Tag Archives: Al Franken

Politico reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is betting big on Trump victory in 2024. The conservative senator bet former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) $20 that former President Donald Trump will beat President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election Monday night during an interview on “The Daily Show.” “I look at the policies of Trump, and I like the policies …

Politico Playbook reports:  Since moving to the Upper West Side in New York earlier this year, Al Franken has been sounding out confidantes about primarying his nemesis Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in 2024, multiple sources tell Playbook. The former Senator from Minnesota fueled speculation when he told the New York Times a month ago, “I am keeping my options open,” …

The New York Times reports: The comeback campaign of Al Franken is coming soon to a satellite radio near you. SiriusXM announced on Wednesday that the former United States senator from Minnesota will host a weekly program, “The Al Franken Show,” starting Saturday. He will also contribute to 2020 election coverage on the broadcaster’s left-wing political channel, SiriusXM Progress. Mr. …

The New Yorker reports: Despite his current isolation, Franken is recognized nearly everywhere he goes, and he often gets stopped on the street. “I can’t go anywhere without people reminding me of this, usually with some version of ‘You shouldn’t have resigned,’ ” Franken said. He appreciates the support, but such comments torment him about his departure from the Senate. …

Politico reports: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has raised $3 million since launching her presidential bid, her campaign said Sunday, a sum that puts the New York Democrat near the bottom of Democrats’ fundraising leaderboard after the year’s first quarter. But Gillibrand still has a hefty sum in her campaign account — over $10 million, more than a number of her opponents …

Politico reports: “Senator Franken was entitled to whatever type of review or process he wanted,” Gillibrand said. “He could’ve stuck it out, stayed in the Senate, gone through [the] Ethics Committee’s investigation. Those were his choices, but I had to make my choice.” Some major Democratic donors, including Susie Tompkins Buell, have expressed frustration about Gillibrand’s decision to call for …

CNN reports: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand defended her decision to call on former Sen. Al Franken to resign after allegations of unwanted touching and kissing were made against him, earning praise from a friendly audience of Iowans in Sioux City on Friday. Gillibrand said Friday that she made the decision to help push him out because “my silence meant I was …

Posted to former Sen. Al Franken’s Facebook page: Sean Spicer, who served President Trump for a very limited amount of time, described Paul Manafort as someone “who played a very limited role for a very limited amount of time” in the Trump campaign. That “very limited role,” of course, was “campaign chairman.” And during Manafort’s “very limited time” with the …

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports: Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor and prolific TV and Twitter critic of President Donald Trump, said Wednesday that he is forming an exploratory committee that could lead to a campaign for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Al Franken and now occupied by Democrat Tina Smith. Painter said at a State Capitol news …

Minnesota Public Radio reports: Former Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann has ruled out a run for U.S. Senate seat next fall, MPR News has confirmed. Bachmann’s reasoning: She didn’t have any “sense from the lord” that she should try for the seat, which was left vacant after Al Franken resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct. “It became very clear to …

Kyle Mantyla reports at Right Wing Watch: Former Minnesota congresswoman and current “pastor to the United Nations” Michele Bachmann joined End Times prepper pastor Jim Bakker for a series of television programs that aired last week, during which she revealed that she is currently considering making a run for the U.S. Senate seat that is set to be vacated by …

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports: U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., plans to resign from Congress on Jan. 2, a spokesman said Wednesday. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, who Gov. Mark Dayton appointed to replace Franken, will be sworn in the next day. Franken announced his resignation earlier in December after several women made allegations of unwanted sexual advances or touching and …

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports: State Sen. Karin Housley announced in an e-mail to supporters and YouTube video that she is running in the 2018 special election to replace the departing U.S. Sen. Al Franken. “I’ll work, hard, play fair, do the right thing and get things done,” said the St. Marys Point Republican, who was first elected to the state …

The Minnesota Star-Tribune reports: Gov. Mark Dayton will appoint Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to replace Sen. Al Franken as Minnesota’s next U.S. senator, according to two high-level Democratic sources with knowledge of the decision. Dayton will name Smith as his choice at a Wednesday morning news conference, and she plans to run for the seat in a 2018 special election, …

Hate radio host Bryan Fischer writes: Not only did Al Franken not resign yesterday, it is my prediction that he will never resign. He will not resign until Roy Moore does – and since there is no way Roy Moore is going to do that, there’s no way Al Franken is going to do that either.  All Franken said what …

UPDATE: Multiple outlets are reporting that Franken will resign. Minnesota Public Radio reports: Minnesota Democrat Al Franken, facing fresh allegations of sexual misconduct and vanishing support from fellow Democrats, appears to be on the brink of resigning from the Senate. A Democratic official who spoke to Franken and key aides told MPR News Franken will resign Thursday. He’s expected to …

Politico reports: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called for Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) to resign in the wake of multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him. “While Senator Franken is entitled to have the Ethics Committee conclude its review, I believe it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message that any kind of mistreatment of women in …

Mediaite reports: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders takes the podium for the daily briefing on Friday afternoon. And based upon the events of the past 24 hours, one can pretty well guess the dominant line of inquiry from the White House press corps. Late Thursday night, President Donald Trump — apparently unable to help himself — weighed in …

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump is displaying selective outrage over allegations of sexual harassment against prominent men in politics, as his own tortured past lingers over his response. Trump moved quickly Thursday to condemn accusations against Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken as “really bad,” but he has remained conspicuously silent on the more serious claims leveled against Roy Moore, the …

The Washington Post reports: Broadcaster and model Leeann Tweeden said Thursday that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) “forcibly kissed” her and groped her during a USO tour in 2006, saying that “there’s nothing funny about sexual assault.” “You knew exactly what you were doing,” Tweeden wrote in a blog post for Los Angeles radio station KABC, for whom she works as …