All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[Tazirai]

^This.

On the left: Franken response amounts to volunteering for ethics hearings where he'll be raked over the coals for a s***ty thing he did 11 years ago. But from it, his colleagues might lose him in the Senate, but will open a conversation about sexual assault being unacceptable as a culture norm, even if it's just one incident and Franken intended no harm. The most important thing is a conversation is had, and the country can move forward.
On the right: Trump sexually assaults multiple women. Brags about committing the exact kinds of assaults on tape. Threatens to sue them for "lying". GOP still do nothing regarding these claims. Meanwhile, Roy Moore spends several years trying to prey on teen girls, sexually assaulting several. Republicans avoid the subject, fleeing from cameras for days because it's a member of their own party. Alabama Republicans fall on their face providing a defense for a pedophile and serial sex offender, with some threatening to arrest his accusers for not coming forward sooner, many openly admitting they would rather vote for a pedophile than a Democrat, and others literally comparing Moore to Jesus' stepfather, Joseph. Not to mention, the GOP have done nothing about Congressmen whose offices have had rampant sexual harassment in their ranks for several years, including Blake Farenthold and Mark Meadows. When it's one of theirs, they circle the wagons, and attack the victims, no matter how many are assaulted, how they're assaulted, or how young the victims are.

What I think this indicates is at least Democrats still have a moral center in there somewhere. When one of their own f***s up, they still make them answer for it. No matter the severity of the offense.

All of this. Funny how they call us Liberal democrats and Independentsd Godless heathens and agents of Immorality, YET They constantly lose the moral argument. CONSTANTLY!!

[Mister Mets]

Then this might make things worse. However, I can't vouch for the veracity of the writer.

Metadata on the Franken photo

To sum up.

The photo wasn't taken the day she claims. It's Dec. 21st, not the 24th.

The timestamp is 5:19pm - but who knows if the camera was up to date with local time.

Date last modified is 10:30PM, July 1st, 2009. That's the very day after Norm Coleman conceded the court case over the election recount which resulted in Franken becoming a senator.

Why isn't this reported in the Washington Post, or the New York Times, or anywhere with more authority than people with about 2,000 twitter followers?

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

Judge Bill O'Neil: Yep. I had consensual sex with over 50 adult women.

Judge Roy Moore: Consenual? Adult? Ha! Liberals.

[Tazirai]

Was just thinking, wouldn't it be nice if Republicans and Democrats both dressed like nascar drivers?
That way we'd know who their donors were, before the next series of Elections and 2018?

[Mecegirl]

Why isn't this reported in the Washington Post, or the New York Times, or anywhere with more authority than people with about 2,000 twitter followers?

I'd say because it looks too close to calling an accuser a liar by questioning her account. Even if valid I doubt many publications would want to look as if they are doing that in this political climate.

[Tendrin]

I'd say because it looks too close to calling an accuser liar by questioning her account. in question. Even if valid I doubt many publication would want to look as if they are doing that in this political climate.

The photographer also had commentary which hasn't been widely disseminated either. This whole thing smells, even if what Franken did was stupid and shitty.

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

The photographer also had commentary which hasn't been widely disseminated either. This whole thing smells, even if what Franken did was stupid and shitty.

It's still a good opportunity to demonstrate to our conservative counterparts how our side deals with this behavior: With contrition and accountability, not unconditionally fervent support because "at least he ain't a republican!"

I look forward to them resorting to more of their shameless whataboutisms, so we can reeeeeally get into the meat and bones of how a politician is supposed to act when they're caught doing something like this.

[Tendrin]

It's still a good opportunity to demonstrate to our conservative counterparts how our side deals with this behavior: With contrition and accountability, not unconditionally fervent support because "at least he ain't a republican!"

I look forward to them resorting to more of their shameless whataboutisms, so we can reeeeeally get into the meat and bones of how a politician is supposed to act when they're caught doing something like this.

Not disagreeing with you. Franken made the right moves here and Franken deserves the heat he's taking over it.

[BeastieRunner]

I wonder if the GOP is concerned about the precedent set with ousting Franken? It lowers their bar and when the pendulum swings the other way, they're going to be looking at 30 some people getting removed.

[Tendrin]

I wonder if the GOP is concerned about the precedent set with ousting Franken? It lowers their bar and when the pendulum swings the other way, they're going to be looking at 30 some people getting removed.

Only if their electoral base punishes them. They won't.

[Malvolio]

Yes, low voting turn-outs are troubling.

A couple of times, I’ve felt like not bothering on voting day..but the nagging thought of what people went through to win the right to vote always gets me to the voting station before the end of day.

My parents voted every year when I was growing up, taught me to vote even in off-year elections. And here's what you can say to anyone who complains that there's no one to vote for, that all politicians are corrupt: There are usually a few referendums on the ballot, that if you bother to learn about them, you'll realize how they effect you. So why would you take a chance to directly effect how the government serves you, and throw that chance away?

[Darkspellmaster]

Any recommendations?

Other then another ad blocker, not really sure. There are a few new ones out there so look for the well reviews ones. That's all I can give you right now.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I'd say because it looks too close to calling an accuser a liar by questioning her account. Even if valid I doubt many publications would want to look as if they are doing that in this political climate.

Agreed. That might be construed as victim bashing, something supporters of Roy Moore have been doing big time since the allegations first become public, and I'm guessing the mainstream media is leery of being painted with THAT particular brush.

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Alabama Governor Plans To Vote For Roy Moore Despite Sexual Assault Accusations

Gov. Kay Ivey said she was committed to getting a Republican in the Senate. Wrong, you old hag, you're committed to getting a predator in the Senate.

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Judge Running For Ohio Governor Boasts On Facebook He’s Bedded 50 Women

An Ohio Supreme Court justice who is campaigning to become governor of the state took to Facebook on Friday to reveal that he has been “sexually intimate” with 50 “very attractive females.”

It was a startling campaign strategy in the wake of a burgeoning number of sexual misconduct accusations across the nation and one that triggered tremendous controversy in Ohio. Democrat Bill O’Neill’s campaign spokesman quit within hours of the post.

“Now that the dogs of war are calling for the head of Senator Al Franken I believe it is time to speak up on behalf of all heterosexual males,” O’Neill wrote on Facebook, vowing to save his critics “some research time.”

“In the last fifty years I was sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females,” O’Neill wrote. “It ranged from a gorgeous personal secretary to Senator Bob Taft (Senior) who was my first true love and we made passionate love in the hayloft of her parents barn and ended with a drop dead gorgeous red head ... in Cleveland.”

Word fail me. Seriously.

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In Post-Weinstein Era, Trump Sexual Assault Accusers Await His Downfall

One woman said it’s “disturbing” that supporters still can’t see the “president is just as guilty as Roy Moore.” Oh, they see Trump's misogyny, they simply choose to ignore it. Meanwhile....

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Jake Tapper Rips Trump: People In Glass White Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones

The president was blasting Sen. Al Franken when at least a dozen women have accused him of similar behavior.

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Ohio Lawmaker Quits After Having ‘Inappropriate Conduct’ With Man In His Office

State Rep. Wes Goodman has long been a public proponent of “natural marriage.” Oh, that's hilarious!

[worstblogever]

That's exactly the reason Franken gave for insisting that he be investigated. He said he wanted women who come forward with sexual assault investigations to be believed, even if he maintains his own innocence. I thought that was classy.

Closest we might get to a silver lining in all this. Franken sets a precedent that when women come forward, the accused has to be accountable.

[JCAll]

Anyone care to help me upgrade my Adblocker? I have AdBlock Plus 3.01 and it's been letting me down too often lately.

I've been using that, but found a User Script called AAK-Cont that prevented site from knowing I was using an Adblocker and hounding me to turn it off.
But it looks like that's not being updated anymore, and the replacement only works with uBlock. I might look into switching adblockers. It's all way to complicated.
...
Plus I'm on Firefox, and Mozilla is changing things these days. Dammit, I'm just never up to date on anything.