When accusers are intent of bringing down a political person they'll pretty much stoop to anything, it appears, whatever party notwithstanding.
For years before and all through his time as a senator, Franken had been exemplary in his conduct. Yet, a well known right winger radio talk jock, Lee Ann Sneeden and her employer wrote up a accusatory trash piece on Franken about an event which occurred 17 years ago, and then a few other questionables stepped up to the microphone and later faded into the woodwork. Gillibrand et al. stood up in righteous indignation and called for his head.
Nonsense.
Franken asked, pleaded, and never got a formal hearing in the senate. Why? Because he was suddenly politically radioactive to Democrats. And it was Gilliland who poured the toxic waste on him.
Forget fairness; forget facing one's accusers; forget the good work Franken had done as a senator; forget his lifelong support in women's issues; forget having a day in court. Just get him the hell out of here!
Gilliland got what she deserved. Nailing Franken was supposed to juice up here campaign, and it did—for a couple of weeks of TV news and late night appearances. Then the former attorney for the tobacco industry's campaign ball-planed to earth and her quest became a mere footnote. She did absolutely nothing for the women's movement. Moreover, she portrayed the #me too movement as a bunch of emotional Know Nothings. A female rabble.
And I know that's not the case. Women have legitimate issues and they absolutely need to be addressed. (Frankly, Hillary Clinton would have been far more level headed in how she would react to Tweeden's and her radio station's accusations.) Gilliland sacrificed Franken for her own ambition. Well, now she can just show up on MSNBC as a "contributor" for spare cash. Too bad. The Democratic leadership ruined a perfectly good, perfectly well-intentioned senator.
You won't find a lot of Minnesotans who hold Gilliland in high regard. And certainly not this writer.