Al Franken reflects on ‘the experience of women in this country’ in Thanksgiving note

Former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who announced his resignation from the Senate last December after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, said in a message Thursday he is reflecting this Thanksgiving on the national conversation surrounding treatment of women and the “Me Too” movement.

“I’ve also spent a lot of time over this past year thinking about the broader conversation we’ve been having about the experience of women in this country,” Franken wrote in a note posted to Facebook.

{mosads}”I know that, for so many people, this issue raises a lot of powerful and painful feelings. This conversation can also be incredibly complicated. I don’t think it’s my place to weigh in on all the debates — but I will continue to listen and learn,” he wrote. 

Eight different women accused Franken, a former “Saturday Night Live” writer and author once seen as a possible 2020 presidential contender, of varying degrees of sexual misconduct.

The former senator had hoped the Senate Ethics Committee would hear his case, but was forced to resign after pressure mounted within his own party for him to step aside. He was replaced by Sen. Tina Smith (D).

Franken, who maintained he had done nothing to bring “dishonor” on the Senate, also reflected Thursday on Democrats’ recent gains in the House and said he hopes to advocate for liberal causes moving forward. 

“As we gather around the table this year, we have a lot to celebrate, including a whole bunch of thrilling Democratic victories. But we also have a whole lot to worry about when it comes to our country. For me, and for so many of you, politics has always been about the improvement of people’s lives, just like [former Minnesota Sen.] Paul Wellstone said. And there’s so much more work left to do. I still miss being in the fight every day, and while I’m certainly not running for anything, I hope that, in the next year, I’ll have the chance to help make a difference again,” he wrote.