It's official: Al Franken says he will resign, though he denies many of the allegations

[paul1149]

*Also wonders why fellow Democrats were SOOOO eager to get rid of him.....hmmmmm*

Franken is heavily damaged goods in their eyes now. They get to virtue-signal, and present a contrast against the Pubs next week in Alabama. For a little more on the cynicism of it all, especially concerning Sen. Gillibrand, who has her eyes on higher office, Tucker Carlson made some good points.

 

[Almost there]

Perhaps his plan is to wait and see if Judge Moore is thrown out, assuming that he is elected next Tuesday, before he is willing to depart for greener pastures. If the Senate fails to evict Roy Moore, then Al might just rescind his resignation and remain in office.

Won't that just make it worse?

 

[brinny]

Franken is heavily damaged goods in their eyes now. They get to virtue-signal, and present a contrast against the Pubs next week in Alabama. For a little more on the cynicism of it all, especially concerning Sen. Gillibrand, who has her eyes on higher office, Tucker Carlson made some good points.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Almost there]

...and failure to make that distinction only serves to trivialize pedophilia.

Exactly!

I once saw a troubling remark in an article about a decade ago from a "political comedy" author I otherwise like. This author was about 60 at the time. It was about some guy caught with a 14 year old girl and as a joke somewhere, he said something like, "Don't get me wrong, what red blooded guy wouldn't like to get him some 14 year old female flesh?" He was joking, but not about the premise of the question. He was saying it as a rhetorical question. Thing is, I see them as children. But then, I see 19 year old's as children too.

That's why I make the "biological vs cultural" distinction. It matters. A lot.

 

[Albion]

Some conservatives have also already noticed that Al Franken hasn't actually resigned ... not yet, anyway ... and are speculating that this is a ploy to sway the Moore election.

That seems to be the case. And chevyontheriver was right to note that there wasn't much of an apology involved in his remarks, even though he'd been effusive about saying he was wrong, wrong, wrong when he thought, earlier, that that might be all he'd need to get this behind him.

I also wondered if his remarks didn't indicate that there has been some quid pro quo involved here by which he'll be rewarded in some way by the Dems. That suggests that the resignation (that wasn't a resignation) was mainly a gimmick intended to put the GOP on the spot if Moore wins election. It's not very convincing to realize that thirty Senate Dems called for his resignation almost at the same time, even though almost none of them had said a peep about that for during the weeks preceding.

 

[NightHawkeye]

That seems to be the case. And chevyontheriver was right to note that there wasn't much of an apology involved in his remarks, even though he'd been effusive about saying he was wrong, wrong, wrong when he thought, earlier, that that might be all he'd need to get this behind him.

I also wondered if his remarks didn't indicate that there has been some quid pro quo involved here by which he'll be rewarded in some way by the Dems. That suggests that the resignation (that wasn't a resignation) was mainly a gimmick intended to put the GOP on the spot if Moore wins election.

Like musical chairs ...

... and the music is still playing.

 

[Almost there]

I find this discussion fascinating because of what this means to our modern political environment. Close your eyes and imagine these exact events are happening, except the world we live in is 1990. There is no internet, no forums, no social media and no news outlets to speak of other than the MSM of the day.

Does anyone doubt that this would play out a LOT differently?

 

[chevyontheriver]

Like musical chairs ...

... and the music is still playing.

That's what swamp music sounds like.

 

[Basil the Great]

Perhaps he wishes to use his seat as leverage to force the GOP controlled Senate to evict the judge, should he win next week? You know, thinking about for a moment, in a way this would be no more than right. After all, what Al has been charged with pales in comparison to the situation with Roy Moore.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Perhaps he wishes to use his seat as leverage to force the GOP controlled Senate to evict the judge, should he win next week? You know, thinking about for a moment, in a way this would be no more than right. After all, what Al has been charged with pales in comparison to the situation with Roy Moore.

Perhaps we should have the ethics committee review charges against both, if Moore should happen to win?

 

[PeachyKeane]

Exactly!

I once saw a troubling remark in an article about a decade ago from a "political comedy" author I otherwise like. This author was about 60 at the time. It was about some guy caught with a 14 year old girl and as a joke somewhere, he said something like, "Don't get me wrong, what red blooded guy wouldn't like to get him some 14 year old female flesh?" He was joking, but not about the premise of the question. He was saying it as a rhetorical question. Thing is, I see them as children. But then, I see 19 year old's as children too.

That's why I make the "biological vs cultural" distinction. It matters. A lot.

Should just get rid of the age of consent? Or would dropping it down to 10 suit your needs?

 

[Almost there]

Should just get rid of the age of consent? Or would dropping it down to 10 suit your needs?

My personal view is to leave it up to the parents. I have four daughters. I would not have let anyone date someone more than a couple of years older than them, and they didn't date unescorted until they were 16.

Interestingly, my 32 year old daughter just married a great Philippino guy that is 16 years her senior.

 

[AirPo]

Opinions vary. And it is an important distinction when discussing things like pedophilia. There is a HUGE difference between attracted to pre-pubescent girls and post puberty women, regardless of their chronological age.

One is a mental disorder, the other is just "dirty old man". And the latter is a cultural construct. The former is biological.

As you pointed out, words have meanings.

wom·an
ˈwo͝omən/
noun

1. an adult human female.

Moore's victims were not women.

 

[Almost there]

As you pointed out, words have meanings.

wom·an
ˈwo͝omən/
noun

1. an adult human female.

Moore's victims were not women.

I see three phases, the middle very brief: Pre-pubescent, pubescent and adult.

a·dult
əˈdəlt,ˈadˌəlt/
noun

1. 1.
   a person who is fully grown or developed.
   "children should be accompanied by an adult"
   • 
     

adjective

1. 1.
   (of a person or animal) fully grown or developed.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

Should just get rid of the age of consent? Or would dropping it down to 10 suit your needs?

I think 16 reasonable. Most 16 year old girls are sexually mature and capable of functioning as adults. Which is where it is in many states, including Alabama.

 

[Allandavid]

Perhaps his plan is to wait and see if Judge Moore is thrown out, assuming that he is elected next Tuesday, before he is willing to depart for greener pastures. If the Senate fails to evict Roy Moore, then Al might just rescind his resignation and remain in office.

Except this isn’t an argument of biology...it’s an argument of propriety, of ethics, of acceptable morality....

One one side, in the case of Franken, we have a man who is prepared to accept the consequences of actions that have been deemed unacceptable by his peers. In the cases of Trump and Moore, we have two ‘men’ who can only focus upon their egos and political futures...

 

[PeachyKeane]

I think 16 reasonable. Most 16 year old girls are sexually mature and capable of functioning as adults. Which is where it is in many states, including Alabama.

Can they vote? Drink? Smoke?

 

[NightHawkeye]

Can they vote? Drink? Smoke?

Noting that most of the civilized world has age of consent lower than the United States does.

There's a reason for that.

 

[PeachyKeane]

Noting that most of the civilized world has age of consent lower than the United States does.

There's a reason for that.

What's that?

 

[NightHawkeye]

What's that?

Already explained.