Durbin: No ‘political calculation’ in Dem calls for Franken to resign

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Sunday said there was no “political calculation” among Democrats urging Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) to resign following sexual misconduct allegations, calling it a “painful process.”

“I can tell you it was a painful process because of our personal friendships and relationships with Al and his family. There was no political calculation in here. It was just a painful moment when we made a decision, moved forward on the Democratic side,” Durbin said on CBS’s “Face The Nation.”

Franken resigned from the Senate on Thursday following calls from roughly two dozen Democratic senators to do so.

{mosads}Franken has faced allegations of sexual misconduct since mid-November, when radio host Leeann Tweeden said he kissed and groped her without her consent during a 2006 USO tour.

Since then, multiple women have come forward saying Franken inappropriately touched them during photo ops and at other events.

Durbin said Sunday that he’d like to see a “national standard, not a partisan standard” in addressing sexual misconduct allegations.

Representatives from both major political parties have faced accusations of sexual misconduct in recent weeks. Franken and Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) resigned last week following such allegations.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) also resigned said last week after he admitted to discussing surrogacy with female members of his staff. One staffer alleges he offered her $5 million to carry his child.