Courtesy of TPM:"For a decade now, every time I would get tired or discouraged or frustrated, I would think about the people I was doing this for, and it would get me back up on my feet... I would do it all over again in a heartbeat." http://pic.twitter.com/wEI4EkMQ9s— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 7, 2017
After eight women came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment over the past few weeks, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) took to the Senate floor Thursday morning announcing his resignation from his Senate in the “coming weeks.”
“Serving in the United States Senate has been the honor of my life,” Franken said, choking up as he read his remarks, and vowing to stay active in public life. “I may be resigning my seat, but I’m not giving up my voice.”
With his staff lining the wall of the Senate chamber, waving at him in support, and several of his Democratic colleagues watching his remarks with grim expressions, Franken noted that “all women deserve to be heard and their experiences taken seriously,” but claimed that “many” of the allegations against him are false.
“I know who I really am,” Franken declared.
In a brief speech that swung between contrition and frustration, the Minnesota senator noted bitterly that accused abusers in the Republican Party, including Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore and President Trump himself, have yet to pay a political price.
“I, of all people, am aware that there is some irony in the fact that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office, and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party,” Franken said, seconds after announcing his resignation.
I am heartbroken about this.
Even though I recognize that there really is no choice here.
Source http://ift.tt/2AncwEE
