Gretchen Carlson rips Trump for attacking Franken: What about your accusers?

[riversedge]

Source: the hill



By John Bowden - 11/17/17 09:11 AM EST



Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson slammed President Trump on Friday after he attacked Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) over a photo where the senator appears to be grabbing a woman's breasts.

Carlson was reacting to a late Thursday tweet from the president in which he labeled Franken "Al Frankenstein." In the tweet, Trump questioned "where do his hands go" in other pictures.

"What about yours?" Carlson shot back Friday morning, referring to woman who have accused Trump of sexual assault.

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Franken apologized for the photo, but said he didn't remember the sketch incident the same way. In a second statement, he called for an ethics investigation into himself.
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Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/360858-gretchen-carlson-rips-trump-for-attacking-franken-what-about

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Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Roy Rolling]

1. Right

Of course sexual harassment is abominable, but a staged picture does not demonstrate it. Who sleeps in full battle gear sitting up in a chair? Sorry, the photo is staged. The actress agreed to the photo. Acting!

[forgotmylogin]

2. Apparently that was taken on a plane and they

(there's another person next to her) were sleeping.

It was a rude photo op, and the apology was warranted and accepted by the woman.

However, apparently, she had this photo or had access to it, and only thought to bring it up when the Rs needed a distraction from Moore.

Franken was wrong, but is basically guilty of boorish, harassing behavior, not sexual assault as Moore is.

No sexual predator would pose for a picture like that. It's apparent he's not attempting to attain sexual gratification.

[oberliner]

3. Thrusting one's tongue into someone's mouth without permission is sexual assault

Which is what she has claimed he did to her.

[forgotmylogin]

6. There are degrees of assault though.

People aren't usually sentenced to execution for attempted murder.

What he did was unwarranted and rude, but nowhere approaches sexual assault on the order of undressing a 14 year old in a car behind a restaurant.

[PatSeg]

7. And Franken says

he does not remember the skit rehearsal the same way she did. Both of them may honestly remember it differently, but Franken does have a reputation for being very upfront and honest.

[oberliner]

18. Agreed

On all points.

[Ilsa]

10. She said in her CNN interview that she agreed to

do the run-through, including the practice kiss.

[oberliner]

15. She said she was pressured and coerced into the run-though and assumed he wouldn't use his tongue

Which is a reasonable assumption.

[oberliner]

4. The photo is not staged, the actress did not agree to the photo

Franken has made no such claims. He has apologized for the photo.

More alarming, though, is the claim that he forcibly kissed her against her will.

[pbmus]

8. She consented to kiss...

[Denzil_DC]

5. Where is your evidence

that "the actress agreed to the photo"?

[Denzil_DC]

11. How do you know this?

If you're basing it on a certain widely disseminated Twitter post, it's been debunked. See here: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029852049

If you have any other evidence, I'm all ears.

[pbmus]

12. This will be revealed in committee...past that

Everything is speculation...

[Denzil_DC]

13. Then you have no such evidence. Fine, you could have just said so. n/t

[Denzil_DC]

16. I've done so.

I would wish (probably in my wildest dreams) to conduct myself as well as he's done in the face of such allegations.

He hasn't attacked or sought to discredit Tweeden.

He's said what he did was wrong, and apologized.

He's placed it in the context of wider issues about allegations of abuse.

He hasn't put a foot wrong as far as I can see.

What he hasn't done is quibble or obfuscate or try to make excuses or invent "evidence" (like your claim that "Al has stated it was her camera and that it was a joke" - no, he simply HASN'T hasn't done that) where none exists.

If you're confused about a made-up tweet from a Twitter troll claiming to report the words of the photographer, then see my earlier OP about that.

Franken's taken the high ground.

I think it would be a great idea if we all joined him there.

[pbmus]

17. Agreed...I apologize for anything misleading..

Key points:

The photo was taken by the trip photographer while they were travelling in the Middle East

Ms Tweeden says she did not go public at the time due to concern her work as a model would undermine credibility of her allegations

Mr Franken released a statement apologising for the photo

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-17/us-democrat-al-franken-apologises-for-grope-photo/9160382