About this Gillibrand/Franken thing...

[TreasonousBastard]

I have no more knowledge of the complaints than anyone else around here, but some things seem obvious.

This did not seem to be KG's war on Franken-- it was obviously planned well in advance. Nothing happens spontaneously in Washington, and you don't get 30 Senators to pile on one of their own within minutes of a fresh accusation. It just doesn't happen.

So, this was in the works for a while, and I suspect KG was given the job because she has been one of the more outspoken Senators for women's rights, and this would be right up her alley. Besides, she has a very safe seat, so wouldn't be hurt by the fallout as some others might be.

What was in the background that we never saw? I can speculate about a few things, but just don't know. I would like to eventually know just what it really was that spooked almost half the Senate.

KG is low on my list, but it has nothing to do with Franken.

[True Dough]

1. Would you mind expounding on your reasons

for having Gillibrand low on your list? I'm curious.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. I simply don't think she would be a particularly good President in these times...

She's one of my Senators, and I'm perfectly happy with her there, but I haven't seen her show anything special abilities to heal the wounds in this country.

[comradebillyboy]

2. Gillibrand is the scapegoat for the collective act of

30 Senate Democrats.

[hlthe2b]

4. Most deservedly so. n/t

[True Dough]

6. Are you including Kamala Harris

among those 30?

[comradebillyboy]

10. Yes

[kiri]

12. no to venial Gillibrand

KG orchestrated her attack on Franken for purely venial motives, to destroy a rival and aggrandize herself.

She never apologized nor recognized her railroading.

Franken was a better senator than gillibrand could ever be.

I support neither her nor anyone who joined her cabal.

[Trumpocalypse]

14. Any proof of your accustions

Specifically, "KG orchestrated her attack on Franken for purely venial motives, to destroy a rival and aggrandize herself."

Please provide links to credible sources.

[hlthe2b]

3. Opportunism...

You can dress it up in pro-party conspiracy. You can imply there was "more to the story" never told (and unbelievably never leaked). You can dress it up as a "higher cause, a higher purpose, a greater good for the party"...

But ultimately, it came down to one thing... opportunism. KG wasn't the only one to grab that chance, but she led the effort. You say nothing to convince me that any of the "dressing up" of what happened had any more to do with seizing the opportunity. No matter what...

[TreasonousBastard]

7. KG is an opportunist, her history has shown that, but I'm not sure that's....

always such a bad thing in a politician. It certainly comes with the territory.

But, unless the outcome was already known, I can't see how it's opportunistic to lead the charge against a popular fellow Senator. What did she get out of it?

[hlthe2b]

8. It is what she THOUGHT she would get out of it..

It cemented her position as "leader" of ME TOO and related issues in the Senate--allowed her a means of "standing out" from her fellow Senators. I sincerely doubt she ever thought, given the environment and what else was going on at the time, that it would backfire. It has and her campaign is the evidence. I for one acknowledge that on many issues she has been a good candidate. But, those who claimed the public would not hold her role in this episode with Franken against her (an episode that many not only vividly remember but felt unfair at the time and continue to do so), were quite wrong.

She could continue to hold her positions on this while acknowledging that there is a need for 'systems' changes or whatever. But instead, she remains defiant. Worse, she continues to hold up "eight women" as though they were equally valid, equally serious, and equally and thoroughly investigated accusations. They were NOT.

I won't forget and one hell of a lot of other progressive Democrats will not either.

[2naSalit]

9. +1

[MicaelS]

11. I agree 1000 percent.

Great post. I wish I had posted it.

[Trumpocalypse]

15. And what proof do you have of any of that?

Please provide links to credible sources.

[hlthe2b]

16. I've respectfully tried to converse with you multiple times before

but it is always the same schtick. That you ALWAYS show up to threads where G and Franken are discussed with the same old DEMANDS, which only continually escalate with no acknowledgment that your questions were answered---- rather than any kind of two-way conversation --is beyond predictable.

So, NO! Feel free to put me on ignore, because I'm done.

[Trumpocalypse]

17. Why do you have a problem with being asked to prove your accusations?

Unless you can't do so?

[hlthe2b]

18. Answered fully in my post to you above.

[Trumpocalypse]

19. Where are the links? nt

[flotsam]

13. Oh POOR Kirsten

You want to know why she gets most the blame? Watch a western-the sheriff always aims his gun at, or beats the shit out of the leader of the lynch mob and then the rest of the mob fades away. No Gillibrand, no lynching. I want Franken back and wouldn't mind her being primaried.

[Politicub]

20. It has grown tiresome and predictable

And nothing is worse than predictability when it comes to a forum.

I get it. People loved Franken. I'm sure some posters named children after him.

But after a while, it became old -- sort of like the flea that runs around in some folks' signature section.

It's quite ridiculous to ignore everything Gillibrand says for all time and hiss loudly when anyone dares to utter her name.

Besides, the photo of Franken miming squeezing the sleeping soldier's breasts showed poor judgement on the part of someone planning to run for congress two years later. It's not a good look for the #metoo era.