Former Sen. Al Franken Has the Nerve to Thank Me for My "Support"

Out of the blue, I recently received an unctuous letter from former Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) thanking me for my support:

"This has been a tough few months," he wrote. "I can't tell you how hard it was to step away from serving in the United States Senate -- the best job I've ever had."

The poor, dear man! Think how his supporters and victims feel, having been betrayed by a man we once admired who, as it turned out, felt entitled to grab women whenever and wherever he felt like it.

"And I can't tell you how much it's meant to me, to Franni, and to our family to hear from so many supporters wishing us well and telling us that you're still ready to fight for the progressive values we share," he continued.

Al Franken is mistaken. Many of the progressive faithful may have wished him well, but I haven't. I was shocked and horrified when I first heard the news of his indiscretions because I'd sent money to his campaign, bought his books, and thoroughly enjoyed "Al Franken: Giant of the Senate." I laughed throughout the book. I even hoped that he'd run for president! I mourned the loss of the man I thought Al Franken was, but I haven't wished him well since eight women alleged that Franken sexually assaulted them. I believe the women. Initially, when he was first running for the U.S. Senate, I was suspicious of Franken's rape jokes. I should have stayed suspicious, but I dropped my guard.

I'm fairly certain that those eight women are the tip of the iceberg. Al Franken responded to sexual assault allegations by saying, "I don't remember it that way." Yet Al Franken apologized without specifically apologizing for specific incidents and denied all or parts of the allegations, which he continues to misremember, as Dubya would say.

Of course it's "tough" to get caught, but better late than never.

How fortunate for him that he has been excused for his bad behavior by many faithful progressives, including liberal women, who -- amazingly! -- treat Al Franken the way evangelical Christians treat Roy Moore's credible accusers who said that he'd molested them when they were in their teens, one as young as 14.

"He's one of our own! He can't be guilty!" progressives cry.

Or, "He might be guilty, but at least he's not a pedophile like Roy Moore!" (That's called notasbadism.)

Or, "He should get due process in the Senate." Really? The last U.S. senator charged by the Senate Ethics Committee was Bob Packwood (R-OR) for sexual misconduct and abuse of power in 1995. He resigned 23 years ago. U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) wasn't even found guilty in court (mistrial), much less by the Senate. He's still in office. He shouldn't be, but he is.

I know denial isn't just a river in Egypt, and I know, as a wise man told me once, that people believe what they're strong enough to believe, but honestly, are progressive men incapable of being compulsive womanizers or sexual predators? What about former President Bill Clinton; former Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), who let Mary Jo Kopechne drown while he worried about how the circumstances of her death might affect his career; former President John F. Kennedy (D), who a friend described as "a compulsive womanizer," and former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who -- along with JFK, his brother, and a prominent Mafioso, Sam Giancana -- slept with Marilyn Monroe?