A majority of the Senate’s Democrats called on the two-term lawmaker from Minnesota to quit after a woman emerged Wednesday morning saying he forcibly tried to kiss her in 2006. Hours later, another woman said Franken inappropriately squeezed “a handful of flesh” on her waist while posing for a photo with her in 2009. That brought the number of women alleging misconduct by Franken to at least eight. Franken has scheduled an announcement for Thursday, though his office tweeted Wednesday evening that he had not made “a final decision” on resigning. Many Senate Democrats, especially women, say they expect their liberal colleague to step down. Meanwhile, Maryland’s senators, both Democrats, have not taken a clear side. “I expect he will make the right decision for the United States Senate,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen said in an emailed statement. He did not say if that right decision would be for Franken to resign. Sen. Ben Cardin told CNN that he believed the issue would be “resolved in the next 24 hours.” “This is a very serious issue. He’s acknowledged that his conduct was very serious,” Cardin said in a Wednesday morning interview with the cable network. “There have been additional allegations made, some of which he has denied. Senator Franken’s going to speak to this within the next 24 hours. I think we should hear what we has to say and then I will make our judgment and I think he’ll make his judgment on how to proceed.” At least one other member of Maryland’s congressional delegation has been more direct. Rep. Jamie Raskin believes Franken should resign, his spokeswoman said Thursday. Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has echoed the sentiment. “I consider Senator Franken a dear friend and greatly respect his accomplishments, but he has a higher obligation to his constituents and the Senate, and he should step down immediately,” Schumer said. Though the writing appeared to be on the wall, Franken’s departure was not certain. A tweet posted Wednesday evening on Franken’s Twitter account said: “Senator Franken is talking with his family at this time and plans to make an announcement in D.C. tomorrow. Any reports of a final decision are inaccurate.” The resignation demands came in rapid succession even though Franken on Wednesday vehemently denied the new accusation that came from a former Democratic congressional aide, who said he tried to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006. The woman, who was not identified, told Politico that Franken pursued her after her boss had left and she was collecting her belongings. She said that she ducked to avoid his lips and that Franken told her: “It’s my right as an entertainer.” Franken, in a statement, said the idea he would claim such conduct as a right was “preposterous.” But it was soon clear that his position had become untenable. Fellow Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who spoke to Franken, wrote on Twitter, “I am confident he will make the right decision.” The pressure only mounted Tuesday, when Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., resigned after numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. Rep Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., faces pressure to resign as well over allegations reported by Buzzfeed that he repeatedly propositioned a former campaign worker. While Franken may be departing, Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore could be arrivingif he prevails in a Dec. 12 special election. Multiple women have accused the 70-year-old Moore of sexual misconduct with them when they were teens and he was a deputy district attorney in his 30s. If Moore is elected, it could create a political nightmare for Republicans, who have promised an ethics probe. A national conversation about sexual harassment has intensified this fall after the heavily publicized case of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who was accused of numerous acts of sexual misconduct, including rape, by actresses and other women. Just on Wednesday, Time magazine named as its person of the year the “silence breakers” — women who have come forward on sexual harassment. Punishment has been swift for leaders in entertainment, media and sports while members of Congress have tried to survive the onslaught of allegations. Franken already faced a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into previous claims by several other women that he groped them or sought to forcibly kiss them. The allegations began in mid-November when Leeann Tweeden, now a Los Angeles radio anchor, accused him of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour in Afghanistan. Other allegations followed, including a woman who says Franken put his hand on her buttocks as they posed for a photo at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. Two women told the Huffington Post that Franken squeezed their buttocks at political events during his first campaign for the Senate in 2008. A fourth woman, an Army veteran, alleged Franken cupped her breast during a photo on a USO tour in 2003. Franken has apologized for his behavior but has also disputed some of the allegations. Culled: baltimoresun.com]]>

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