The national attention was drawn to the Senate floor for remarks by Senator Al Franken (D-MN). After the eight woman accused Franken of inappropriate sexual misconduct, with a damning photo from a 2005 USO tour, much of the Senate Democrat caucus urged him to resign.
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| Al Franken on 2005 USO Tour |
Yet during Franken's speech, he neither sounded contrite nor did he really resign
Franken's joke resignation was promised to be in a few weeks. Franken then proceeded to cudgel Republican President Donald Trump and Roy Moore over unproven allegations of sexual misconduct as well as as touting his progressive feminist political stances.
Perhaps Franken's decision depends on whether Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore (R-AL) wins the December 12th special election and is seated in the Senate. When the heat is off, Franken may choose not to hurl himself into the fire.
Franken's resignation was intended to give Democrats the high ground and to echo Fox News' Brit Hume: "Make Roy Moore into a Republican hood ornament". But will offering a scrappy defense and not immediately resigning accomplish that political objective?
Franken insisted that he would be vindicated of wrongdoing during his service in the Senate by the Senate Ethics Committee. That is a good bet because that body never expels members. It is a place to bury allegations of wrongdoing.
Time will tell if the delayed departure will accomplish the Democrat political objectives or it will cloud their campaigns against their electoral opponents.
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