There are two things I see happening in all of this:
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Both sides of the political aisle are doing these things, it’s not just one party.
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Democrats are willing to hold their members responsible (or themselves in the case of Franken), while Republicans are only pointing at Democrats who do it and letting other Republicans slide. This is clear in the number of calls for actual investigation by Democrats with a report (no matter how small), while Republicans dodge and weave to avoid holding their members responsible.
It makes it pretty clear which party takes these things seriously, and which is putting the party before women’s health and safety.
Yep, the sexual assault is a society thing, not political.
Repubs are just always going to be ridiculous hypocrites on anything (presidential conflicts of interest anyone?) ; but you can hardly be surprised that the party of forced pregnancy is going to do anything about sexual misconduct when they don’t even really think its misconduct in the first place.
So here’s an anecdote from the male planet: I’m starting to get somewhat stressed, jokey, backlash-type texts etc from very liberal men who feel misunderstood, threatened etc., even though they’re not under personal accusation. I guess they’re nervous that someone might say something damaging and unfair. One of them has been a fairly ardent critic of Hillary Clinton, from the pious left. I couldn’t help thinking, as I fielded his request for a man-to-man solidarity-drink, that now he had some tiny inkling of what Clinton had to put up with for years: hysterical pseudo-leftist criticism that rejected the nuanced, fact-receptive perspective that is the precondition of justice. I’m looking forward to that drink and buying him a pint of Derangement Syndrome.
Well now it gets worse
An ethics committee investigation seems like an appropriate action, given the circumstances.
If the Democrats decide to force Al Franken to resign because they want to pretend they are being responsible, Republicans will immediately demand that Bob Menendez resign, too. His offenses are far worse than the Franken’s, after all.
Then the Dems will fret over whether to remain pure and give up his seat or show what total hypocrites they are and do nothing. I really hate the Democratic Party. It is run by a bunch of spineless clowns who always shoot themselves in the foot. Wish I could be a Republican but they are insane and evil.
Uhhh, Scott DesJarlais, anyone?