Al Franken, United States Senator and the least funny person ever to be on Saturday Night Live, is the latest powerful man to be called out for sexually assaulting a woman. Journalist Leeann Tweeden recounted a story of a series of incidents when both were on a Uso Tour in 2006 to entertain the troops in Afghanistan. The juiciest part of the story is that photographic evidence exists of Franken groping Leeden’s breasts while she was asleep on the plane coming back to America with the failed comedian grinning at the camera.

Tweeden’s tale of being assaulted by Franken

According to Tweeden, she had expected to emcee and introduce the acts. However, Franken told her that he had written a skit that would involve both of them. The climax of the skit would be a kiss between them. Tweeden, suspecting what was up, planned to go along, but turn her head or put her hand over Franken’s mouth to fend him off, thus getting more laughs.

However, Franken accosted Tweeden and insisted that they rehearse the skit, kiss and all. She demurred, but he insisted. It ended with Franken grabbing Tweeden and forcibly kissing her, tongue and all. Tweeden, naturally, made her displeasure known but did not inform anyone about it.

Franken, apparently humiliated by Tweeden’s reaction, started a campaign of petty insults, including drawing devil horns on a headshot of her that was distributed to the audience.

The groping incident was the climax of the humiliating USO tour.

Franken partly denies

When the story broke, Franken was apparently not able to deny the groping, since the picture is all over the Internet. He is trying to deny the forced kissing incident, however. Franken is earning ridicule over this since he is among the many people who insisted that women who report sexual assaults should be believed in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has demanded a Senate Ethics Committee investigation.

Franken, seeing the handwriting on the wall, has agreed to cooperate with such a probe.

The fallout is likely to be devastating

Franken’s prospect of even being a dark horse presidential candidate in 2020 have essentially been dashed. His ability to remain a United States senator is certainly in doubt, especially if more women come forward.

The Democrats could easily rid themselves of Franken. The governor of Minnesota is a Democrat and will appoint someone of a similar vein to serve out Franken’s current term.

Franken’s persona has always been that of a nasty piece of work. During his segue from not ready for prime time player to a politician he authored a number of books with titles like “Rush Limbaugh is A Big Fat Idiot” and “Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.” He once joked about raping Leslie Stahl. On another occasion, he expressed joy at the idea of gay people being killed. In short, if and when he falls, no one will miss Al Franken.
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