Because yet one more prominent member of their own party is facing accusations of sexual misconduct, Democrats are again acting like the matter is more complicated than it really is.
There is nothing complicated about the case of Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Three women have publicly accused Cuomo of misconduct. Two of them are former aides to the governor, and one of those two alleges that Cuomo kissed her on the mouth without her consent. (The accuser who did not have a professional relationship with the governor claims he put his hands on her face and then at least asked to kiss her, so at least in that alleged incident, a degree of courtesy was extended.)
Cumulatively, there is corroborating evidence (including a photograph) and contemporary witness testimony to back up the claims against Cuomo, plus an admission from the governor that comments he made to women in the office “may have been insensitive or too personal.”
He denies the accusations of physical misconduct, but there’s still the acknowledgment of things he said. By the Left’s usual standard, that practically makes him a rapist. But Democrats, with great assist from the media, are acting like this is a tough call.
New York Times liberal Michelle Goldberg wrote Monday that the reason there are so few Democrats in Congress calling for Cuomo to resign is in large part because of some widespread feeling of regret over what happened to former Sen. Al Franken, who resigned from his seat in 2017 amid well-corroborated allegations of misconduct.
Mike Allen of Axios on Wednesday cited an unnamed “Democratic strategist close to the White House” who similarly said there was “some PTSD” in the party because many Democrats now say what happened to Franken was “a rush to judgment.”
We’ve been through this with Franken before. In July of 2019, Jane Mayer of the New Yorker wrote a very long article that was basically intended to clear Franken’s reputation. Mayer collected testimonials from Senate Democrats who had come to regret their demand that Franken resign. And she cast doubt on the allegation that started Franken’s pursuit because the victim, Leeann Tweeden, may have misremembered insignificant details about the time Franken forcibly kissed her and touched her breasts while she was unconscious.
Mayer described that episode, of which there was a photo, as a “gag.”
Following Tweeden’s accusation, several other women came forward with similar stories about Franken touching them inappropriately, both on their behinds and their breasts. There were photographs in nearly all of these cases showing that Franken had at least been present with his accusers at the scene of the alleged misconduct.
Franken apologized for all of it. As for the allegations related directly to Tweeden, he said in a statement issued in November 2017 that he felt “ashamed” and “disgusted.” At a press conference with reporters several days later, he said, “It’s been clear that there are some women, and one is too many, who feel that I have done something disrespectful and it’s hurt them, and for that, I am tremendously sorry.”
Like Cuomo, Franken admitted to wrongdoing.
And no, there is no “rush to judgment” when the person being accused is already apologizing for what he did.
Franken’s story is not a cautionary tale about due process and the presumption of innocence. That’s Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Franken’s story is a tale of #MeToo. And it looks like Cuomo’s is that same tale.
