On the trip was Tweeden's now-husband, an Air Force pilot, along with country music artists Darryl Worley, Mark Wills and Keni Thomas, Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and Franken, who was the headliner for the show.
Tweeden said Franken wrote skits for the show, and, like many USO shows before it and since, she says "the skits were full of sexual innuendo geared toward a young, male audience."
She said, "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."
In the script, Franken wrote in a kiss between him and Tweeden, and, she says, he asked to rehearse the kiss before the show. Though she said they didn't need to rehearse the moment, since she planned to deny his advances for a laugh, he "continued to insist" and then "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."
Tweeden wrote that she felt "disgusted and violated."
Later on the trip home Franken also acted inappropriately toward an unconscious Tweeden:
First I would say that I am heartbroken by this revelation as I am a big fan of Senator Al Franken.
Secondly I would say that this young woman has every right to feel humiliated and victimized by what Franken did to her.
Having said that I am not certain that Franken's hands are making contact with her bullet proof vest, so I am not certain that "groping" is the appropriate term here. However once again she is quite right to have felt taken advantage of while she was unconscious.
For his part Al Franken issued a statement:
“The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women. There’s more I want to say, but the first and most important thing—and if it’s the only thing you care to hear, that’s fine—is: I’m sorry.
“I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.
“But I want to say something else, too. Over the last few months, all of us—including and especially men who respect women—have been forced to take a good, hard look at our own actions and think (perhaps, shamefully, for the first time) about how those actions have affected women.
“For instance, that picture. I don’t know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn’t matter. There’s no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn’t funny. It’s completely inappropriate. It’s obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture. And, what’s more, I can see how millions of other women would feel violated by it—women who have had similar experiences in their own lives, women who fear having those experiences, women who look up to me, women who have counted on me.
“Coming from the world of comedy, I’ve told and written a lot of jokes that I once thought were funny but later came to realize were just plain offensive. But the intentions behind my actions aren’t the point at all. It’s the impact these jokes had on others that matters. And I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come to terms with that.
“While I don’t remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leeann does, I understand why we need to listen to and believe women’s experiences.
“I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate.
“And the truth is, what people think of me in light of this is far less important than what people think of women who continue to come forward to tell their stories. They deserve to be heard, and believed. And they deserve to know that I am their ally and supporter. I have let them down and am committed to making it up to them.”
I think that Senator Franken should be given at least some credit for taking responsibility for his actions, and for supporting an ethics investigation.
That is certainly a lot more than Roy Moore or Donald Trump have been willing to do.
Unfortunately for Franken another woman has just come forward with a similar allegation, and I would not be surprised if there are more to come.
I think at this point all of us should brace themselves for more allegations, and to see some of our favorite people, in politics and entertainment, facing their own accusations.
After all if people like Al Franken, George Takei, and George H. W. Bush are capable of this kind of thing, it stands to reason that there are a whole lot of other men out there, in positions of some power, who demonstrated poor judgement as well.
I sort of feel obligated to make an attempt to recognize that some of these incidents are far more egregious than others, but ultimately I am not sure that it makes any real difference in the perception of the people being accused.
Which brings me to my next point.
2018 and 2020 are going to be tough election cycles for men in both parties.
ANY male candidate for office is going to have to have a VERY serious conversation with themselves and really ask if there are ANY women, or men, in their past who may make an accusation of inappropriate sexual contact.
In 2020 for instance Al Franken was one of my fantasy football picks for either a Presidential or VP candidate, but now that is simply not going to happen.
People are talking about a potential run by Joe Biden, but with all of these pictures out there clearly that idea needs to be quietly smothered in its sleep.
At this point I am not sure WHICH female candidate would be the best choice (And no not Hillary.), but whoever she it she will have to be squeaky clean and very pro-woman and anti-sexual harassment.
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