FRANKEN TO RESIGN – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota has just announced that he will resign from the Senate, following a number of accusations against him for sexual misconduct.  From Fox: 

Calling it “the worst day of his political life,” Sen. Al Franken said Thursday he will resign from the U.S. Senate following a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against him. 

Minnesota Public Radio reported late Wednesday he would resign, though Franken’s office pushed back saying it wasn’t a done deal yet. 

It will be up to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton to appoint a successor.  

Multiple sources reported that the likely candidate could be Democratic Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, a close ally of Franken. Any successor, if he steps down, would serve until a special election is held in 2018 to determine who would fill the final two years of Franken’s term.

On Wednesday, Franken faced a tidal wave of resignation calls by members of his own party. 
By mid-afternoon, 23 of them wanted him gone. 

Enough is enough,” New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said. 

Gillibrand’s sentiment was echoed by Sens. Kamila Harris of California, Marie Hirono of Hawaii, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Maria Cantwell of Washington, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. 

“Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere. I believe the best thing for Senator Franken to do is step down,” Harris, D-Calif., said. 

Hassan, D-N.H., tweeted, “It is clear that Al Franken has engaged in a pattern of egregious and unacceptable behavior toward women. He should resign."

COMMENT:  Franken is no one's favorite senator, and I have no doubt that he's done some tasteless, vulgar things.  But I'm becoming increasingly uneasy with the mob mentality that is being developed here.  Where evidence and testimony should be required, only the charge seems satisfactory to some zealots.  (And I believe the charges.)  The Senate has procedures to deal with serious charges against members, but the mob won its battle before those procedures were employed.

When Franken was first elected, there were plenty of public comments about his vulgarity.  Strange, but the people who are after him today had no problem with those charges.  They just wanted a Democrat in the Senate.

Make no doubt.  Franken is just a scalp that was needed.  The real target here is President Trump.  Now that Democratic Congressman John Conyers of Michigan has been forced out, and Franken is already on the going-home train, Democratic eyes will turn toward the White House.  There have been women who have charged the president with sexual harassment in the past.  They will be brought forward, and the Trump-hating press will start beating the drums for resignation or impeachment.

But Trump will fight back, effectively.

December 7, 2017