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WILL KLOBUCHAR REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH HER OUTRAGE OF FRANKEN IN LIGHT OF HER PAST EFFORTS TO COMBAT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND RAPE?
By Michael B. Brodkorb | June 6, 2008
There are many people inside the DFL that are not very happy that both Senator Klobuchar and Congresswoman McCollum have decided to speak out against Al Franken’s jokes about rape and bestiality. McCollum had the guts to speak up immediately and wasn’t dissuaded by those who demanded party loyalty. Klobuchar’s decision to weigh in at the last minute shows there is great concern about Franken’s endorsement. She also deserves credit for speaking out against Franken.
I still think Franken gets endorsed on the first ballot, but I don’t think the DFL can be seen gloating about a guy who cheated on his workers’ compensation, his taxes, joked about kids downloading bestiality and thinks a joke about drugging and raping a woman is funny. Let’s look at why Klobuchar will have a very difficult time justifying supporting Franken even if he is endorsed:
- As Hennepin County Attorney, she was widely recognized for her efforts on behalf of kids and internet predators. The idea that she would approve of a guy saying his 12 year old kid was downloading bestiality and showing it to his classmates is pretty out there.
- She was widely respected for her advocacy on behalf of rape victims and victims of sexual assault. Her support of a candidate who jokes about raping women after he drugs them flies right in the face of her long-term support of victims. I’m sure Klobuchar knows this and she isn’t about to compromise those beliefs and principles
- Klobuchar spoke out strongly about “date rape drugs†and for her to defend a guy who talks about drugging a woman and raping her is not going to be something she is eager to do
- Klobuchar has been a strong supporter of the Sheila Wellstone Institute, an organization dedicated to supporting battered women and those who are the victims of sexual abuse and assault. While Franken keeps claiming he is close to the Wellstone Family, one has to wonder what Sheila Wellstone would have thought of a grown man joking about drugging and raping women.
I also found it interesting that Jackie Stevenson from the DFL Feminist Caucus said that women under 40 don’t care about the jokes Franken has made about sexual assault or the characterization of women as sexual objects. That seems really insulting to women under 40.
I believe Senator Klobuchar knows this too. I think she knows that women under the age of 40 do not believe that a 40-something man joking about drugging and raping women is funny. I also believe Senator Klobuchar knows that those same women under 40 are not going to excuse anybody who excuses a 40-something man who cracks jokes that impact their life, their safety and their dignity.
The question will be whether Klobuchar allows the desire to have an endorsed DFL candidate against Senator Norm Coleman to become more important than her record of defending women and victims of rape and sexual assault.
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2 Responses to “WILL KLOBUCHAR REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH HER OUTRAGE OF FRANKEN IN LIGHT OF HER PAST EFFORTS TO COMBAT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND RAPE?”
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June 6th, 2008 at 11:48 PM
MBB/MDE: “The question will be whether Klobuchar allows the DESIRE to have an endorsed DFL candidate AGAINST Senator Norm Coleman…”
el presidente: NORM QUITS; QUESTION TAKEN CARE OF
June 7th, 2008 at 9:07 PM
Amy Klobuchar seemed very happy to stand up with Al Franken and be photographed at the podium. This was in marked contrast to Betty McCollum.