Tag: Al Franken

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) discuss the GOP plan for tax reform and the the sexual harassment allegations facing Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore and Sen. Al Franken (D-MN).

Today in 5 Lines A second woman accused Minnesota Senator Al Franken of sexual misconduct, saying he inappropriately touched her during a photo op in 2010. President Trump re-designated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, after the country was removed from the list by the George W. Bush administration. Janet Yellen announced that she will retire from the Federal Reserve after her successor is sworn in, rather than staying on as the federal reserve governor. And the Nebraska Public Service Commission approved a route through the state for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. (Derek Thompson) The GOP’s Unsustainable Corporate-Tax Plan: The Republican tax plan has no chance of standing the test of time, argues David Frum: While it may benefit a few, it’ll damage the long-term economic health of the country. Follow stories throughout the day with our Politics & Policy portal. Snapshot What We’re Reading Intellect of a Kindergartner: National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster reportedly mocked President Trump’s intelligence at a private dinner, calling him an “idiot” and a “dope.” (Joseph Bernstein, BuzzFeed) Show Her the Money: The country’s reaction to a photo of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s wife, Louise Linton, posing with a large sheet of dollar bills, exemplifies the “stultification and celebritization of our politics.” (Kevin D. Williamson, National Review) When Ideology Trumps Transgression: Conservative evangelical leaders have changed their tune on the issue of sexual misconduct in the last few decades. (GQ) Visualized Testing, Testing: In response to the growing nuclear threat from North Korea, the U.S. is experimenting with strengthening its defense systems. Broad, The New York Times) In this story, The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson writes that through its economic policies, the Republican Party seems to be waging a war on higher education.

On Tuesday, 36 women who worked on Saturday Night Live came out to defend Minnesota Sen. Al Franken in a signed letter of solidarity for the show’s one-time cast member and current Democratic politician. Franken has recently come under fire with allegations of sexual misconduct, from radio anchor Leeann Tweeden and Lindsay Menz. In their letter, the SNL staffers — who had all worked alongside Franken at some point during his tenure on the comedy show — say that they “feel compelled to stand up” for Franken. “What Al did was stupid and foolish, and we think it was appropriate for him to apologize to Ms. Tweeden, and to the public,” the letter continues. “In our experience, we know Al as a dedicated and devoted family man, a wonderful comedic performer, and an honorable public servant. That is why we are moved to quickly and directly affirm that after years of working with him, we would like to acknowledge that not one of us ever experienced any inappropriate behavior; and mention our sincere appreciation that he treated us with the utmost respect and regard.” Franken has apologized for his behavior. The 36 staffers include writers, production assistants and costume designers with experiences on SNL dating back to the 1970s and up through the present. Other female staffers of the politician’s have also publicly defended Franken.

Chris Hayes explains why the GOP's math for their controversial tax cut doesn't add up, and he discusses the mounting sexual assault allegations rocking the halls of Congress. » Subscribe to Late Night: http://bit.ly/LateNightSeth » Get more Late Night with Seth…

Seth takes a closer look at a new sexual harassment allegation against Senator Al Franken and more women coming forward to accuse Roy Moore of sexually assaulting them as teenagers. » Subscribe to Late Night: http://bit.ly/LateNightSeth » Get more Late Night…

The Politics of Bernie Sanders’s “Medicare for All” Bill. “This is where the country has got to go,” Sanders told the Washington Post’s David Weigel on Tuesday, a day before he unveiled a single-payer health-care-reform bill in the Senate. “When you have co-payments—when you say that health care is not a right for everybody, whether you’re poor or whether you’re a billionaire—the evidence suggests that it becomes a disincentive for people to get the health care they need,” Sanders told Weigel. (So has Sanders himself.) But that is the reality of Presidential politics these days: a semi-permanent campaign. In recent years, the biggest gains have come among self-identified independents, fifty-five per cent of whom now express support. “I think the American people are sick and tired of filling out forms,” Sanders told Weigel. You’ve got to argue with insurance companies about what you thought you were getting.” Shifting from the current system to a single-payer system would, however, be a huge transformation, and, when pollsters point out to survey participants some of the things such a change would entail, support for the Sanders approach tends to drop quite sharply. Eager to exploit Trump’s unpopularity in next year’s midterm elections, they know Republicans are keen to label the Democrats as the Party that wants to raise taxes and impose a government takeover of health care. “Democrats believe that health care is a right for all, and there are many different bills out there,” he said.