Gillibrand sticks it to Fox News in scrappy town hall

[DonViejo]

By ELENA SCHNEIDER 06/02/2019 09:52 PM EDT

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand took on Fox News on the network’s own airwaves Sunday night — a potential starring moment for the New York Democrat, who has struggled to break out of the sprawling Democratic presidential primary field.

In an hour-long town hall in Dubuque, Iowa, she parried questions on President Donald Trump’s border wall, her conservative House record and the trade war with China. She even attacked the network itself for what Gillibrand called its spreading of a "false narrative" on abortion rights.

But Gillibrand’s biggest moment — and a potential viral clip — came during an exchange with Fox News’ host Chris Wallace, who asked Gillibrand to explain her tweet from December 2018, when she said the future was “female” and “intersectional.”

“We want women to have a seat at the table,” Gillibrand said. At that, Wallace jumped in and asked: “What about men?”

“They’re already there — do you not know?” Gillibrand said, greeted by one of the biggest rounds of applause of the night. “It’s not meant to be exclusionary, it’s meant to be inclusionary,” she said.

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/02/gillibrand-fox-news-town-hall-1351100

[IluvPitties]

1. Well, she did her best to kick Al Franken out of the table.

I will not forget.

[Trumpocalypse]

5. Along with over 30 other Senators nt

[LongtimeAZDem]

2. Gillibrand publicly judged someone to be guilty based on bogus claims and unsubstantiated

allegations. In that, she is no different from Fox news.

[Trumpocalypse]

6. As did Sander, Warren, Booker and Harris nt

[LongtimeAZDem]

14. Not to anywhere the same extent; Gillibrand has consistently and repeatedly asserted Franken's guilt

as a matter of fact, and has doubled, tripled, quadrupled down on it.

[Trumpocalypse]

50. She's the only one ever asked about it

Other than Mayor Pete the other day, no one asks Warren, Harris, Booker or Sanders about it.

[USALiberal]

49. LOL, here we go again! Nt

[Princetonian]

3. Gillibrand sure enjoyed sticking it to Al Franken

A more self-righteous senator I have yet to see... that includes her staffers.

[Trumpocalypse]

7. So did Sanders, Warren, Booker and Harris nt

[Princetonian]

9. Gillibrand hounded Franken out of the Senate with repeated denouncements.

For many such as myself, her attacks upon Franken stood out prominently and stand as a testiment to her lack of judgment.

[Trumpocalypse]

13. Hounded??

And what repeated denouncements? I believe there was a Facebook post and a press conference with several other Senators. Franken announced his resignation 2 days later. Not much hounding there.

[Princetonian]

15. She was the first Democratic senator to publicly call on Franken to resign. He did so the next day.

Last edited Mon Jun 3, 2019, 02:21 PM - Edit history (2)

How many still feel about her:

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/26/al-franken-kirsten-gillibrand-2020-1014697

[Trumpocalypse]

16. Yes she was, by 5 minutes

The others did so the very same morning. Anyone not blinded by bias can see that it was a highly coordinated effort orchestrated by leadership.

Your link didn't work but maybe you should look at this one: https://qz.com/1148972/al-franken-all-of-the-senators-calling-for-his-resignation/

[Princetonian]

17. She led the charge without fully vetting the accusations against him. Even now, she persists.

Link should work now.

[Trumpocalypse]

18. So all the others were just blind followers

Doesn't speak well for them.

And other than Tweeden, is there any evidence that the other 7 women were all lying?

[Princetonian]

19. Spreading the blame does not absolve her.

Innocent until proven guilty means the burden of proof is upon the accusers. Was Franken ever convicted in a court of law?

[Trumpocalypse]

20. He was never accused of a crime

And it is not spreading the blame, it is acknowledging that it was a highly coordinated effort, not the responsibility of only one person.

[Princetonian]

22. Yet Gillibrand urged him to resign.

Now she is reaping what she sowed. Her presidential campaign is a dud thus far in no small part to the long memories of Democratic donors and grassroots activists. Your insistence that there was a "highly-coordinated effort" is irrelevant.

[Trumpocalypse]

23. As did over 30 other Senators

Denying that is just denying reality.

[Princetonian]

32. Gillibrand is being shunned by Democratic donors and activists alike.

Her candidacy for president is DOA.

[Trumpocalypse]

34. Irrelevant to the point

that over 30 Senators called for Franken's resignation.

[brooklynite]

36. Add to which...

...there's the accusation (without evidence) that she did this to knock out Franken as a Presidential contender, never mind that Franken had never discussed running for President, and she supposedly colluded with a half dozen other likely Presidential competitors.

Never let a good conspiracy theory go to waste.

[Trumpocalypse]

37. Plus

Gillibrand went to Franken's office with a resignation letter and a gun and told Franken either his signature or his brains would be on the letter.

[LanternWaste]

60. In kind, ignoring the blame does not absolve the others.

But I get it... we have to focus our blame on one and only one target. Anything beyond that gets complicated and we have to begin thinking really hard. So, yeah... just one is guilty of Franken's decision.

[Princetonian]

65. Who is doing that?

You do not know me well enough to know how I feel about "the others".

[USALiberal]

25. This line from you is getting wore out! Nt

[Trumpocalypse]

26. Still the truth nt

[USALiberal]

28. And meaningless! Nt

[Trumpocalypse]

29. Truth is never meaningless

Only demagogues think that it is.

[USALiberal]

24. She wanted to be first, and fucked up doing it. Nt

[Trumpocalypse]

27. You don't what anyone wanted

Don't pretend that you do.

[USALiberal]

30. Lol, no idea what that means! Nt

[Trumpocalypse]

31. Not surprised nt

[Princetonian]

33. Someone keeps alleging it was highly coordinated...

... thus Gillibrand wanted to be first. High visibility = ownership

[Trumpocalypse]

35. You don't know what anyone wanted

Stop pretending that you do.

[Princetonian]

38. Oh but I do: "Kirsten Gillibrand Defends Al Franken Resignation Push After Pete Buttigieg Swipe"

June 4, 2019 (that's today): "Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) stood by her past calls for then-Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) to resign amid sexual misconduct allegations after fellow 2020 presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg said Monday that he wouldn’t have applied the same pressure... I would not have applied that pressure at that time before we knew more.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kirsten-gillibrand-pete-buttigieg-al-franken_n_5cf67a90e4b0e346ce8516b1

She is the only Senator still defending her bad judgment call. I admire Buttigieg greatly.

[Trumpocalypse]

39. But that is not what you accused

but nice try.

[Princetonian]

40. Au contraire. It proves my original statement that she enjoys sticking it to Franken.

.... and the voters will have their say during the Democratic primaries with regards to her highly-coordinated grandstanding. That is the truth.

[Trumpocalypse]

42. No

You said she wanted to be first. You don't know what anyone wanted. You have proved nothing.

[Princetonian]

43. Well, if it is a truth that the grandstanding event was "highly coordinated" as you keep claiming...

... then of course she planned to be front and center. You can't have it both ways.

My opinion is as much of a truth as yours. And about as well-proven. See how that works?

[Trumpocalypse]

44. Here is a timeline

https://qz.com/1148972/al-franken-all-of-the-senators-calling-for-his-resignation/

Anyone that is not blinded by bias can see that it was highly coordinated. You have any links that prove your accusations?

[Princetonian]

45. Gillibrand chose to be first, I see.

She muscled her way into post position.

[Trumpocalypse]

46. By 2 minutes

Can you prove that?

[Princetonian]

47. It was highly coordinated.

There ya go.

[Trumpocalypse]

48. So I guess that is a no

and you can't prove you accusations

[Princetonian]

52. You can't prove your claim.

See how that works?

[Trumpocalypse]

53. The timeline proves it

for anyone not blinded by their bias.

[Princetonian]

54. I can tell you are not a lawyer.

Timelines are not proof of anything except speculative conspiracy theories.

[Trumpocalypse]

55. This is not a court of law

but rather a court of common sense.

But if you want further proof, here are articles written at the time: https://qz.com/1148972/al-franken-all-of-the-senators-calling-for-his-resignation/

Note this quote:

It was a coordinated effort, sparked by a Politico report published that morning,

and https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/06/politics/senators-al-franken-resignation/index.html

Starting around 11:30 a.m. ET, the senators posted statements in a coordinated effort, one after the other, on social media, saying the Minnesota Democrat should step down.

As I said it is obvious to anyone not blinded by their bias.

[Princetonian]

56. So you say Gillbrand coordinated/muscled her way into post position for maximum media exposure.

Note that her political mentor is none other than Mr. Media Savvy aka. Senate Minority Leader Chuck. It should be obvious to anyone with a modicum of political sense that he granted her the coveted post position to get maximum media exposure.

[Trumpocalypse]

57. Prove that

Please post links to credible sources.

[Princetonian]

58. This is not a court of law.

My opinion is as valid as yours or those of your "sources" (which offered zero proof).

[Trumpocalypse]

59. Not a matter of opinion

Everything I posted shows that it was a coordinated effort. And I posted links to back that up. I dare you to do the same.

[Princetonian]

61. Everything you posted is a matter of opinion.

Unlike some people, I don't believe everyhing I read.... unless it is backed up by quotes from the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

[Trumpocalypse]

62. No it not

You are just refusing to accept reality since it is at odds with your bias.

Can you produce one link to a credible source that provides any evidence that supports your accusations?

As progressives we need to value facts and not let our own bias get in the way of that. Otherwise we are just as bad as those on the right who ignore facts and deny reality.

[Princetonian]

63. You have zero facts.

Your opinion-based sense of reality is at odds with my need to see a credible source which quotes the Senate Minority Leader. Have any? Unless you do, I am afraid it is you who does not value factual data.

Thanks for playing. It was really fun.

[Trumpocalypse]

64. No you just refuse to accept them

because they are at odds with your bias.

And still waiting for you to provide links that support your accusations. Every post you make without them is an admission that you can't.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. She good at sticking it to fellow Democrats, too.

[Trumpocalypse]

8. Like this?

[TheCowsCameHome]

21. Gillibrand will keep the bottom of the polls from falling out.

That's the good news.

[Hortensis]

10. Ho-hum? :) Her history is not all about Franken, nor this appearance.

My biggest problem with her is that I don't trust her either, but for a number of reasons. Maybe another several years of admirable behavior will resolve that.

But, I didn't see her on Fox. (I actually try to avoid both.)

Probably the best thing about all these candidates, though, is that they're all hopefully spreading our Democratic messages of liberal progressive principles and goals around the nations. She's been carefully building a record of being very liberal in the senate, so she should know what those are. Did she do us proud?

Anyone remember what questions she parried about her conservative record in the state legislature?

[brooklynite]

11. She was never in the State Legislature...

[Hortensis]

12. Oh, right. Congresswoman from non-coastal district.

SO, how'd she do? Did she do the Democratic Party proud before that audience?

[Bettie]

41. She's not my choice by a long shot

but that was a good line.

[stonecutter357]

51. Al Franken 2020 !