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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:00 pm 
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Nailed with a picture...

http://www.kabc.com/2017/11/16/leeann-t ... en/Senator Al Franken Kissed and Groped Me

Without My Consent, And There’s Nothing Funny About It


Senator Al Franken Kissed and Groped Me Without My Consent, And There’s Nothing Funny About It

By Leeann Tweeden

In December of 2006, I embarked on my ninth USO Tour to entertain our troops, my eighth to the Middle East since the 9/11 attacks. My father served in Vietnam and my then-boyfriend (and now husband, Chris) is a pilot in the Air Force, so bringing a ‘little piece of home’ to servicemembers stationed far away from their families was both my passion and my privilege.

Also on the trip were country music artists Darryl Worley, Mark Wills, Keni Thomas, and some cheerleaders from the Dallas Cowboys. The headliner was comedian and now-senator, Al Franken.

Franken had written some skits for the show and brought props and costumes to go along with them. Like many USO shows before and since, the skits were full of sexual innuendo geared toward a young, male audience.

As a TV host and sports broadcaster, as well as a model familiar to the audience from the covers of FHM, Maxim and Playboy, I was only expecting to emcee and introduce the acts, but Franken said he had written a part for me that he thought would be funny, and I agreed to play along.

When I saw the script, Franken had written a moment when his character comes at me for a ‘kiss’. I suspected what he was after, but I figured I could turn my head at the last minute, or put my hand over his mouth, to get more laughs from the crowd.

On the day of the show Franken and I were alone backstage going over our lines one last time. He said to me, “We need to rehearse the kiss.” I laughed and ignored him. Then he said it again. I said something like, ‘Relax Al, this isn’t SNL…we don’t need to rehearse the kiss.’

He continued to insist, and I was beginning to get uncomfortable.

He repeated that actors really need to rehearse everything and that we must practice the kiss. I said ‘OK’ so he would stop badgering me. We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth.

I immediately pushed him away with both of my hands against his chest and told him if he ever did that to me again I wouldn’t be so nice about it the next time.

I walked away. All I could think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth.

I felt disgusted and violated.

Not long after, I performed the skit as written, carefully turning my head so he couldn’t kiss me on the lips.

No one saw what happened backstage. I didn’t tell the Sergeant Major of the Army, who was the sponsor of the tour. I didn’t tell our USO rep what happened.

At the time I didn’t want to cause trouble. We were in the middle of a war zone, it was the first show of our Holiday tour, I was a professional, and I could take care of myself. I told a few of the others on the tour what Franken had done and they knew how I felt about it.

I tried to let it go, but I was angry.

Other than our dialogue on stage, I never had a voluntary conversation with Al Franken again. I avoided him as much as possible and made sure I was never alone with him again for the rest of the tour.

Franken repaid me with petty insults, including drawing devil horns on at least one of the headshots I was autographing for the troops.

But he didn’t stop there.

The tour wrapped and on Christmas Eve we began the 36-hour trip home to L.A. After 2 weeks of grueling travel and performing I was exhausted. When our C-17 cargo plane took off from Afghanistan I immediately fell asleep, even though I was still wearing my flak vest and Kevlar helmet.

It wasn’t until I was back in the US and looking through the CD of photos we were given by the photographer that I saw this one:





I couldn’t believe it. He groped me, without my consent, while I was asleep.

I felt violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated.

How dare anyone grab my breasts like this and think it’s funny?

I told my husband everything that happened and showed him the picture.

I wanted to shout my story to the world with a megaphone to anyone who would listen, but even as angry as I was, I was worried about the potential backlash and damage going public might have on my career as a broadcaster.

But that was then, this is now. I’m no longer afraid.

Today, I am the news anchor on McIntyre in the Morning on KABC Radio in Los Angeles. My colleagues are some of the most supportive people I’ve ever worked with in my career. Like everyone in the media, we’ve been reporting on the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct allegations since they broke, and the flood of similar stories that have come out about others.

A few weeks ago, we had California Congresswoman Jackie Speier on the show and she told us her story of being sexually assaulted when she was a young Congressional aide. She described how a powerful man in the office where she worked ‘held her face, kissed her and stuck his tongue in her mouth.’

At that moment, I thought to myself, Al Franken did that exact same thing to me.

I had locked up those memories of helplessness and violation for a long time, but they all came rushing back to me and my hands clinched into fists like it was yesterday.

I’m still angry at what Al Franken did to me.

Every time I hear his voice or see his face, I am angry. I am angry that I did his stupid skit for the rest of that tour. I am angry that I didn’t call him out in front of everyone when I had the microphone in my hand every night after that. I wanted to. But I didn’t want to rock the boat. I was there to entertain the troops and make sure they forgot about where they were for a few hours. Someday, I thought to myself, I would tell my story.

That day is now.

Senator Franken, you wrote the script. But there’s nothing funny about sexual assault.

You wrote the scene that would include you kissing me and then relentlessly badgered me into ‘rehearsing’ the kiss with you backstage when we were alone.

You knew exactly what you were doing. You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed.

While debating whether or not to go public, I even thought to myself, so much worse has happened to so many others, maybe my story isn’t worth telling? But my story is worth telling.

Not just because 2017 is not 2006, or because I am much more secure in my career now than I was then, and not because I’m still angry.

I’m telling my story because there may be others.

I want to have the same effect on them that Congresswoman Jackie Speier had on me. I want them, and all the other victims of sexual assault, to be able to speak out immediately, and not keep their stories –and their anger– locked up inside for years, or decades.

I want the days of silence to be over forever.

Leeann Tweeden is morning news anchor on TalkRadio 790 KABC in Los Angeles


Last edited by '77Cubs on Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:02 pm 
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I hope they crucify the sanctimonious bastard

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:03 pm 
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ToxicMasculinity wrote:
I hope they crucify the sanctimonious bastard


You got it. Mr. Holier Than Thou...


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:04 pm 
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'77Cubs wrote:
ToxicMasculinity wrote:
I hope they crucify the sanctimonious bastard


You got it. Mr. Holier Than Thou...


That picture is bad for him. Pictures make everything worse.

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Last edited by ToxicMasculinity on Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:06 pm 
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"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, she wants me to grope her".

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:12 pm 
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I knew it! That's why I went with Chris Christie!

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:20 pm 
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he won't survive this.

Dems have no upside to defend him and they can easily replace him with a Dem gov and Dem electorate in MN. Also, this allows them to continue to hammer Moore and hope that seat turns blue on 12/12. Those factors also make it a low risk move to toss him aside. There is actually a real upside in tossing him as it helps Jones in AL.

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Last edited by Ogie Oglethorpe on Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:22 pm 
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She's conservative (and a former model). Some Franken supporters are essentially calling her a liar...


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:24 pm 
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Ogie Oglethorpe wrote:
he won't survive this.

Dems have no upside to defend him and they can easily replace him with a Dem gov and Dem electorate in MN. Also, this allows them to continue to hammer Moore and hope that seat turns blue on 12/12. Those factors also make it a low risk move to toss him aside.

that's a good point....

almost anyone can get zapped. not sure if that is justice or something else.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:24 pm 
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tommy wrote:
She's conservative (and a former model). Some Franken supporters are essentially calling her a liar...


She was asking for it.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:27 pm 
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Terry's Peeps wrote:
tommy wrote:
She's conservative (and a former model). Some Franken supporters are essentially calling her a liar...


She was asking for it.

well, she was in Playboy....


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:28 pm 
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tommy wrote:
Terry's Peeps wrote:
tommy wrote:
She's conservative (and a former model). Some Franken supporters are essentially calling her a liar...


She was asking for it.

well, she was in Playboy....


She deserved to be sexed up.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:29 pm 
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tommy wrote:
Terry's Peeps wrote:
tommy wrote:
She's conservative (and a former model). Some Franken supporters are essentially calling her a liar...


She was asking for it.

well, she was in Playboy....


Link?

For research purposes of course.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:33 pm 
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He's not 'grabbing' anything in that picture.

Still not terribly bright, but that picture is proof of nothing.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:33 pm 
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tommy wrote:
She's conservative (and a former model). Some Franken supporters are essentially calling her a liar...

Really?



Ill say this, if I wanted to defend him I would say she literally agreed to the rehearsal kiss and the picture was obviously a joke.


But I'm not looking to defend sexual harassment.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:34 pm 
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saw this thread, went over to foxnews website... as suspected.... front page.... eventually there will be no one left. the machines will take over and run our government with cold efficiency

Image


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:37 pm 
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I love how Senator Turtle has already gotten on his high horse and called for an ethics investigation. Oddly I really don't remember much from him during the wide stance period, but hey it's a start?

While I'm somewhat at a loss to figure out it's authority here as it took place 2-3 years before he became a senator, I'm not going to object if it can also extend to other senators with all kinds of family making money off of government connections and no apparent qualifications.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:37 pm 
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billypootons wrote:
saw this thread, went over to foxnews website... as suspected.... front page.... eventually there will be no one left. the machines will take over and run our government with cold efficiency

Image

at least Skynet won't grope you

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:38 pm 
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Toast and good riddance.

He was a bore anyway and not funny.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:39 pm 
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not a good look for Senate Dems.

Mariam Khan‏Verified account
@MKhan47
.@SenWhitehouse tells reporters: “You guys need to find something more interesting” when asked about Franken allegations.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:39 pm 
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rogers park bryan wrote:
tommy wrote:
She's conservative (and a former model). Some Franken supporters are essentially calling her a liar...

Really?



Ill say this, if I wanted to defend him I would say she literally agreed to the rehearsal kiss and the picture was obviously a joke.


But I'm not looking to defend sexual harassment.


It's scary because it can ruin people and it's not the kind of thing people want to even ask questions about.

Yeah, she was some sort of model. Bikinis and all of that.

Sometime discussed conservative issues on Hannity's show. Can't imagine what she would bring to the conversation, but she's also an autism advocate.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:39 pm 
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Don Tiny wrote:
He's not 'grabbing' anything in that picture.

Still not terribly bright, but that picture is proof of nothing.


Agreed. He's obviously pretending to grope her tits in the photo. Shows the maturity level of a 15 year old, but not a criminal act.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:40 pm 
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tommy wrote:
rogers park bryan wrote:
tommy wrote:
She's conservative (and a former model). Some Franken supporters are essentially calling her a liar...

Really?



Ill say this, if I wanted to defend him I would say she literally agreed to the rehearsal kiss and the picture was obviously a joke.


But I'm not looking to defend sexual harassment.


It's scary because it can ruin people and it's not the kind of thing people want to even ask questions about.

Yeah, she was some sort of model. Bikinis and all of that.

Sometime discussed conservative issues on Hannity's show. Can't imagine what she would bring to the conversation, but she's also an autism advocate.

My REALLY was more about people defending him.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:40 pm 
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Other shit coming out on him too from his SNL days including a skit he proposed where Leslie Stahl gets drugged and raped. Not funny Senator...


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:40 pm 
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Regular Reader wrote:
I love how Senator Turtle has already gotten on his high horse and called for an ethics investigation. Oddly I really don't remember much from him during the wide stance period, but hey it's a start?

What a jag.....


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:42 pm 
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rogers park bryan wrote:
tommy wrote:
rogers park bryan wrote:
tommy wrote:
She's conservative (and a former model). Some Franken supporters are essentially calling her a liar...

Really?



Ill say this, if I wanted to defend him I would say she literally agreed to the rehearsal kiss and the picture was obviously a joke.


But I'm not looking to defend sexual harassment.


It's scary because it can ruin people and it's not the kind of thing people want to even ask questions about.

Yeah, she was some sort of model. Bikinis and all of that.

Sometime discussed conservative issues on Hannity's show. Can't imagine what she would bring to the conversation, but she's also an autism advocate.

My REALLY was more about people defending him.

No, I know what you mean, and I agree. My head is just spinning from all of this....


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:42 pm 
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'77Cubs wrote:
Other shit coming out on him too from his SNL days including a skit he proposed where Leslie Stahl gets drugged and raped. Not funny Senator...


http://www.twincities.com/2008/06/04/go ... 5-article/


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:42 pm 
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'77Cubs wrote:
Other shit coming out on him too from his SNL days including a skit he proposed where Leslie Stahl gets drugged and raped. Not funny Senator...

Whoa that thing, Charlie.


Comedy has no limits. I mean you can think it's not funny but if a woman and a man agreed to do such a skit, there is nothing wrong with that.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:43 pm 
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https://youtu.be/JWwGM9x2Gxs?t=51s

I'm sure the marine in that video will be facing a court martial too for his reprehensible actions.

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:43 pm 
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rogers park bryan wrote:
'77Cubs wrote:
Other shit coming out on him too from his SNL days including a skit he proposed where Leslie Stahl gets drugged and raped. Not funny Senator...

Whoa that thing, Charlie.


Comedy has no limits. I mean you can think it's not funny but if a woman and a man agreed to do such a skit, there is nothing wrong with that.

Yep.

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