Dozens of Democratic Senators have now called on Sen. Al Franken to resign following sexual misconduct allegations, and new reporting on Monday suggests that’s exactly what the Minnesota Democrat plans to do.
According to Minnesota Public Radio, a source close to Franken says the Senator plans to resign on Thursday.
Franken’s potential resignation comes a day after Democratic Rep. John Conyers was essentially forced out by members of his own party for sexual harassment allegations made against him.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump remains in the White House and Alabama’s Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore has the lead in public opinion polls ahead of the Dec. 12 special election race, despite his history of preying on and dating teenage girls.
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Matt McDermott laid out just how different the two parties are handling the flood of women coming forward to tell their stories:
Worth remembering that as Democratic women of the Senate rightfully stand up to call on Al Franken to resign, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to child molester Roy Moore.
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) December 6, 2017
While it’s admirable that Democrats are showing that some things are more important than partisan politics, it’s time for them to be just as vocal and passionate about calling on Trump to step down as they have been about members of their own party.
Trump may have won last year’s election with a massive assist from Russia and former FBI Director James Comey, but that doesn’t erase the 16 women who came forward during the campaign to tell their stories about being victimized by the now-president.
It has only been a year since Trump was elected, but the environment surrounding this issue has transformed dramatically, and it’s time for the country to revisit the credible allegations made against the man sitting in the Oval Office.
For too long, men in powerful positions across all industries have gotten away with abusing and mistreating women. Democrats have admirably shown that even if members of their own party are exposed for their own misconduct, they will not hesitate in urging them to step aside.
It’s the right thing to do, but they shouldn’t focus solely on their own members in an attempt to take the high road.
It’s time for them to remember that the sitting President of the United States still has paid no political or legal price for his own alleged behavior, which is much worse than the charges made against Al Franken.
The Democrats should speak out accordingly and call on Donald Trump to resign, too.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.