Bullshit Rules Resplendent
Well…I hope you are happy. We’ll now have a Senate that includes one more racist mother fucker, and one less actual human who gave a fuck.
WASHINGTON ― Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) officially lost the support of many of his colleagues Wednesday, when more than 20 Democratic senators and the chairman of the Democratic National Committee called on him to step down amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations, including groping and kissing women without their consent.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who has been a leader on raising awareness about the epidemic of sexual misconduct, was the first to call on Franken to go.
So much for the idea that this is no loss for Democrats: Politico reports that Republicans are thrilled to have an unexpected chance to pick up a blue seat in 2018. But at least we can tell the people who think we’re baby-killers that we’re better people than them. I’m sure this will convince them of it.
Get a grip. There are two extremely qualified house reps in very safe districts in Minnesota waiting to step up
Yeah, get hold of yourselves. Democrats have this covered. Robby Mook owns this motherfucker. Big data. Machine learning.
It’ll be fine.
@DL: Give us a link. And if RE is being sarcastic, I’m with him. You just took an election out of a presidential year and put it in a midterm year. Not smart. Indeed, most of what Democrats do is not smart.
Gillibrand for president though, eh?
Al may be onto me.
We will run on the platform of Those People Are Despicable until it works.
No… “Democrats! We are slightly less shitty!”
Very inspirational.
Franken has to go. I will be OK. If the only scum in congress are the Republican abusers, that is something you can run ads on. Just keep clubbing them with that.
If Franken doesn’t go, then the Dems cannot complain about Moore or Trump, or anyone else. High ground lost…
I believe in innocent until proven guilty (almost to a fault), but not in electability until proven guilty.
Franken needs to go, not because of Franken but because of the weak sister Democrats piling on him. He is damaged goods, though Republicans never laid a glove on him. You go into battle with the Democrats you have, not the Democrats you wish you had.
When a Republican takes Franken’s seat, Gillibrand and her cheering section will own the flip.
Carper, who was seen hugging the racist Jeff Sessions, and is Joe Lieberman’s BFF, is always looking for an opportunity to be rid of an effective progressive.
Liberal Elite – HRC had untold hectares of high ground, as I recall. I don’t think high ground has magic with voters that you think it does.
Puck – At least Gillibrand and her cheering section will be cheering from the high ground.
The assumption of innocence is a legal concept. It needn’t be applied to politics, cultural matters or the court of public opinion.
The idea that a soldier in the trench with us should disengage from the fight so that we can run good advertising next year could be the most misguided and unproductive idea I’ve heard this week. It also shows terrible misjudgment about the fight we’re in.
Side note, on the same day Senate leader Chuck called for Franken’s resignation he also supported Trump’s moving the embassy to Jerusalem.
I’m asking very nicely today. Please, with a cherry on top, get your fucking priorities in order. Cemeteries are always nicer on higher ground.
Time to access this in the cold light of day: No Republicans will resign or give a damn, but the Dems will eat their own like usual. This Is The Start, if Franken resigns it will be the starters gun for accusations against virtually all male Democrats. Notice none of Franken’s accusers are verified other than by his own admission, notice that one has been outed as a fake. The Republicans are going to use this as a stick to beat the Dems and the corporate media will go right along with it. Bet on it.
Rereading his/her comment, I wonder if Liberal Elite is actually trolling with that nonsense? Trolling or some kind if too subtle sarcasm?
First it was ‘reaching across the aisle’. Now it’s unilateral disarmament. The Rethuglican Party has proven to be a criminal enterprise, and the D’s are forever the marks for their scams.
Hey, at least the D’s won’t appear to be hypocrites on this issue (while the R’s laugh up their sleeves and welcome Roy Moore to the club). They’re only hypocrites on everything fucking-else.
As to Kristin Gilibrand…that ‘distinctions are not cost-effective’ bullshit is just that–bullshit. Yep, no difference between Roy Moore or Al Franken–except one will be elected to the Senate and the other will resign.
This fucking Party…
Also, and for what it’s worth, I thought we were the ones smeared with the “purity test” epithet. It’s so strange now because those people who use that smear on us are applying their own, no? And right at the very worst of possible moments.
So when it means something to you can draw a very hard line? Fascinating.
“If the only scum in congress are the Republican abusers, that is something you can run ads on. Just keep clubbing them with that.”
Yes, their ankles will eventually hurt from all that clubbing.
This is Gillibrand making her play for party leadership. Get ready for the gynaecocracy.
I’ve been trying to reconcile the Franken issue from an analytical perspective. There are many conflicting and competing objectives involved. One is the societal evolution that forbids such behavior. Another is the necessary power to effect societal change through appropriate regulation and legislation. Both of these are long term and incremental.
However, in the short term, actions and events are taking place that significantly affect the long term. One is the makeup of the federal courts with lifetime appointments, including the Supreme Court. Another is the bandwagon effect of momentum and still another, world and national events over which no one has control.
One’s near term decisions has to recognize the effect on the long term, not solely of course, but certainly a significant consideration. In this consideration, one has to assess the greater good. Too often the enemy of the good is the perfect.
Perfect is the realm of the gods and even they are imperfect immortals. Yet time and time again, perfect becomes the standard applied to every action, issue, and person. The cost of this perfection is evident – winning battles but losing the war.
The left desires to both win and keep the high moral ground. The right just wants to win at any cost. The question is, not just what you are willing to do win (and win you must if you desire to reach your goals). That cost must also assess the cost of losing, which is your ability to create change for the betterment of society.
You are losing the war. Republicans control 69 of 99 state legislative chambers; 33 governorships; the US Senate, the US House; the White House; the now the federal courts with lifetime appointments. Blatant racism is now the norm. Our friends and allies are aghast at what the US has become. Medicare cuts are looming, Middle Americans will see ultimately see a tax increase. Welfare “reform” is the next target. What ability do you have to prevent or mitigate these things? None.
The cost of perfection? The inability to affect policy that impacts the poor, disadvantaged, the middle class, every facet of American life and even other nations and their peoples. To be snarky, how’s it working for you so far? You lump everything under a one or two word offenses (racism, sexism, sexual abuse, et al) for which there is only an absolute penalty, ignoring the whole person, their character, and their actions over time. I suppose it’s natural to disregard the frailties of the power less and demand perfection from the power full. After all, the power full are always suspected of being somewhat corrupt. Even so, the cost of your revolution, your perfection, is not just now, it is our tomorrows.
There is a little known term used to describe a leadership characteristic. It is “crux sensitivity.” Without it everything becomes equally important. Concerning the issues of the day (and tomorrow), when everything is equally important, nothing is important. I do wish that the Democrat leadership (and the rank and file) would acquire some crux sensitivity.
Yes, welcome to the gynocracy. Purges now, re-education camps soon. Gulag later?
@J “Rereading his/her comment, I wonder if Liberal Elite is actually trolling with that nonsense? Trolling or some kind if too subtle sarcasm?”
No trolling. He had to go. That should be as plain as day, by now. All of our heroes are flawed, and some have flaws that cannot be condoned. His met the bar.
I just see this as the price of progress.
…and this is from someone who actually donated to Franken’s campaigns in the past.
Progress?
Idiot.
It was a lose/lose for the democrats. But he was a liability, a distraction, something that took focus away from the task at hand…. basically my rationale why Pelosi should be removed from leadership. Rightfully earned baggage or not, if someone is compromised, they get the boot. Screw em if republicans wont police their own. We are way past the point of preventing whatever is happening. It’s time to be on the right side of history… even if we have to rebuild the world after the shambles of 8 years of Trump.
“… he was a liability, a distraction…” “….Screw em if republicans wont police their own…”
Your heart is on the right place but your head is up your ass. When you react to shit that conservatives want you to react to, you are giving the conservatives all the power.
It was a neoliberal hit on a progressive in the Democratic civil war. They’re welcome to whatever’s left of their party when they’re done.
@J “Progress? … Idiot.”
You’re playing a short game (one more senator out of your camp, pushed out by people not clearly in your camp). Your short-term view is no better than the views of the clowns in Alabama who will abandon their principles to vote for Roy Moore.
True progress is a long game. The long game is what is truly progressive.
IMHO… You can’t call yourself a progressive unless you truly want to make things better for women in America. This is clearly a step in that direction.
As laudable as the goal is, your position is premised on the idea that this will help achieve it. Al Franken would be just as gone if the investigation had happened first.
The other questionable statement is your contention that this is “clearly” a step in that direction. I don’t think it’s all that clear. A step backward is not necessarily the precursor to a step forward.
The “other camp” here is the right-wing, pro-corporate Democrats.
Who said anything about conservatives. I do what I want because I want to… not because some sister fucking Republican says so. The second someone is a liability, they need to go. I thought that about Weiner, I thought that about both Clintons, I think that about Pelosi and Schumer… Excuse me for not changing my morals because it feels uneasy.
Yes, he had become a distraction, but who made him one? Not conservatives. This is the Democrats’ Tea Party. This is going to be the litmus test, the better to distract from the fact that neoliberals have no intention of releasing their grip on the party.
“IMHO… You can’t call yourself a progressive unless you truly want to make things better for women in America. This is clearly a step in that direction.”
LMMFAO!
This truly takes the cake. I’m sure Roy Moore truly wants to make things better for women in America – especially the 14-18 year olds. While he and Trump are making things better for women who need their pussy’s grabbed (why else would they wear the sexy clothes?) ,a genuine progressive will be on the sidelines. In fact, there will probably be a number of genuine progressives on the sidelines now that the GOP has a template.
This would all be a non issue if they hadnt ended suffraging. bring it back and men can go back to being men
@j “This truly takes the cake.”
No what truly takes the cake is your expectation that we can all just abandon our morals and values to support politicians who do not share ours, yet align with our political interests.
That’s not a compromise I’m willing to make. And it’s not because I don’t know the stakes.
@LE: The problem for me is that I don’t share their political leanings either. Were you in favor of throwing Robert Byrd out of the party, too?
Contra you, this is a compromise I’m not willing to make. Moral scolds who see no problems with corporate cash but won’t follow procedure when they think they spot an advantage to it appeal to neither my morals nor my intellect.
We’ll see if this approach bears fruit. Good luck, because you’re certainly going to need it.
Michael Tomasky raises all the points I think need to be hit in this piece.
OK, my prediction on how the GOP will play this: Democrats like Franken are pervs, and the reason they’re smearing Roy Moore this way is they think Republicans are pervs, too. Let’s show them we’re not by electing Roy Moore.
RE: Tomasky.
I think he hits the nail on the head regarding reformation and the lack of categorization. To many there is only the crime and consequent punishment. One size fits all, no redemption. Sounds like a progrom to me with a single sin against humanity and Gillibrand in the role of the Red Queen.
Damn, Dave! I was just looking this up! Sentence first, verdict afterwards!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA-fr40u8cM
I wonder why Gillibrand was so anxious to deny Franken a Senate ethics investigation.
…because of Alabama, of course.
…and that it would be a total waste of time and effort.