who would appoint the replacement, is a Democrat – Harding warns that that wouldn’t always be true.
“If we set this precedent in the interest of demonstrating our party’s solidarity with harassed and abused women, we’re only going to drain the swamp of people who, however flawed, still regularly vote to protect women’s rights and freedoms,” she lamented, claiming that it would only make Congress more Republican and thus more “misogynistic.”
Franken – who has apologized for the photo, but has claimed the backstage sexual misconduct did not happen the way Tweeden described – continues to dominate the news cycle.
Amidst these developments, one thing is clear: powerful liberals are continuing to circle the wagons to protect an alleged sexual predator.
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AAN Staff
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