About Gillibrand and Franken - a letter, not mine.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York won’t get my vote in any Democratic presidential primary election (“Gillibrand says she is running in 2020,” Jan. 16). More than anyone else, she is responsible for the abrupt resignation of Sen. Al Franken following several allegations of inappropriate conduct toward women several years ago. Franken’s earlier conduct, when he was a comedian, even if proven, was minuscule, apologized for, and he was prepared to go before the Senate Ethics Committee for a fair hearing. The fusillade led by Gillibrand struck him hard, and he resigned. I submit that he would never have been forced to resign after a Senate hearing. His long record of USO volunteering, progressive stances and civic involvement were disregarded by Gillibrand.
Franken had literally become a “Giant of the Senate,” the title of his latest book, during his short tenure, and that trait had displayed itself in several areas, not the least of which was as a member of the Judiciary Committee.
There is no question that one is responsible for one’s conduct, and that the #MeToo movement has opened our eyes to abuses that have been overlooked for decades. You can’t outrun your past. Which is why, as I look over Gillibrand’s past, I wonder how she rationalizes her legal work defending Philip Morris in the 1990s when the damage of nicotine was first being brought to public attention, or her then-100 percent approval rating from the National Rifle Association, or her outspoken opposition to amnesty for undocumented immigrants, or her strenuous opposition to legalizing same-sex marriage. I’m sure she says that she has grown since then. She’s had the chance that she denied Franken, to explain away her shortcomings on those important social issues.
In her words, as she castigated Franken, “Sometimes you just have to do what’s right — even if it’s painful.” Exposing hypocrisy is painful, but attacking a peer as she did is a two-edged sword. She will not get my vote, even if it’s painful.
Alan Miller, Eagan
http://www.startribune.com/readers-write-kirsten-gillibrand-and-the-presidency-border-wall-liberty-and-inequality-technology-and-global-competitiveness/504453152/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Sexual harassment/abuse is crushing and painful for anyone, but for one so young it can be devastating.
And I would never take sides against a victim of abuse in favor of her assailant. True sexual predators have no place in our government.
I don't believe anyone here means to attack you for supporting Senator Gillibrand. She has indeed done important work for women, especially military women, while in the senate. I just believe, like many others here, that her attack on Senator Franken (and yes there were others, but she was first and most vocal) was premature and unfounded, and cost us an effective, passionate, and honorable senator.
We can disagree without being nasty to one another, something that sets us apart from the GOP these days.
Until she came out, the ethics hearing was a viable reality. I notice you didn't respond to pointing out that you were using right wing sources to defend your position. 
And, yes, the MeToo moved too much to condemn what many of us used to engage in harmless flirt in the workplace. Though I admit that in too many cases what one side saw as a harmless flirt the other saw as an offense. By both genders, really.
we must elect Democrats... if she becomes the candidate... we can't make any mistakes in 2020... even if it is a person we don't personally care for... the D means everything...
in 2010 many people here were discouraged with Obama and voiced that... my response always was... vote Democratic or we get John Boehner... and we did and that was the beginning of Obama's inability to get accomplished all that he would have been capable of with a Democratic House 
What a leader. His love for people and fairness is still a light. It’s the best of us.
Aloha friend
Thus, Franken has been the "collateral damage" to block Roy Moore. How sad, how disheartening.
Still, as I post elsewhere on this thread - it was the drip drip drip method that was used with Hillary's emails. It appeared that every other day, or so, a new allegations appeared and he had to respond to each. This would have affected his effectiveness. Still, his peers should have awaited for the ethics committee, not that it would have made a difference.
Kristen Gillibrand as a cat!
