Al Franken is latest to be accused of sexual assault

[John V]

Clinton was still a good president even if he was a sexual predator.

Yep. Early on I said Clinton had a successful presidency, Hillary will presumably be more of the same, so I'll probably vote for her. Then she went full SJW and turned me off.

[ErGingerbreadMandude]

There was a incident some years ago. A police commissioner was in the news live talking about some issue and there was a girl nearby. This guy accidentally touch the girls breasts with his elbow, he pretends to not notice and does it again, and again. Dude, the fireworks that followed was freaking mind blowing, the outrage was so freaking huge this cop got ripped a new one in all the news channels, he was suspended and transferred to God knows where never to be heard from again. It's mind blowing there's so many scumbags in Hollywood, don't these famous/rich dudes get enough as it is...they gotta go around groping random men and women too? Suddenly the whole notion of rape culture doesn't seem so unrealistic

[John V]

Interestingly, IIRC in house of cards spacey's character said, Everything is about sex, except sex, which is about power.

Seems applicable. Al Franken probably wasn't big enough then to score at will, but what about guys like Weinstein? With his power and money he could have gotten laid with consenting women whenever he wanted. That he went to lengths to force himself on unwilling victims shows that there was something more to it than just sex, and that something is pretty disturbing.

[A Theist]

Yes, we did.....it's just that nothing came of it.  What little action was taken is being systematically destroyed by the sex offenders who rule over us.

Still pisses me off. The entire world economy collapses like a broken deck chair and just one guy goes to jail. Seems to me that way too much is made out of sex scandals relative to how much it affects other people. Whether or not a person can be trusted with money seems more important than whether he can keep his fly shut. Clinton was still a good president even if he was a sexual predator. Carter was still a shitty president even if he was privately a saint. I'm still trying to figure out how important the whole "character" thing is with respect to politics. Besides character isn't even monolithic. A guy could be a brave soldier, honest businessman, and towering intellect and still be a sexual deviant privately. Does that make him any less brave, honest, or smart, when those are the qualities demanded for his station?

I don't know about the honest business man stuff. You have a person who presents a public image of honesty but behind the facade he's a dark and self absorbed predator who forces his sexual urges on women. Then he lies and denies and verbally attacks his accusers to cover up his sexual improprieties. When the predator is exposed for what he is he then plays the victim and pleads for understanding and that he's going to get mental treatment. I can't think that a person can be both honest and a predator at the same time. I wouldn't want to do business with someone who's dishonest and predatory in their personal life.

[henryp]

Interestingly, IIRC in house of cards spacey's character said, Everything is about sex, except sex, which is about power.

Seems applicable. Al Franken probably wasn't big enough then to score at will, but what about guys like Weinstein? With his power and money he could have gotten laid with consenting women whenever he wanted. That he went to lengths to force himself on unwilling victims shows that there was something more to it than just sex, and that something is pretty disturbing.

My assumption would be that Al Franken just thought it was funny.  And for most of human history, it would have been considered funny.  Plenty still find it funny, I assume.

[Martian Mermaid]

If every man who ever copped a feel is a criminal then we all belong in jail.

It's different if there's consent...It can really suck if someone just suddenly gropes a girl out of no where(or I guess it could also happen to guys).

[downbeatplumb]

I don't know about the honest business man stuff. You have a person who presents a public image of honesty but behind the facade he's a dark and self absorbed predator who forces his sexual urges on women. Then he lies and denies and verbally attacks his accusers to cover up his sexual improprieties. When the predator is exposed for what he is he then plays the victim and pleads for understanding and that he's going to get mental treatment. I can't think that a person can be both honest and a predator at the same time. I wouldn't want to do business with someone who's dishonest and predatory in their personal life.

So are talking about Trump, Moore or one of the other many republicans doing that now?

[Edwardo Piet]

If every man who ever copped a feel is a criminal then we all belong in jail.

I've never "copped a feel".

---

I should not be be surprised that people who seek power, also seek to use it in despicable ways.  I'd say we deserve better leaders, but that seems to be increasingly untrue.

FWIW, I also find Louis CK's apology to be insincere.

I often feel as though the people who are best suited to be in power are the people who don't want it and therein lies the problem.

---

I've never had a guy cop a feel apologize after I told him it was unwanted. I had a much older man grab me at a concert. When I made it clear I was going to kick his ass if he kept it up, he laughed at me until my guy friend turned around. I had a guy rape kiss me (this incident is the very reason I call it rape kissing) and then tell my friend later (she was his girlfriend) that I kissed him. I had a guy kiss me and then try to go for more. When I told him no, he said "It's too late for that." There are other incidents, but most guys who are the sort to apologize if they crossed a line are the sort to wait for an invitation.

I doubt any guy decent enough to be capable of making sincere apologies would ever do something so vile in the first place.

[downbeatplumb]

According to the whitehouse, Trump cant be guilty because he has denied it.

Claps hands case closed.

Apparently that's how the law works.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/do...k-homepage

[Edwardo Piet]

I've had more than one drunk girl kiss me and grab my sack and call me a faggot for not being interested.  Couple of guys too.....which is weird, when you think about it.  Does that count for the metoo, lol?  

Of course it does.  Assault is assault.

Well in that case count me in too. I had a guy grab me and kiss me on the lips as a thank you and it was completely unwanted.