Republicans Are Shocked The Public Is Mad At Them For Voting Against Franken’s Anti-Rape Amendment
Republicans Are Shocked The Public Is Mad At Them For Voting Against Franken’s Anti-Rape Amendment
Last month, 30 Republican senators voted against Sen. Al Franken’s (D-MN) amendment that would punish defense contractors “if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.” His amendment was inspired by Jamie Leigh Jones, who was gang-raped by her co-workers while working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad in 2005, and then had to fight her employer for justice.
The GOP senators who sided with defense contractors at the expense of women — such as John Thune (SD) — have been facing an intense backlash. David Vitter (LA) refused to give a rape victim a straight answer when she confronted him about his vote, claiming that he is “absolutely supportive of any [rape] case like that being prosecuted criminally to the full extent of the law.”
Politico reports that Republicans are now scratching their heads at why the public is so incensed about their “no” votes:
Privately, GOP sources acknowledge that they failed to anticipate the political consequences of a “no” vote on the amendment. And several aides said that Republicans are engaged in an internal blame game about why they agreed to a roll-call vote on the measure, rather than a simple voice vote that would have allowed the opposing senators to duck criticism.
As BarbinMD writes, “Seriously? They voted against an amendment that was prompted by the brutal gang-rape of a young woman by her co-workers while she was working for a company under contract for the United States government, after which she was locked in a shipping container without food or water, threatened if she left to seek medical treatment, and was then prevented from bringing criminal charges against her assailants. And they failed to anticipate the political consequences?”
Thune is also claiming that Franken doesn’t really care about Jones and other rape victims whose employers have blocked them from seeking justice; he and other Democrats just wanted to “create a vote which they could use to attack Republicans.”
So basically, the only lesson they learned is that next time, they have to hide their votes when they decide to screw over women’s rights. That way, they can support their allies in the contracting business and the public will never find out.
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Thune Offers Weak And Hypocritical Argument For Voting Against Franken’s Anti-Rape Amendment
Thune Offers Weak And Hypocritical Argument For Voting Against Franken’s Anti-Rape Amendment
Earlier this month, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) proposed an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill to withhold defense contracts from companies which “restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.” The amendment stemmed from a incident where Halliburton/KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers, then detained in a shipping container for at least 24 hours without food, water, or a bed, and “warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job.” Jones was prevented from bringing charges in court against KBR because her employment contract stipulated that sexual assault allegations would only be heard in private arbitration. (Jones was not an isolated case.)
Although Franken’s amendment passed, it was opposed by 30 Republican Senators and by lobbyists of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Blogger-activist Mike Stark interviewed several of the GOP Senators who voted against the amendment, including Sen. John Thune (R-SD). Thune explained his vote by arguing that he was simply defending the sanctity of using binding arbitration to settle disputes between labor and management:
STARK: What it would have prevented, was the government from contracting with anyone who forces women who have been raped into arbitration instead of giving them their day in court. … It sounds to a lot of us that you sided with corporations over rape victims.
THUNE: It was clearly politically inspired amendment to make it appear that way. The issue has to do with whether or not arbitration is going to be something that continues to be a part of labor agreements.
STARK: Well this was narrowly defined to prevent arbitration in cases of rape.
THUNE: No, no it wasn’t. … It has to do with the broader issue about whether or not arbitration is going to be a tool available for labor and management to use when it comes to labor agreements.
Watch it:
While Thune is committed to the principle that corporations have the right to use binding arbitration to muzzle victims of rape, he has long argued against the use of arbitrators in regards to reforming how unions sign labor contracts. In fact, Thune has fashioned himself a chief opponent of the Employee Free Choice Act simply because of arbitration. Arbitration is a part of EFCA because, all too often, when employees vote to form a union, they still can’t get a first contract due to their employer’s delay tactics. However, Thune has argued that the most “egregious” provision of EFCA is arbitration. Arbitration to help unions form contracts with their employers, Thune argues, would “kill jobs” and hurt “every American business, both large and small.”
Thune’s only consistency here appears to be that he believes both union workers and rape victims don’t deserve justice.
Franken Schools Right-Wing Analyst On Medical Bankruptcies In Countries With Universal Care: ‘It’s Zero’
Franken Schools Right-Wing Analyst On Medical Bankruptcies In Countries With Universal Care: ‘It’s Zero’
Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled “Medical Debt: Can Bankruptcy Reform Facilitate a Fresh Start.” The hearing examined medical bankruptcies in America, and witnesses included CAP fellow Elizabeth Edwards and Kerry Burns, a Rhode Island mother who was forced into “financial ruin” by her late son’s medical bills.
One of the highlights of the hearing was when Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) questioned Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Diana Furchtgott-Roth about medical bankruptcies. Franken asked Furchtgott-Roth — who claimed that moving towards a European-style system of universal health care would increase bankruptcies — about how many medical bankruptcies there were in countries that have universal health care, like Switzerland and France. Furchtgott-Rott repeatedly told Franken that she didn’t “have that number,” and Franken informed her that the number was actually zero:
FRANKEN: I think we disagree on whether health care reform, the health care reform that we’re talking about in Congress now should pass. You said that the way we’re going will increase bankruptcies. I want to ask you, how many medical bankruptcies because of medical crises were there last year in Switzerland?
FURCHTGOTT-ROTT: I don’t have that number in front of me, but I can find out and get back to you.
FRANKEN: I can tell you how many it was. It’s zero. Do you know how many medical bankruptcies there were last year in France?
FURCHTGOTT-ROTT: I don’t have that number, but I can get back to you if I like.
FRANKEN: Yeah, the number is zero. Do you know how many were in Germany?
FURCHTGOTT-ROTT: From the trend of your questions, I’m assuming the number is zero. But I don’t know the precise number and would have to get back to you.
FRANKEN: Well, you’re very good. Very fast. The point is, I think we need to go in that direction, not the opposite direction. Thank you.
Watch it:
Medical bankruptcies are an epidemic in the United States. According to a peer-reviewed study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Medicine, nearly 62 percent of all U.S. bankruptcies in 2007 were due to health care costs — and 78 percent of people who were driven into bankruptcy by their medical bills had insurance.
Franken Wins Bipartisan Support For Legislation Reining In KBR’s Treatment Of Rape
Franken Wins Bipartisan Support For Legislation Reining In KBR’s Treatment Of Rape
In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers while she was working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad. She was detained in a shipping container for at least 24 hours without food, water, or a bed, and “warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job.” (Jones was not an isolated case.) Jones was prevented from bringing charges in court against KBR because her employment contract stipulated that sexual assault allegations would only be heard in private arbitration.
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) proposed an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold defense contracts from companies like KBR “if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.” Speaking on the Senate floor yesterday, Franken said:
The constitution gives everybody the right to due process of law … And today, defense contractors are using fine print in their contracts do deny women like Jamie Leigh Jones their day in court. … The victims of rape and discrimination deserve their day in court [and] Congress plainly has the constitutional power to make that happen.
Watch Franken’s speech:
On the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) spoke against the amendment, calling it “a political attack directed at Halliburton.” Franken responded, “This amendment does not single out a single contractor. This amendment would defund any contractor that refuses to give a victim of rape their day in court.”
In the end, Franken won the debate. His amendment passed by a 68-30 vote, earning the support of 10 Republican senators including that of newly-minted Florida Sen. George LeMieux. “He did what a senator should do, which was he was working it,” LeMieux said in praise of Franken. “He was working for his amendment.”
Appearing with Franken after the vote, an elated Jones expressed her deep appreciation. “It means the world to me,” she said of the amendment’s passage. “It means that every tear shed to go public and repeat my story over and over again to make a difference for other women was worth it.”
Inhofe defends calling Franken a ‘clown’: ‘He kind of looked like a clown when I was talking to him.’
Inhofe defends calling Franken a ‘clown’: ‘He kind of looked like a clown when I was talking to him.’
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) extended a nasty welcome to his newest Senate colleague, Al Franken, last week, telling the Tulsa World, “I’ll tell you what a lot of people are thinking, and that is it looks like things are going to be over and we are going to get the clown from Minnesota. … I don’t know the guy, but…for a living he is a clown.” Inhofe is now rushing to defend himself, pointing out that he and Franken “physically embraced” when they ran into each other on Tuesday. However, he still insists that Franken is a “clown”:
On Tuesday, Inhofe again insisted his comments last week were not meant to be derogatory.
He said the “clown comment” did come up during the chance meeting.
“But believe me, he knew. He kind of looked like a clown when I was talking to him,” Inhofe said.
Asked by Bill Press to respond to Inhofe last week, Franken simply replied, “I don’t know how Sen. Inhofe regards clowns, but it might be an incredible compliment.”
DeMint on Honduran coup: It was ‘no more a coup than…Al Franken’s election to the Senate.’
DeMint on Honduran coup: It was ‘no more a coup than…Al Franken’s election to the Senate.’
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) today defended Honduran President Manuel Zelaya’s recent removal from office by the Honduran military. In the course of defending the military coup, DeMint attacked President Obama for having what he called an “ad hoc and personalized foreign policy that seems less about supporting the rule of law than it is about supporting particular rulers.” Zelaya’s “removal from office was no more a coup than was Gerald Ford’s ascendence to the Oval Office or our newest colleague Al Franken’s election to the Senate,” DeMint claimed. Watch it:
DeMint seems to have missed the part where Franken was sworn in to office after a lengthy court battle that involved neither the “illegal military intervention” nor forced deportation. Further, despite Zelaya’s faults, his undemocratic removal from office has been roundly denounced by the international community and President Obama has said that the coup threatens to establish a “terrible precedent” for the future of Latin American democracy.
Franken takes the oath.
Franken takes the oath.
Al Franken officially became the junior senator from Minnesota earlier today when he took the oath of office, administered to him by Vice President Joseph Biden. After Franken completed the oath, “the gallery erupted in an unusual and lengthy applause that continued for several minutes,” according to the AP. Watch it:
Cincinnati Enquirer Columnist Issues A Non-Apology For Using Doctored Franken Photo, Deletes Original Post
Cincinnati Enquirer Columnist Issues A Non-Apology For Using Doctored Franken Photo, Deletes Original Post
On July 1, Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Peter Bronson wrote a column titled, “Minnesota — the joke is on you,” in which he wondered whether Al Franken will “embarrass his party and become a kick-me sign on the back of Democrats at election time.” To make his point, he posted this image:
A little googling would have shown Bronson that the image is fake. As ThinkProgress first reported in 2006, the Ohio Republican Party photoshopped an AP image:
Bronson’s original post has since disappeared. Although the Cincinnati Beacon — and then some of Bronson’s own commenters — pointed out that the image wasn’t real, Bronson didn’t seem to care. Yesterday, Bronson went into his comments section and was unapologetic in using the fake image:
Yes, the photo of Franken in a diaper was apparently altered. But it’s not exacly [sic] a big reach to believe it could have come from one of his SNL skits. It resonates because people find it easy to see Franken that way.
Bronson finally posted a “non-apology” yesterday afternoon, writing, “Franken did many things on Saturday Night Live that could be embarrassing to a Senator. But apparently, that was not one of them. It turns out the picture was photoshopped.” He also claimed that he doesn’t “knowingly run false pictures,” and instead posted a different “goofy” picture of Franken.
No word yet on why Bronson’s original post was deleted. (His post from yesterday notes that the link no longer works but he’s “not sure why.”) Ironically, as the MinnPost points out, Bronson’s column is called, “Bronson is Always Right.”
Inhofe: No disrespect, but Franken’s a ‘clown.’
Inhofe: No disrespect, but Franken’s a ‘clown.’
On the same day the Minnesota Supreme Court declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of the state’s U.S. Senate election, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) welcomed his newest colleague to the Senate by referring to him as a “clown.” In the course of predicting that the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill would be “dead in the water” upon its arrival in the Senate, Inhofe extended an unprofessional greeting to Franken. The Tulsa World reports:
“I’ll tell you what a lot of people are thinking, and that is it looks like things are going to be over and we are going to get the clown from Minnesota,’’ he said.
“They are not going to get more than 35 votes.”
Asked if he was referring to Al Franken as the clown from Minnesota, Inhofe confirmed he was.
“I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I don’t know the guy, but … for a living he is a clown,’’ the senator said.
“That’s what he does for a living.’’
Franken was a professional comedian — not a “clown” — while working on the cast Saturday Night Live. But now he’s a U.S. senator…just like Inhofe. And unlike Inhofe, he’s been a political commentator, the author of best-selling political books, and host of a nationally-syndicated radio show on Air America.
MN Supreme Court Declares Franken The Winner In U.S. Senate Race — Will Pawlenty Certify Him?
MN Supreme Court Declares Franken The Winner In U.S. Senate Race — Will Pawlenty Certify Him?
Eight months after the 2008 election, the Minnesota Supreme Court has declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of the state’s U.S. Senate election. The unanimous decision clears the way for Franken to be seated:
For all of the foregoing reasons, we affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled under Minn. 32 Stat. § 204C.40 (2008) to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota.
This weekend on CNN, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said that he would be ready to “sign” the certificate officially declaring Franken the winner as soon as the supreme court gave the “green light“:
CNN: Your state supreme court has a ruling before it, it could come very soon. After that ruling, the next step would be for you to certify the election. Will you certify the election based on your state’s supreme court ruling, is that for you?
PAWLENTY: I’m going to follow the direction of the court, John. We expect that ruling any day now. I also expect them to give guidance and direction as to the certificate of election. I’m prepared to sign it as soon as they give the green light.
Today’s decision doesn’t contain any language specifically instructing Pawlenty to sign the certificate of election — which isn’t surprising, since the governor wasn’t a party to the litigation.
Coleman still has the option to “seek a review from the U.S. Supreme Court or file a whole new case in U.S. District Court.” If he does so and the court says to “put a limit on or stop the effect of the state court ruling,” Pawlenty said that he will abide by that decision. However, he said that “if that doesn’t happen promptly or drags out for any period of time, then we need to move ahead with signing this, particularly if I’m ordered to do that by the state court.”
TPM’s Eric Kleefeld has also raised the possibility that the Senate GOP could “attempt to filibuster” Franken’s acceptance, even if Pawlenty signs the certificate. NRSC Chairman John Cornyn (R-TX) has said that he’s willing to wage “World War III” if Democrats try to seat Franken before Coleman carries his case out through federal court — even though it could take “years” to resolve.
Franken will be the 60th Democrat in the U.S. Senate, giving the party enough votes to overcome Republican filibusters.
Cornyn: GOP Prepared To Fight ‘World War III’ To Keep Franken Out Of The Senate For ‘Years’
Cornyn: GOP Prepared To Fight ‘World War III’ To Keep Franken Out Of The Senate For ‘Years’
Last week, the ongoing legal battle between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman officially became the “the longest recount in Minnesota history.” Though Franken leads Coleman in the current vote tally, according to the Minnesota Supreme Court, he can’t be certified until after election challenges have been decided in the state courts.
If Coleman loses in the state courts, he and his Republican backers are indicating that they may seek to bring it to the federal level, which could keep the Senate seat vacant for much longer. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn told Politico recently that the party is willing to keep the seat empty for “years“:
Texas Sen. John Cornyn is threatening “World War III” if Democrats try to seat Al Franken in the Senate before Norm Coleman can pursue his case through the federal courts.
Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, acknowledges that a federal challenge to November’s elections could take “years” to resolve. But he’s adamant that Coleman deserves that chance — even if it means Minnesota is short a senator for the duration.
The threat of an empty Senate seat for years — which would hold the Democratic advantage in the Senate at 58-41 — does not appear to be a welcome concept to the people of Minnesota. The Star Tribune reported last week that “the prospect of a protracted battle irks some regardless of their political leanings.”
Additionally, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) believes that only having one senator is hurting Minnesota. In February, Pawlenty told C-Span that “it has put Minnesota at a disadvantage when there’s only 100 senators total and you are missing one.” Watch it:
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who is serving as Minnesota’s lone voice in the Senate these days, says that it has been a “challenge.” Klobuchar told Politico in February that “her home-state office has been flooded with phone calls and said her staff has seen its casework double in size.”
McConnell Urges Coleman To Fight On, Despite Urging Gore To ‘Be A Statesman’ And Concede In 2000
McConnell Urges Coleman To Fight On, Despite Urging Gore To ‘Be A Statesman’ And Concede In 2000
On Monday, the Minnesota State Canvassing Board certified Democrat Al Franken as the victor in the U.S. Senate race recount, beating incumbent Republican Norm Coleman by 225 votes. In a press conference the next day, however, Coleman rejected the Board’s ruling, vowing to wage a court battle to challenge the results. A trial will likely begin in 20 days, but “a Coleman lawyer said a decision may not be known until two months from now.”
Despite the potential for a prolonged legal battle, conservatives are urging to Coleman to fight on and promising to filibuster any Democratic attempts to seat Franken while litigation is pending. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), for instance, has said that he is solidly behind Coleman:
– “The race in Minnesota is not over,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said. “It’s well-established in the Senate: The way you get sworn in and the way you get seated is to show up with an election certificate. And that is determined under Minnesota law.” [1/5/09]
“The only people who have pronounced the Minnesota Senate race over are Washington Democrats, and the candidate who is the current custodian of the most votes,” McConnell said in a written statement released Tuesday. “The people of Minnesota certainly don’t believe this is over.” [1/6/09]
It’s interesting that McConnell is willing to let an election — which has already had a recount — hang in the air for two months. After all, less than a month after the 2000 election, McConnell was already demanding that Al Gore concede to George W. Bush. McConnell’s comments to the Lexington Herald-Leader on Nov. 27, 2000:
We’ve had a count, we’ve had a recount, we’ve had a recount of the recount. It’s been three weeks since the election and it’s time for Gore to be a statesman and give it up.
Karl Rove, another person who was obviously rooting for Gore to concede, also said on Hannity and Colmes earlier this week that “Al Franken cannot unilaterally declare himself the senator from the state of Minnesota and show up in Washington.”
Minnesota Canvassing Board certifies Franken as winner.
Minnesota Canvassing Board certifies Franken as winner.
The Minnesota State Canvassing board has certified results showing that Al Franken has won the Minnesota Senate recount, beating Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) by 225 votes. But the race is still “in limbo,” as the Board’s declaration “starts a seven-day clock for Coleman to file a lawsuit protesting the result” — which he has indicated he will do. Senate Republicans have said they will filibuster any attempt to seat Franken while litigation is pending.
Franken leads by 225 votes after completion of recount.
Franken leads by 225 votes after completion of recount.
Al Franken holds an unofficial lead of 225 votes over incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. “With the recount complete, focus immediately shifted to the Minnesota Supreme Court, which continued to consider a request from the Coleman campaign to alter the process and add more absentee ballots to be reconsidered.” Eric Kleefeld notes that “Minnesota law is unique in that it prohibits the issuing of an official certificate of election until the legal challenges are all resolved.”
Franken leading Coleman by more than 250 votes.
Franken leading Coleman by more than 250 votes.
As of 3:02 this afternoon, Al Franken was leading Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) by 257 votes in the senate race recount. FiveThiryEight’s Nate Silver projected Franken would ultimately win the recount with a margin of at least 70 votes.
Franken reportedly ahead by 22 votes in recount.
Franken reportedly ahead by 22 votes in recount.
Democratic senatorial candidate Al Franken has “unexpectedly picked up 37 votes due to a combined machine malfunction and human error on Election Day.” Today, Franken’s counsel Marc Elias said Franken is now up 22 votes, with “approximately 138,000 ballots left to count.” “This would be the first time that Franken has claimed a lead in this drawn-out process,” notes TPM.
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