Be Careful What You Wish For

I have heard the stories about GHWB for years, including the supposed longterm relationship between him and aide Jennifer Fitzgerald. Nothing new. Since the man is now 93 years old, I don't think at this point the public at large is going to be sympathetic to any women at this late date. That is just reality. This could very well backfire and be used against any Democratic candidates for next year.

I think now there is real danger that this "me-too" movement is going to be co-opted by the GOP to use against Democrats next year. The Republicans are nothing if not astute. The warning signs are everywhere. As I mentioned elsewhere, the vile Caitlin Flanagan piece in the Atlantic, replete with long-debunked "scandals" against Bill Clinton being repackaged and twisted as some history of sexual harassment on his part despite the fact he never did it, was the opening salvo of what is going to happen next year. Since Roy Moore of Alabama is in trouble politically because of the allegations against him, now the GOP is starting to hit back in the remote chance Moore doesn't win election there. We are seeing it with Al Franken, and some self-described feminists are calling for his head. The timing is extremely suspect. The GOP just got a major drubbing in Virginia in the last couple of weeks, and now they are in panic mode. The GOP figures that if Moore loses in Alabama, what can we do to offset it? Enter the Franken scandal. If he is forced out of office and there is a special election, who do you think is going to win? Hint: It won't be a Democrat. The GOP would see such a victory in their column and a loss in AL as a wash.

Pretty obvious here what this is all about. Be careful what you wish for.

It is clearly a concerted campaign:

Roger Stone says Senator Al Franken's time in the barrel is about to come #sexscandal

— Stone Cold Truth (@StoneColdTruth) November 16, 2017

From what I have seen here, I, too, don't think Franken should resign.

Snip:

When you combine these things — an awareness that the Democratic Party is no more or less than best of two, and an understanding that men in power frequently exploit women — it becomes difficult to believe that Franken is the only sitting Democrat with a history of harassment, abuse or assault. The recent #metoo campaign demonstrated how normalized unwanted kissing and groping are in our culture. Donald Trump was caught on tape crudely admitting to both of those transgressions, and we made him our president. According to the CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 1 in 3 women experiences some sort of contact sexual violence in her life. Sexual harassment and assault are simply too widespread for Democrats to respond to Franken’s offense with only Franken in mind: We need to respond in a way that helps us develop a protocol for meaningful change.

It would feel good, momentarily, to see Franken resign and the Democratic governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, appoint a senator who has not (as far as we know) harmed women. If I believed for one second that Franken is the only Democrat in the Senate who has done something like this, with or without photographic evidence, I would see that as the best and most appropriate option. But in the world we actually live in, I’m betting that there will be more. And more after that. And they won’t all come from states with Democratic governors and a deep bench of progressive replacements. Some will, if ousted, have their successors chosen by Republicans.

It looks like Al Franken has been set up.