rigorousintuition.ca

A Growing Number of Democratic Senators Call on Al Franken to Resign
Franken will be making an announcement tomorrow.
TIM MURPHYDEC. 6, 2017 12:30 P

Ron Sachs/Zuma

The chorus of Democrats calling on Minnesota Sen. Al Franken to step aside just got a whole lot louder. On Wednesday, as a seventh woman came forward to accuse Franken of inappropriate sexual conduct, a group of female Democratic senators led by New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand called on Franken to resign.

“I believe it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message that any kind of mistreatment of women in our society isn’t acceptable by stepping aside to let someone else serve,” Gillibrand said in a statement posted on Facebook.

✔
@NBCNews
JUST IN: Sen. Gillibrand calls for calls for Sen. Franken to "step aside"

"I believe it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message that any kind of mistreatment of women in our society isn’t acceptable by stepping aside to let someone else serve."
10:31 AM - Dec 6, 2017
271 271 Replies 368 368 Retweets 772 772 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Gillibrand was joined within minutes by Sens. Mazie Hironi (D-Hawaii), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). They were the first Senate Democrats to call on their colleague to resign. After Franken was first accused last month of forcibly kissing a colleague during a 2006 USO tour, he seemed determined to ride out the scandal and wait for the conclusion of a Senate ethics investigation into his conduct. But now he faces quickly growing opposition within the Senate. After these female senators demanded he leave the Senate, several Democratic male colleagues joined the call for Franken to quit. The group included Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). And Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, tweeted Franken should step down.

On Tuesday, longtime Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) announced his retirement after facing a series of sexual harassment allegations. Conyers was pressed to resign by his party’s leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). And after Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen of Nevada was accused of sexually harassing a staffer during his 2016 campaign, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Committee, joined Pelosi in asking him to resign. (Kihuen has not.)

Franken’s office has issued a brief statement saying that he will be making an announcement tomorrow.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/201 ... to-resign/#

Franken’s office has issued a brief statement saying that he will be making an announcement tomorrow.

'The Art of the Deal' Author Tony Schwartz: Trump Is 'Worse Than Weinstein'—and 'Much More Will Emerge'
The president has been accused of sexual assault by at least 16 women.
By Travis Gettys / Raw Story
December 6, 2017

The man who knows President Donald Trump as well as nearly anyone says “much more will emerge” about his alleged sexual misconduct over the years.

Tony Schwartz, who spent hundreds of hours with Trump while collaborating on “The Art of the Deal,” said allegations against the president were even worse than the “disturbing” claims against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

“Today’s NYT story on Harvey Weinstein is one of the most disturbing articles I’ve ever read about dozens of human beings being complicit with & enabling a monster,” Schwartz tweeted. “Trump is worse, and much more will emerge. We are living in a deeply deeply sick American culture.”

The New York Times article reveals how Weinstein exploited his power and connections to build a “complicity machine” to help him cover up “his methodical abuse of women” over decades in Hollywood.

Schwartz suggests the truth about Trump — who has been accused of sexual assault by at least 16 women and was caught bragging about it to former “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush — would eventually be revealed as part of the larger “#MeToo” campaign that has brought down powerful and abusive men throughout politics and the media.

“Journalists are behaving heroically,” Schwartz said. “So grateful for the depth, specificity, richness and power of so many stories about the transgressions of Trump, his administration and the epidemic of prominent men sexually assaulting women. Thank God for the first amendment.”

Trump finished runner-up in Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” to “The Silence Breakers” who exposed sexual misconduct — including the president’s own accusers.

From Tom Arnold (yes "that" Tom Arnold, ex-husband of Rosanne Barr)

I’m disappointed with my friend Leeann Tweeden. Her partner at KABC John Phillips is a Roger Stone pal & they coached her for weeks to bring Al Franken down. I’d hoped she’d use her voice to speak out for all women against predators like Roy Moore & Donald Trump but she’s a birther

I’ve gone to bat for Leeann Tweeden 100 times this last month hoping she’d at least reveal her whole truth too but she ghosted me. I know every single detail of this political manipulation. KABC should lose their license. Promoting a fraud is a federal offense & FCC violation.

To put a button on this the only truth about my old pal Leeann Tweeden’s Al Franken story was the picture. The rest was created by KABC colleague & fellow Trump supporter John Phillips & his bud Roger Stone who coached Leeann for weeks to take Al down. Mission accomplished.

I’m #MeToo & don’t doubt any other woman but the Leeann Tweeden-John Phillips-Roger Stone lies & set up of Al Franken were part of a larger smear campaign against Al initiated at the same time Leeann came out at KABC. I have proof. Leeann knows it. It’s a disservice to victims.

seemslikeadream » Thu Dec 07, 2017 1:57 pm wrote:Everyone should step down immediately ......the republicans are staying in Congress and the predator in chief is staying where he is and the republican child molester is going to be elected ....why is it only the dems that have to do the right thing?

O’Keefe accepted an “Impact Award” from Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, at the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C.

James O’Keefe Receives Award After Botched Attempt To Expose WaPo Bias

By CAITLIN MACNEAL Published DECEMBER 7, 2017 8:49 AM
Fresh off Project Veritas’ failed attempt to undermine the credibility of the Washington Post and other news outlets, the group’s leader, James O’Keefe, was honored as a “hero” Wednesday night by the conservative group United for Purpose.

O’Keefe accepted an “Impact Award” from Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, at the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C.


Project Veritas, notorious for releasing deceptive videos targeting liberals, recently tried to infiltrate the Washington Post and other media outlets. Activist Jaime Phillips tried to get close to journalists at the Post and other outlets, but was ultimately exposed by the Washington Post for posing as a sexual misconduct victim of Roy Moore. Despite the fact that the Washington Post discovered she was not actually a victim, Project Veritas still claimed the stunt was a victory.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/j ... rump-tower

"X-Men" Filmmaker Bryan Singer Accused Of Raping 17-Year-Old Boy On Yacht
The man alleges that the filmmaker cornered him in a room aboard the yacht in 2003 and forced him to perform oral sex before raping him.

Originally posted on December 7, 2017, at 7:58 p.m.
Updated on December 7, 2017, at 9:07 p.m.
Claudia Rosenbaum
BuzzFeed News Reporter

Bryan Singer, the big-budget filmmaker behind multiple X-Men movies, has been sued for allegedly raping a 17-year-old boy on a yacht, and then using his position in Hollywood to threaten him into silence.

In the lawsuit, Cesar Sanchez-Guzman alleges that Singer offered to give him a tour of the yacht during a boat party near Seattle in 2003. Once cornered in a room, Singer allegedly forced the teen to perform oral sex before raping him, according to the lawsuit filed in Washington state court.

The lawsuit states that the yacht was owned by wealthy tech investor Lester Waters, and that the party was attended by a number of young gay men. Sanchez-Guzman states that he was 17 at the time of the party and did not know Singer except that he was a friend of Waters.

After the alleged assault, Sanchez-Guzman states in the lawsuit that Singer threatened to ruin his reputation if he came forward.

Representatives for Singer did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment. However, a rep for the filmmaker told TMZ the lawsuit was filed by the same lawyer who represented Michael Egan, who several years ago accused Singer and others in the industry of sexual misconduct, only to withdraw the claims.

"Those claims were dismissed by Egan himself, and he later went to federal prison for lying in a fraud case," the rep told TMZ.

Unlike other alleged victims of sexual abuse constrained by statute of limitations laws that limit when legal action can be filed, Sanchez-Guzman appears to fall within the deadline.

Washington state has a three-year statue of limitations for bringing civil action for child sexual abuse, but state courts have interpreted that legislation to mean that victims can bring an action within three years of the date when they discover how the abuse has impacted them.

"We are fortunate that the legislature in Washington state have interpreted to allow for survivors to bring cases later in life,” Daniel Fasy, an attorney in Washington state who specializes in child sex abuse cases, told BuzzFeed News. “Often times, trauma surfaces later in life. Often times, people use coping mechanisms to avoid the drama of what happens to them when they are younger. Later, they open up a Pandora's box of feelings when they discover that much of what they were suffering in life could be related to the abuse they suffered as child."

Seattle Police did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday night.

Singer is just the latest powerful Hollywood figure to face allegations of sexual assault and harassment, including movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and film producer Brett Ratner.

Weinstein is already facing multiple civil lawsuits regarding allegations of sexual assault. And he faces potential criminal charges in California, New York, and the UK.

Singer was recently fired from the set of Bohemian Rhapsody, in which Rami Malek is playing the late Queen singer Freddie Mercury, after the director failed to return to London, where the movie is filming.

The tide of allegations and resulting fallout against men of power in multiple arenas — including politics, media, and tech — were sparked earlier this year after the New York Times and the New Yorker published stories detailing some of the allegations.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/claudiarosenba ... .gfK0Wb9pO

NEWS & POLITICS
'The Art of the Deal' Author Tony Schwartz: Trump Is 'Worse Than Weinstein'—and 'Much More Will Emerge'
The president has been accused of sexual assault by at least 16 women.
By Travis Gettys / Raw Story December 6, 2017, 8:20 AM GMT

The man who knows President Donald Trump as well as nearly anyone says “much more will emerge” about his alleged sexual misconduct over the years.

Tony Schwartz, who spent hundreds of hours with Trump while collaborating on “The Art of the Deal,” said allegations against the president were even worse than the “disturbing” claims against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

“Today’s NYT story on Harvey Weinstein is one of the most disturbing articles I’ve ever read about dozens of human beings being complicit with & enabling a monster,” Schwartz tweeted. “Trump is worse, and much more will emerge. We are living in a deeply deeply sick American culture.”

Tony Schwartz
✔
@tonyschwartz
Today's NYT story on Harvey Weinstein is one of the most disturbing articles I've ever read about dozens of human beings being complicit with & enabling a monster. Trump is worse, and much more will emerge. We are living in a deeply deeply sick American culture.
8:19 AM - Dec 6, 2017
85 85 Replies 721 721 Retweets 2,053 2,053 likes

The New York Times article reveals how Weinstein exploited his power and connections to build a “complicity machine” to help him cover up “his methodical abuse of women” over decades in Hollywood.

Schwartz suggests the truth about Trump — who has been accused of sexual assault by at least 16 women and was caught bragging about it to former “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush — would eventually be revealed as part of the larger “#MeToo” campaign that has brought down powerful and abusive men throughout politics and the media.

“Journalists are behaving heroically,” Schwartz said. “So grateful for the depth, specificity, richness and power of so many stories about the transgressions of Trump, his administration and the epidemic of prominent men sexually assaulting women. Thank God for the first amendment.”


Trump finished runner-up in Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” to “The Silence Breakers” who exposed sexual misconduct — including the president’s own accusers.
https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-polit ... ill-emerge


Trump finished runner-up in Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” to “The Silence Breakers” who exposed sexual misconduct — including the president’s own accusers.

RNC: 'We Warned You Gay Marriage Would Be A Slippery Slope Toward Accepting Pedophilia'
https://politics.theonion.com/rnc-we-wa ... 1821095609

Keillor: Minnesota Public Radio Did Not Fully Investigate Allegations


ASSOCIATED PRESS
By NICOLE LAFOND Published DECEMBER 8, 2017 7:54 AM
Embattled former public radio host Garrison Keillor said he was not given a “full and fair” investigation before Minnesota Public Radio cut ties with him over allegations of sexual misconduct.

“I expect to deal with MPR soon to try to fix the enormous mistake they have made by not conducting a full and fair investigation,” Keillor told the Associated Press in an email.

Keillor claims he has been accused by one former colleague for inappropriately touching her bare back when consoling her and immediately apologized, but MPR’s top executive said the organization was aware of “multiple allegations” against the former host. MPR President Jon McTaggart denied Keillor’s claims that it didn’t fully vet the accusations.

In a statement, MPR said it properly reviewed the complaints from two people who said Keillor committed “multiple incidents of inappropriate behavior” and conducted a full investigation before deciding to fire Keillor on Nov. 30.

The attorney for the former host of largely popular radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion,” said he and Keillor were only aware of one allegation against him and said Keillor expects a “full restoration” of his reputation.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/k ... vestigated

GOP Rep. Trent Franks offered aide $5 million to carry his child, says staffer



Franks is a socially conservative member of the House Freedom Caucus.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congre ... d_nn_tw_ma

House Benghazi Report Finds No New Evidence of Wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/29/us/p ... ghazi.html

Gowdy, Benghazi panel settled wrongful firing suit with $150,000 in public funds


As chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) used $150,000 in taxpayer dollars to settle with a former aide who alleged he was fired in part because he was not willing to focus his investigative work on Hillary Clinton.

The Post confirmed the confidential settlement reached between Gowdy and the Benghazi panel and Bradley Podliska after it appeared in a list of settlements released Friday by the congressional Office of Compliance. Gowdy is now the chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

In a list provided to the House Committee on Administration, the OOC...

seemslikeadream » Sat Dec 09, 2017 9:23 am wrote:Mr. Benghazi gets to be my next nominee after spending 7.8 million dollars 7 hearings 2 1/2 years chasing Clinton which resulted in NADA

no arrests
no convictions

House Benghazi Report Finds No New Evidence of Wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/29/us/p ... ghazi.html

one would think Mr. Benghazi would have come up with something..republican running the show

Gowdy, Benghazi panel settled wrongful firing suit with $150,000 in public funds


As chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) used $150,000 in taxpayer dollars to settle with a former aide who alleged he was fired in part because he was not willing to focus his investigative work on Hillary Clinton.

The Post confirmed the confidential settlement reached between Gowdy and the Benghazi panel and Bradley Podliska after it appeared in a list of settlements released Friday by the congressional Office of Compliance. Gowdy is now the chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

In a list provided to the House Committee on Administration, the OOC...