Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) was clearly contrite and embarrassed as he addressed reporters in a shaky voice during a brief press conference that highlighted the Senator’s decency and responsibility for his actions.
Clips of Franken’s press conference:
Franken: "I've been trying to take responsibility. I've apologized, and by apologizing to the people I've let down, I'm going to work to regain their trust. I am going to be accountable." (via CBS) pic.twitter.com/0sK02OFY1o
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 27, 2017
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Sen Al Franken, on whether there will be more allegations: "If you had asked me two weeks ago would any woman come forward with an allegation like this, I would have said no. So I cannot speculate." https://t.co/hZjehK9kQG pic.twitter.com/QNSYEfkGdt
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 27, 2017
Sen. Al Franken: "This has been a shock, and it's been extremely humbling. I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed." https://t.co/Hn0wL8OMZK
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 27, 2017
Franken called the allegations a shock and said that he is embarrassed and ashamed, but he is going to go back to work and win back the trust of the people of Minnesota. Sen. Franken also laid out a great philosophy for why he is apologizing, “From these stories it’s been clear that there are some women and one is too many, who feel that I’ve done something disrespectful, and that’s hurt them, and for that I am tremendously sorry, and I know that I am going to have to be much more conscience in these circumstances, much more careful, and much more sensitive, and that this will not happen again going forward.”
Sen. Franken’s voice was shaking, and he was very contrite. Franken said that he is trying to take responsibility by apologizing and trying to win back people’s trust. Franken said that he is going to try to learn from his mistakes and that he wants to be someone who adds something to this conversation, and he hopes that he can do that.
Al Franken sounded like a decent person at the press conference. Unlike Roy Moore and Donald Trump, he didn’t attack his accusers. He didn’t doubt their feelings or try to shame and smear them. If all men tried to be more sensitive and learn something about the experiences of women, it could only help the nation move toward equality in society.
Sen. Franken does have a lot of work ahead of him to win back the trust of the people that he let down, but the press conference was a good first step.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
