Franken announces he will resign from the Senate as harassment issue rocks Congress

The following article by Ed O’Keefe and Elise Viebeck was posted on the Washington Post website December 7, 2017:

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on Dec. 7 said he will resign from the Senate “in the coming weeks” amid allegations of sexual harassment. (Video: Bastien Inzaurralde, Jenny Starrs/Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on Thursday announced that he will resign amid multiple allegations that he touched women inappropriately, a stunning political fall at a time when the issue of sexual harassment has exploded on Capitol Hill and enveloped both parties.

Yielding to pressure from other Democrats, Franken will now prepare to end a career that seemed just to be hitting its stride as he was emerging as a potent voice challenging the Trump administration — and was being seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2020. Continue reading “Franken announces he will resign from the Senate as harassment issue rocks Congress”

Who is Leeann Tweeden?

The following article was posted on the Star Tribune website November 16, 2017:

Screen Grab of Fox News’ Sean Hannity Show

Leeann Tweeden, who said Sen. Al Franken kissed and groped her without her consent on a USO tour in 2006, is a news anchor for the morning show on KABC-AM radio in Los Angeles.

She started out in the 1990s as a model, appearing in magazines such as Maxim, FHM and Playboy.

From 2002 to 2007, she was a regular cast member on Fox Sports Net’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” hosted by comedian Tom Arnold.

Later, she hosted late-night poker shows on NBC and an Ultimate Fighting Championship show on Fox Sports 1. She has appeared as a regular guest on “Dr. Drew” on HLN and “Hannity” on Fox News. Continue reading “Who is Leeann Tweeden?”

Stone appeared to know Franken allegation was coming

Former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone appeared to know there were sexual misconduct allegations involving Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) hours before they became public.

Stone has been banned from Twitter, but at 1 a.m. on Thursday morning an account connected to him tweeted a quote from the Republican political operative.

“Roger Stone says it’s Al Franken’s ‘time in the barrel’. Franken next in long list of Democrats to be accused of ‘grabby’ behavior,” read the tweet from Enter the Stone Zone.

Enter the Stone Zone is an account that claims to share “political commentary” from Stone.

Hours later, Leeann Tweeden, a KABC-AM news anchor, accused Franken of kissing and groping her without her consent in 2006. Tweeden said the incidents occurred during a USO tour to entertain troops abroad. She also tweeted a photograph of Franken as evidence.

The photo sparked outrage on social media, and Franken apologized for the incident and said he would cooperate with a Senate ethics investigation into the matter.

After Tweeden’s account went public, Enter The Stone Zone tweeted again, sharing a Politico report about the allegations.

“As predicted by Roger Stone, It’s now Senator Al Franken’s time in the barrel,” the tweet published at 11 a.m. read.

Stone was banned from Twitter in October after a number of profane tweets.

Enter The Stone Zone’s parent website, stonecoldtruth.com, includes a page where supporters can donate to Stone’s legal defense in his pending lawsuit against Twitter over his suspension.

Reports of Franken’s misconduct come as Congress is facing new scrutiny over how it handles sexual harassment. A bill introduced on Wednesday would overhaul policies to prevent and address sexual harassment on Capitol Hill.

News of Franken’s misconduct also comes as Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore is facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including assault, from women who were teenagers at the time.

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Franken to Sessions: American public cannot trust your word

The following article by Jennifer Brooks was posted on the Star Tribune website November 2, 2017:

Minnesota Democrat calls on the attorney general to give full accounting of the Trump campaign’s contact with Russia.

– Sen. Al Franken has some questions about Russia for Attorney General Jeff Sessions — about eight pages’ worth.

Franken fired off a lengthy letter to Sessions on Thursday, asking him to give his own account of interactions between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. It followed the guilty plea earlier this week by a former Trump foreign policy adviser on charges of lying to federal agents about his contact with Russians. Continue reading “Franken to Sessions: American public cannot trust your word”

Sen. Al Franken comes out for single-payer health-care plan offered by Bernie Sanders

The following article by Jennifer Brooks was posted on the Star Tribune website September 13, 2017:

U.S. senators hear from MNsure CEO while hammering out a bipartisan fix they hope could stabilize state insurance exchanges.

Sen. Al Franken, with Delaware Sen. Thomas Carper, headed to a luncheon with fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Credit: SUusan Walsh, AP

– Minnesota’s efforts to drive down premiums for coverage sold on the state health insurance exchange could come undone by the end of the month unless the federal government acts.

After seven years of partisan wrangling over Obamacare, U.S. senators worked Tuesday to hammer out a bipartisan fix they hope could stabilize state insurance exchanges before millions of Americans are hit with rate hikes. The CEO of MNsure, Minnesota’s exchange, told a Senate panel Tuesday that the state may have mere days left to avoid the kind of hikes that state lawmakers took expensive steps to avoid earlier this year. Continue reading “Sen. Al Franken comes out for single-payer health-care plan offered by Bernie Sanders”

Senators right to take time with Stras appointment

The following commentary by Myron Orfield was posted on the Star Tribune website August 29, 2017:

The justice’s record must be evaluated. Specifically, there’s reason for concern over his views on civil-rights precedents.

GLEN STUBBE • Star Tribune Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice David Stras has been nominated for a seat on the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which would be a lifetime appointment.

In his Aug. 25 commentary “Partisan game-playing blocks an outstanding judge,” U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen criticized U.S. Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar for halting Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras’ appointment to the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In my view, Klobuchar and Fran-ken are exhibiting appropriate diligence. My own work focuses on civil rights and school integration, and Stras’ previous statements have left me deeply concerned about the impact of his appointment within these areas. Indeed, there is reason to believe that Stras might frustrate ongoing voluntary school integration in Minnesota. Continue reading “Senators right to take time with Stras appointment”

How Al Franken learned to stop being funny and love the Senate

The following article by James Hohmann with Breanne Deppisch and Joanie Greve was posted on the Washington Post website July 3, 2017:

Alex Brandon / Associated Press

THE BIG IDEA: Sen. Al Franken writes about “The Funny” like it’s a dangerous disease his political career has been perennially at risk of falling victim to.

Launching his first campaign 10 years ago, the Minnesota Democrat needed to convince party leaders, donors and activists that his career as a comedian was not a fatal liability. After he won, he needed to convince fellow senators that he was not the caricature they remembered from “Saturday Night Live.”

Pollsters, consultants and D.C. fixers urged him to act as serious as possible to disabuse such notions. Continue reading “How Al Franken learned to stop being funny and love the Senate”

The health care debate affects all of us

As I’ve traveled across Minnesota in recent months, Minnesotans have made it clear to me just how important health care is to them, their families, and their communities. They want to know that when they are sick or injured they can get the care they need.

Because health care is so important, most Minnesotans understand what’s at stake as they’ve watched congressional Republicans continue (the) push to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a plant that will rip health coverage from 23 million people, raise health costs, gut Medicaid and eliminate nationwide protections for people with re-existing conditions.

I have had meetings in large and small Minnesota communities during which I’ve heard parents tearfully describe their struggle to get care for family members with chronic health conditions and their anxiety about the financial and emotional burden of supporting an elderly loved one in a nursing home.  They are worried about what the Republican plan would mean to them. Continue reading “The health care debate affects all of us”

Al Franken Comes Out and Says What Most Americans Really Think of Trumpcare

The following article by Alexandra Rosenmann was posted on the AlterNet website May 30, 2017:

The Minnesota senator calls on his Republican colleagues to kill an “awful bill.”

While they review the much-maligned American Health Care Act, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) issued a stern warning to his Republican colleagues in the Senate.

“I don’t think the Republicans can do this themselves, and they shouldn’t,” he said in a “CBS This Morning” interview May 30. “What came out of the House is just dreadful.” Continue reading “Al Franken Comes Out and Says What Most Americans Really Think of Trumpcare”

Klobuchar Joins St. Louis Park’s Peggy Flanagan In ‘Powwow For Hope’

The following article by William Bornhoft was posted on the St. Louis Park Patch website May 12, 2017:

Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar joined Sen. Al Franken, St. Louis Park State Rep. Peggy Flanagan, and tribal leaders for the American Indian Cancer Foundation‘s 6th Annual Powwow for Hope. “Proud to stand with Minnesota’s Native community and stand up for strong investments in cancer research,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “All Americans are counting on us to continue pressing for better prevention, better treatment, and ultimately a cure.”

Joined tribes from around Midwest for . Need to keep investing in cancer research for patients & families.

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