Political gains, losses come with senator’s resignation
WASHINGTON — As U.S. Sen. Al Franken announced his resignation yesterday amid a growing number of sexual harassment claims, some Republicans openly defended Franken, a move that could prove to be irresistible political catnip to some Democrats — particularly those who did not want Franken to step down.
But that bait could bite Democrats back.
Republicans, of course, have their own problems at a time when the #MeToo movement is rising to a crescendo. Their top elected official, President Trump, faces a host of accusers and bragged about sexual assault on tape.
Trump supports Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore despite detailed claims of sexual misconduct with girls as young as 14. He very well could be elected anyway, bringing to Washington another political liability for the GOP.
Meanwhile, the latest lawmaker to announce his resignation last night, Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona, is a Republican.
So it makes political sense that Republicans offer support to Franken, and in the process try to press Democrats not to come out so strongly the next time one of their popular lawmakers faces similar accusations of sexual misconduct.
“Franken should not have resigned. His fate should have been left 2the people of MN,” tweeted Ari Fleischer, President George W. Bush’s press secretary.
“Moore, who had sexual contact w a 14-yr old, should drop out. Conyers, who hit on his employees, should have resigned. Franken is a creep who acted inappropriatly (sic), but his facts are different.”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said in a Fox News interview that the Democrats who called for Franken to resign acted as “a lynch mob.”
“Let’s not have due process. Let’s not ask anybody any questions. Let’s not have any chance to have a hearing,” Gingrich said. “Let’s just lynch him, because when we get done lynching him, we’ll be so pure.”
Supporters of Franken, who remained defiant in his Senate floor speech yesterday — denying allegations against him and calling out Trump and Moore — quickly helped those statements go viral on social media yesterday.
But the one thing Democrats now have is a claim of zero tolerance for sexual harassment. If Franken and the Republicans who support him cause Democrats to back away from their own line in the sand, they will lose it.