After women accused Senator Al Franken of sexual harassment there was no choice, he had to resign, believes Christina Cauterucci of Slate. This may feel like a political loss to some Democrats, but it’s the right thing to do in the long-term campaign to shape the party’s morality and progressiveness. Grope women and you lose your Senate seat, simple as that. Defenses of Franken point at Republican complicity in allowing Roy Moore to run for the Senate. Moore’s alleged offenses were significantly worse than Franken’s but keeping the latter in the Democratic party would have poisoned it for years to come. This was the right move.

Al Franken’s misdeeds are in no way comparable to those of Roy Moore and Harvey Weinstein, so he didn’t deserve to lose his job, asserts Ginger Rutland of the Sacramento Bee. The Senator from Minnesota undoubtedly crossed the line with groping and forced kissing but that shouldn’t have ended his career. He is unlucky to be swept up in the current campaign against sexual harassers, including far worse men than him. Democrats are making an example of him to encourage the same with Republicans, specifically Roy Moore and President Trump. It’s highly unjust that these two and other men still get support while Franken gets forced out for far less.