Sen. Al Franken’s resignation announcement was not an apology. It was a petulant defiant expression of his own innocence and of the guilt of others. As he resigned under the cloud of eight women accusing him of sexual harassment, the Minnesota Democrat went so far as to call himself a “champion of women.” He also pivoted to the alleged transgressions of President Trump and Roy Moore — who like Franken also deny the allegations against them — and informed everyone he would “be just fine.”
Good to know.
It is, of course, important to recognize that allegations of sexual misconduct differ in their severity. Those made against Franken do not rise to the level of those made against former President Bill Clinton or U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, among others. But the floodgates of Franken allegations were flung open in large part by a photograph, released weeks ago, depicting him posing with his hands on a woman’s breasts while she slept. That’s more evidence than we ever get for most such allegations.
Nevertheless, the senator insisted, nothing he’s done while in office “has brought dishonor on this institution.”
“I am confident that the ethics committee would agree,” Franken added, effectively using his resignation speech to dispute all of his female accusers whose stories of misconduct occurred in that time frame. Note the aforementioned photograph, and radio host Leeann Tweeden’s account of Franken forcing himself on her, occurred before he was elected to the Senate.
The essence of Franken’s message was captured well by two sentences near the middle of his remarks.
“It has become clear that I can’t both pursue the Ethics Committee process and at the same time remain an effective senator for them,” said the senator. “Let me be clear: I may be resigning my seat, but I am not giving up my voice.”
In sum, Franken is resigning because the allegations are a distraction, not because they are true, but has no plans to resign from progressive advocacy.
That still leaves Democrats in an awkward position.
Going forward, will progressive candidates and causes accept Franken’s support? He may be paying lip service to #BelieveWomen, but Franken’s speech on Thursday, wherein he maintained “some of the allegations against me are simply not true” and “others I remember very differently,” amounted to a refutation of many women’s stories, and a poorly timed one at that. How convenient that the only women we’re not supposed to believe are the ones accusing him.
By couching his refutation with language about men who abuse their “power and privilege to hurt women,” Franken is almost exploiting those sentiments to soften his own denial.
Whether the senator waits some time or changes his attitude, Franken’s pledge to remain active will test Democrats when he inevitably returns to advocacy.
