Senator Groper Al Franken thought he could float under the wire with his statement yesterday. It's not working out that way. In "Al Franken still hasn't denied grabbing women," THE WASHINGTON POST's Amber Phillips points out:
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has waded into the murky waters of trying to
apologize for inappropriately touching women — while asserting that he
didn't intentionally do anything wrong. And yet Franken hasn't denied
any of the accusations against him, leaving the door open to the
possibility that he is a serial groper.
[. . .]
If you're confused by what he's trying to say here, you're not the only
one. Franken's attempt at clarifying what happened only raises more
questions, the central ones being: Did he grab these women's buttocks or
not? If he did, how, exactly, was it unintentional? Were the women
mistaken?
Keisha Hatchett (TV GUIDE) notes that "his latest apology acknowledges that his actions have repeatedly been perceived as 'inappropriate' by multiple women." TMZ offers, "Senator Al Franken is clearly trying to save his job, but his answer to the various women who have accused him of sexual assault/harassment is sketchy ... he says he just likes to hug a lot." Greg Evans (DEADLINE) adds, "Franken is expected to speak to reporters Sunday."
"Among the trials and tribulations that befall an extraordinary celebrity with the status of Al Franken is what to do with your hands at the Minnesota State Fair," is how Joe Soucheray (TWIN CITIES PIONEER PRESS) boils down the problem before offering:
Hands out front where they can be seen, Al. It’s that simple. The fellows I work with at the Fair and myself are essentially caged by a railing and if an infant is offered for a picture, or even if a gal wants a snapshot, we stay in our cage.
If he is still a senator next summer and works the Fair, that’s where Al belongs, in a DFL cage.
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