Al Franken accused of kissing and groping radio host. Will resign.

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
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Franken had written some skits for the show and brought props and costumes to go along with them. Like many USO shows before and since, the skits were full of sexual innuendo geared toward a young, male audience.

As a TV host and sports broadcaster, as well as a model familiar to the audience from the covers of FHM, Maxim and Playboy, I was only expecting to emcee and introduce the acts, but Franken said he had written a part for me that he thought would be funny, and I agreed to play along.

When I saw the script, Franken had written a moment when his character comes at me for a ‘kiss’. I suspected what he was after, but I figured I could turn my head at the last minute, or put my hand over his mouth, to get more laughs from the crowd.

On the day of the show Franken and I were alone backstage going over our lines one last time. He said to me, “We need to rehearse the kiss.” I laughed and ignored him. Then he said it again. I said something like, ‘Relax Al, this isn’t SNL…we don’t need to rehearse the kiss.’

He continued to insist, and I was beginning to get uncomfortable.

He repeated that actors really need to rehearse everything and that we must practice the kiss. I said ‘OK’ so he would stop badgering me. We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth.

I immediately pushed him away with both of my hands against his chest and told him if he ever did that to me again I wouldn’t be so nice about it the next time.

I couldn’t believe it. He groped me, without my consent, while I was asleep.

I felt violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated.

How dare anyone grab my breasts like this and think it’s funny?

I told my husband everything that happened and showed him the picture.

I wanted to shout my story to the world with a megaphone to anyone who would listen, but even as angry as I was, I was worried about the potential backlash and damage going public might have on my career as a broadcaster.

http://www.kabc.com/2017/11/16/leeann-tweeden-on-senator-al-franken/

I think he should resign and a replacement to appointed to finish his term.

Edit: On 12/7 announced his resignation
 
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K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
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Franken responds:

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This is not sufficient IMO. Resign and let the MN gov fill your seat with a woman if the party wants to show they're serious about this stuff.
 
Jan 25, 2011
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Pretty weak sauce there Franken. It's not that it wasn't funny. It's that it was a violation of that woman. While she slept!
 

UNCjigga

Lifer
Dec 12, 2000
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You know, it's hilarious, but last weekend (when the Roy Moore thing first blew up) my wife and I were chatting about who else in the Senate would have allegations surface, and we both immediately thought of Franken. It's sad, he's really surprised me as a Senator and I think he's one of the best Dems have, but as a comedian in show business and SNL cast member, you just know he's been to the fun parties and would have some stories to tell.
 

MajinCry

Platinum Member
Jul 28, 2015
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You know, it's hilarious, but last weekend (when the Roy Moore thing first blew up) my wife and I were chatting about who else in the Senate would have allegations surface, and we both immediately thought of Franken. It's sad, he's really surprised me as a Senator and I think he's one of the best Dems have, but as a comedian in show business and SNL cast member, you just know he's been to the fun parties and would have some stories to tell.

He can be as great a senator as he wants, he should be fired, tried and punished to the fullest extent of the law; just like the rest of these rapacious scumbags.
 

UNCjigga

Lifer
Dec 12, 2000
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I'd think so, but it's from 2006 so I don't know how that would affect the statute of limitations in whichever jurisdiction he'd be charged.
No statute of limitations on public opinion, and that's all that matters for someone holding public office. I don't find the scripted kiss thing that bad, but groping while sleeping is open and shut sexual assault.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
52,128
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You know, it's hilarious, but last weekend (when the Roy Moore thing first blew up) my wife and I were chatting about who else in the Senate would have allegations surface, and we both immediately thought of Franken. It's sad, he's really surprised me as a Senator and I think he's one of the best Dems have, but as a comedian in show business and SNL cast member, you just know he's been to the fun parties and would have some stories to tell.

My suspicion is that many members of both parties are guilty of some horrible shit.
 
Nov 8, 2012
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Well.... to say the least there definitely isn't really any political bias when it comes to these stories. Both sides guilty on these, heh.
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
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I don't know if he is actually touching or merely threatening to touch in that picture.

Not that it makes that photo any less disgusting for the debasing involved.
 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
34,647
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No statute of limitations on public opinion, and that's all that matters for someone holding public office. I don't find the scripted kiss thing that bad, but groping while sleeping is open and shut sexual assault.

I can't imagine what would possess someone to act like he did in either instance. People really need to get their self-control in check, especially when it comes to actions which can harm other people.
 

interchange

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
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Not if this photograph is the only proof she has, look at the left hand, quite clearly he is just posing ~
leeann-airplane-pic.jpg

Does contact have to be made? How much contact? Come on. The guy harassed her from a position of power and traumatized her intentionally and without her consent. There is no way this can be seen as excusable behavior.
 

R0H1T

Platinum Member
Jan 12, 2013
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Does contact have to be made? How much contact? Come on. The guy harassed her from a position of power and traumatized her intentionally and without her consent. There is no way this can be seen as excusable behavior.
If she's saying he groped her, then by definition it means physical contact.

Of course but not based on that piece of evidence, now if the person who took that photograph corroborated her claim then that's a different story.
 

interchange

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
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If she's saying he groped her, then by definition it means physical contact.

Of course but not based on that piece of evidence, now if the person who took that photograph corroborated her claim then that's a different story.

Ok. So if you change her story to not used the word groped, how do things change? Really, she doesn't know better if he touched her than you or I. She learned of the incident from seeing the photograph.
 

khon

Golden Member
Jun 8, 2010
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I like Al Franken, but that is completely unacceptable. He needs to apologize publically, and if it turns out he had a pattern of "jokes" like these, he should leave the senate.
 

obidamnkenobi

Golden Member
Sep 16, 2010
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Does contact have to be made? How much contact? Come on. The guy harassed her from a position of power and traumatized her intentionally and without her consent. There is no way this can be seen as excusable behavior.

Yeah never mind the semantics, that's disgusting behavior and degrading to that woman. Whether or not it's assault the courts will have to sort out, but he should be out as a senator. Disgusting. If the other kiss story is true that is definitely sexual assault. I say this as someone who (until now) liked Franken and often agree with him. It's possible to denounce someone for shitty behavior, even when they're "your side"..
 
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IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
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There seems to be some confusion here. The photo concerns a separate incident from the skit incident. Two different women, two different instances of inappropriate behavior.

Edit: I was wrong, same deal.
 
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R0H1T

Platinum Member
Jan 12, 2013
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Ok. So if you change her story to not used the word groped, how do things change? Really, she doesn't know better if he touched her than you or I. She learned of the incident from seeing the photograph.
If you examine the photograph closely, it shows no groping but someone posing as if he's going/trying to grope her. Yeah unfunny atm, but as you said we don't know whether there was any groping before or after the photograph was taken. That takes half her claim away, the fact is though that this sort of an image is unacceptable in today's environment.

However if you google the word grope, you'll see lots of TV & movie stills showing the same as if glorifying it. So, first of all we need to stop accepting this kind of locker room talk. That goes for both sides, right & left.
There seems to be some confusion here. The photo concerns a separate incident from the skit incident. Two different women, two different instances of inappropriate behavior.
I don't think so, it's right on her helmet ~ tweeden.
 
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Feb 16, 2005
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There seems to be some confusion here. The photo concerns a separate incident from the skit incident. Two different women, two different instances of inappropriate behavior.
and that definitely does not make it better. I hope Al leads by example here.