Brooks: It Seems Like the Pressure Against Franken by Democrats ‘Was Just for Political Expedience’

On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks stated that Senate Al Franken (D-MN) was pushed out of the Senate in part for “political opportunism” by Democrats to claim the moral high ground over Republicans and this seems to be slightly unfair.

Brooks said, “Well, I mean, it’s indisputable that the Democrats have kicked Al Franken — pushed him out of the Senate for things which are much less egregious than anything Roy Moore is accused of or anything Donald Trump is accused of.”

He added, “And it feels he was pushed out of the Senate not just because of what Al Franken did, but because for the political opportunism of the Democratic Party to say, ‘Hey, we’re not the Republicans.’ And so it felt like a lot of the pressure against Franken was not about Franken. It was just for political expedience, so we could have the contrast with Roy Moore. And whatever Al Franken did and didn’t do — and I bear –, I carry no water for him — it seemed a little unfair that his case had to be so much influenced by political expediency and Roy Moore.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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