Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Al Franken and Me

Fiorella's fascinated by how the Al Franken thing is unrolling--falling apart, actually. She thought there was something fishy going on because the woman's accusation was such a conveniant counter to the Republican sex scandals, but she started snickering aloud when Franken, without attacking the woman, gracefully apologized  for whatever happened on a long-ago USO tour he said he really didn't remember, then stood up in Congress and insisted that he be investigated.

Why was Fio laughing? Because soon after the presidential election, when she was expressing her sorrow on Facebook, she was personally attacked. Fio responded at first, trying to explain herself, but all that did was give the attackers new energy. The day was saved when several FB friends leaped to Fio's defense. They could say what she couldn't.

It was the same with Franken. If he had defended himself by attacking his accuser, it would have dragged him down to her level. But by apologizing for what he knew he hadn't done, then demanding an investigation of himself, then shutting up, he roused an army of defenders who did the job for him. Defenders like thirty-nine women who had worked with him through the years, like the strangers who dug up information about his accuser's background (X-rated) and her current employment (Fox News), like the guard who was with Franken every minute of the tour, like the people who had witnessed the staging of the claimed assault. They could say what he couldn't.

Third party intervention saved the day for both of us. Thank you.



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