LeeAnn Tweeden Al Franken Controversy

[LoAmmo]

I remember Democratic Senator Al Franken losing his seat after PRETENDING to honk a sleeping girl’s boobs, so yeah, it appears that the bar has been moved.

 

[Swammerdami]

I remember Democratic Senator Al Franken losing his seat after PRETENDING to honk a sleeping girl’s boobs, so yeah, it appears that the bar has been moved.

No bar moved. It's.Just.Not.A.Problem.When.Republicans.Do.It.

You can't really complain about scumbags like Boebert, Gaetz, MTG etc. Trailer parks, jails, and rehab resorts are full of people who would steal from a blind beggar, pimp out their sister, or perform in Congress about the same as the scumbags. What's ineffably sad are the millions of Americans so brainwashed by Putin, QAnon and Tucker Carlson that they vote for these scumbags.

 

[thebeave]

I remember Democratic Senator Al Franken losing his seat after PRETENDING to honk a sleeping girl’s boobs, so yeah, it appears that the bar has been moved.

Well, not really. They're really two different things. Presumably, the sexual touching between LB and her bf was consensual.* With Al Franken, there was no sexual touching, but it could be argued that it was a case of sexual harrassment (even though she was sleeping). Also, IIRC AF was still on official Senator duty on the plane, whereas LB was "off duty" as a Rep at the theater. As a minimum, it was certainly juvenile and unbecoming of a US Senator which is really why I think he was pushed out. Even though I'm not an Al Franken fan, I thought his punishment was over the top, and an apology would have been sufficient.

* Though some would say that words to the effect of, "Do I have your permission to grab your boob?" are necessary for it to be consensual, followed by, "Yes, you do. Can I grab your dick?" I wonder if there is audio we can check to see all that was on the up-and-up?

 

[marc]

Well, not really. They're really two different things. Presumably, the sexual touching between LB and her bf was consensual.* With Al Franken, there was no sexual touching, but it could be argued that it was a case of sexual harrassment (even though she was sleeping). Also, IIRC AF was still on official Senator duty on the plane, whereas LB was "off duty" as a Rep at the theater.

The photo was from 2006, Franken wasn't elected until 2008. He was there as part of the USO tour, as was the woman.

But I do agree these are completely different things. LB's was consensual, and I have no issue with that part of it really, other than the multiple layers of hypocrisy. The vaping, singing, and flash photography are reasons to kick her out.

 

[Gospel]

The resignation of Franken stands as a notable victory for the #MeToo movement, a development that garnered acquiescence from Republican ranks.

 

[ZiprHead]

I remember Democratic Senator Al Franken losing his seat after PRETENDING to honk a sleeping girl’s boobs, so yeah, it appears that the bar has been moved.

Well, not really. They're really two different things. Presumably, the sexual touching between LB and her bf was consensual.* With Al Franken, there was no sexual touching, but it could be argued that it was a case of sexual harrassment (even though she was sleeping). Also, IIRC AF was still on official Senator duty on the plane, whereas LB was "off duty" as a Rep at the theater. As a minimum, it was certainly juvenile and unbecoming of a US Senator which is really why I think he was pushed out. Even though I'm not an Al Franken fan, I thought his punishment was over the top, and an apology would have been sufficient.

* Though some would say that words to the effect of, "Do I have your permission to grab your boob?" are necessary for it to be consensual, followed by, "Yes, you do. Can I grab your dick?" I wonder if there is audio we can check to see all that was on the up-and-up?

Wrong. This happened 3 years befor Franken became a senator. The woman that accused him did far worse to the men on stage than Franken did to her. It was a setup from the get go.

 

[thebeave]

I remember Democratic Senator Al Franken losing his seat after PRETENDING to honk a sleeping girl’s boobs, so yeah, it appears that the bar has been moved.

Well, not really. They're really two different things. Presumably, the sexual touching between LB and her bf was consensual.* With Al Franken, there was no sexual touching, but it could be argued that it was a case of sexual harrassment (even though she was sleeping). Also, IIRC AF was still on official Senator duty on the plane, whereas LB was "off duty" as a Rep at the theater. As a minimum, it was certainly juvenile and unbecoming of a US Senator which is really why I think he was pushed out. Even though I'm not an Al Franken fan, I thought his punishment was over the top, and an apology would have been sufficient.

* Though some would say that words to the effect of, "Do I have your permission to grab your boob?" are necessary for it to be consensual, followed by, "Yes, you do. Can I grab your dick?" I wonder if there is audio we can check to see all that was on the up-and-up?

Wrong. This happened 3 years befor Franken became a senator. The woman that accused him did far worse to the men on stage than Franken did to her. It was a setup from the get go.

I know. This was clarified earlier in post 137 (which I gave a thumbs up to). I said IIRC, "If I recall correctly". I obviously did not recall correctly. So sue me.

What are you referring to regarding what she did to the men on stage, and how was it a setup?

 

[TomC]

What are you referring to regarding what she did to the men on stage, and how was it a setup?

The accusations of Franken being a sexual predator.
Tom

 

[ZiprHead]

I remember Democratic Senator Al Franken losing his seat after PRETENDING to honk a sleeping girl’s boobs, so yeah, it appears that the bar has been moved.

Well, not really. They're really two different things. Presumably, the sexual touching between LB and her bf was consensual.* With Al Franken, there was no sexual touching, but it could be argued that it was a case of sexual harrassment (even though she was sleeping). Also, IIRC AF was still on official Senator duty on the plane, whereas LB was "off duty" as a Rep at the theater. As a minimum, it was certainly juvenile and unbecoming of a US Senator which is really why I think he was pushed out. Even though I'm not an Al Franken fan, I thought his punishment was over the top, and an apology would have been sufficient.

* Though some would say that words to the effect of, "Do I have your permission to grab your boob?" are necessary for it to be consensual, followed by, "Yes, you do. Can I grab your dick?" I wonder if there is audio we can check to see all that was on the up-and-up?

Wrong. This happened 3 years befor Franken became a senator. The woman that accused him did far worse to the men on stage than Franken did to her. It was a setup from the get go.

I know. This was clarified earlier in post 137 (which I gave a thumbs up to). I said IIRC, "If I recall correctly". I obviously did not recall correctly. So sue me.

What are you referring to regarding what she did to the men on stage, and how was it a setup?

She slapped men on the butts and groped their genitals, iirc.

One example...

 

[thebeave]

I remember Democratic Senator Al Franken losing his seat after PRETENDING to honk a sleeping girl’s boobs, so yeah, it appears that the bar has been moved.

Well, not really. They're really two different things. Presumably, the sexual touching between LB and her bf was consensual.* With Al Franken, there was no sexual touching, but it could be argued that it was a case of sexual harrassment (even though she was sleeping). Also, IIRC AF was still on official Senator duty on the plane, whereas LB was "off duty" as a Rep at the theater. As a minimum, it was certainly juvenile and unbecoming of a US Senator which is really why I think he was pushed out. Even though I'm not an Al Franken fan, I thought his punishment was over the top, and an apology would have been sufficient.

* Though some would say that words to the effect of, "Do I have your permission to grab your boob?" are necessary for it to be consensual, followed by, "Yes, you do. Can I grab your dick?" I wonder if there is audio we can check to see all that was on the up-and-up?

Wrong. This happened 3 years befor Franken became a senator. The woman that accused him did far worse to the men on stage than Franken did to her. It was a setup from the get go.

I know. This was clarified earlier in post 137 (which I gave a thumbs up to). I said IIRC, "If I recall correctly". I obviously did not recall correctly. So sue me.

What are you referring to regarding what she did to the men on stage, and how was it a setup?

She slapped men on the butts and groped their genitals, iirc.

One example...

iirc...har, har, har. All I could find about Leeann Tweedon and the supposed slapping of butts and groping genitals was this:

Leeann Tweeden: Video With 10K Views Shows Her Throwing Her Leg Around Robin Williams, Slapping His Backside

Its not clear if RW was in on it from the get-go, if it was a spontaneous thing. For some reason, women felt entitled to grab him whenever and wherever. Joy Behar did a crotch grab on him, IIRC.

ETA: Looks like we found the same video at the same time!

 

[TomC]

I remember Democratic Senator Al Franken losing his seat after PRETENDING to honk a sleeping girl’s boobs, so yeah, it appears that the bar has been moved.

Well, not really. They're really two different things. Presumably, the sexual touching between LB and her bf was consensual.* With Al Franken, there was no sexual touching, but it could be argued that it was a case of sexual harrassment (even though she was sleeping). Also, IIRC AF was still on official Senator duty on the plane, whereas LB was "off duty" as a Rep at the theater. As a minimum, it was certainly juvenile and unbecoming of a US Senator which is really why I think he was pushed out. Even though I'm not an Al Franken fan, I thought his punishment was over the top, and an apology would have been sufficient.

* Though some would say that words to the effect of, "Do I have your permission to grab your boob?" are necessary for it to be consensual, followed by, "Yes, you do. Can I grab your dick?" I wonder if there is audio we can check to see all that was on the up-and-up?

Wrong. This happened 3 years befor Franken became a senator. The woman that accused him did far worse to the men on stage than Franken did to her. It was a setup from the get go.

I know. This was clarified earlier in post 137 (which I gave a thumbs up to). I said IIRC, "If I recall correctly". I obviously did not recall correctly. So sue me.

What are you referring to regarding what she did to the men on stage, and how was it a setup?

She slapped men on the butts and groped their genitals, iirc.

One example...

iirc...har, har, har. All I could find about Leeann Tweedon and the supposed slapping of butts and groping genitals was this:

Leeann Tweeden: Video With 10K Views Shows Her Throwing Her Leg Around Robin Williams, Slapping His Backside

Its not clear if RW was in on it from the get-go, if it was a spontaneous thing. For some reason, women felt entitled to grab him whenever and wherever. Joy Behar did a crotch grab on him, IIRC.

ETA: Looks like we found the same video at the same time!

It's different when women do it because sexism.
Tom

 

[ZiprHead]

I know. This was clarified earlier in post 137 (which I gave a thumbs up to). I said IIRC, "If I recall correctly". I obviously did not recall correctly. So sue me.

Sorry. I hadn't seen that post before responding. So sue me.

 

[ZiprHead]

What We Learned From The New Yorker’s Al Franken Story

The USO skit wasn’t written for Leeann Tweeden, Sean Hannity knew about the groping photo a decade earlier, and Franken regrets resigning.

nymag.com

Sean Hannity wanted to release the photo in 2007​

Tweeden befriended Sean Hannity more than a decade ago and showed him the picture above. Hannity wanted to make it public in 2007, during Franken’s first Senate run, but “he deferred to Tweeden, who feared that, because she had been a lingerie model, her credibility would be attacked.”

So she was working with Sean Hannity. Also working with Greg Gutfeld.

Tweeden was wrong about Franken writing a skit especially for her​

In Tweeden’s telling, Franken wrote a scene that included a kiss between them when he found out she would be joining the USO. tour. The scene was about an older male officer trying to get a younger female to kiss him during an audition. It was during a rehearsal for this scene that Tweeden said Franken forced his tongue down her throat.

But Mayer spoke to two actresses who’d previously done the same scene with Franken. She also cited NPR interviews from 2004 and 2005 in which Franken described the skit prior to the tour with Tweeden.

Tweeden was okay with other “ribald USO skits”​

Mayer reports that Tweeden gamely participated in the skit that included Franken kissing her. Also, one time during a 2005 USO show with Robin Williams, she “jumped into his arms, wrapped a leg around his waist, and spanked his bottom as he suggestively waved a plastic water bottle in front of his fly.”

Franken has a lot of character witnesses​

Among the ways Franken is described by those who think he could have never sexually assaulted someone:

• The “self-appointed hallway monitor” figure at Saturday Night Live. — Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, in their book, Saturday Night

• Someone who didn’t ogle Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders on a previous USO tour. — actress Traylor Portman, who went on USO tours with Franken

• A guy who often adopts “the persona of a douche bag.” — former SNL writer James Downey

• “One of the few non-sexist men she worked with at SNL.” — Jane Curtin

• “He’s sort of clumsy.” — Gabrielle Zuckerman, Franken’s former co-worker at Air America

• “He has no sexuality.” — Sarah Silverman

 

[ZiprHead]

ETA: Looks like we found the same video at the same time!

There were others at the time. I remember them but I cannot find them.

 

[Toni]

The resignation of Franken stands as a notable victory for the #MeToo movement, a development that garnered acquiescence from Republican ranks.

No. It doesn't and it didn't stand for any kind of victory, except for the Republicans (although Franken's replacement is good). And a short lived, mini victory for Kirsten Gillibrand, whose name I had to google to remember. Because frankly, that's what it was all about Kirsten Gillibrand boosting her name/image. Fuck her.

Not only was that image a joke but if I remember correctly, the woman wasn't even actually asleep but merely pretending to be. Nothing without her persmission. Yes, it was a crude, sexist joke. It was also a USO tour so....pretty much a given.

 

[TomC]

No. It doesn't and it didn't stand for any kind of victory, except for the Republicans

I remember when it was a victory for #MeToo.

Sorry to be old. But yeah, I remember when that was another notch in the lip stick case.
Tom

 

[Gospel]

The resignation of Franken stands as a notable victory for the #MeToo movement, a development that garnered acquiescence from Republican ranks.

No. It doesn't and it didn't stand for any kind of victory, except for the Republicans (although Franken's replacement is good). And a short lived, mini victory for Kirsten Gillibrand, whose name I had to google to remember. Because frankly, that's what it was all about Kirsten Gillibrand boosting her name/image. Fuck her.

Not only was that image a joke but if I remember correctly, the woman wasn't even actually asleep but merely pretending to be. Nothing without her persmission. Yes, it was a crude, sexist joke. It was also a USO tour so....pretty much a given.

I intended to refer to roughly when the dominos (aka momentum) began permeating political circles. I didn't make that clear at all so my fault.

 

[Bronzeage]

Boebert has been saved by the same arithmetic as George Santos. Republicans know they are a minority among voters, so every warm ass in a chair on their side of the aisle is precious. It been this way for 40 years. When a Wyoming Senator Larry Craig disturbed the peace in an airport men's room, Senate leadership begged him to stay in his seat. The same is true of Louisiana Senator David Vitter, when his prostitution scandal broke. It's going to be like this until the GOP has an unassailable majority, or more likely, their minority shrinks to the level where public embarrassments like Boebert and Santos are too heavy a drag.

 

[Patooka]

No. It doesn't and it didn't stand for any kind of victory, except for the Republicans

I remember when it was a victory for #MeToo.

Sorry to be old. But yeah, I remember when that was another notch in the lip stick case.
Tom

I remember it being discussed here, and not a single person thought it was a victory. I distinctly remember it being pointed out that Tweeden was a birther who was regularly on Hannity and that it all reeked of a hatchet job, and people like angelo and Trausti trying to claim that is hypocrisy. I'm sure it's archived somewhere if anyone is interested.

EDIT: Yep, here we are:

Et tu, Stuarte?

Senator Al Franken Kissed and Groped Me Without My Consent, And There’s Nothing Funny About It I am sure he will resign his Senate seat immediately, because you know, guilty until proven innocent and all that.

iidb.org

Turns out my memory is fucked, and Trausti and angelo had nothing to do with it.

 

[Toni]

Looking back through that thread made me miss some posters

No. It doesn't and it didn't stand for any kind of victory, except for the Republicans

I remember when it was a victory for #MeToo.

Sorry to be old. But yeah, I remember when that was another notch in the lip stick case.
Tom

I remember it being discussed here, and not a single person thought it was a victory. I distinctly remember it being pointed out that Tweeden was a birther who was regularly on Hannity and that it all reeked of a hatchet job, and people like angelo and Trausti trying to claim that is hypocrisy. I'm sure it's archived somewhere if anyone is interested.

EDIT: Yep, here we are:

Et tu, Stuarte?

Senator Al Franken Kissed and Groped Me Without My Consent, And There’s Nothing Funny About It I am sure he will resign his Senate seat immediately, because you know, guilty until proven innocent and all that.

iidb.org

Turns out my memory is fucked, and Trausti and angelo had nothing to do with it.

Looking over that thread makes me miss some posters I don’t see here anymore.

I remember seeing an interview with her—she seemed embarrassed that she was making these claims. Not embarrassed about having the ‘fact’ that she was assaulted publicly revealed and having to re-live it, but ashamed of making that claim.

Did Franken force a kiss on her? I dunno. Sometimes in certain situations, there’s a misperception. Franken was a well known performer—rehearsing the kids would have been routine and not romantic or sexual. She seems to not have been an experienced performer. She also seems to have profited from her claim.

I remember another woman who claimed that Franken made her uncomfortable by being close to her in an impromptu phot she asked for, and claimed he grabbed her ass. This seemed unlikely from the photo and also the circumstance: her family, including her spouse and mother were right there. She said she was uncomfortable because of her recent change in weight. She seemed to be looking for some fame.