(CNN) Shortly after Leeann Tweeden went public with allegations that Al Franken had groped her during a USO tour through the Middle East in 2006, the Minnesota Democrat released a statement.

"I certainly don't remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann," said Franken. "As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn't. I shouldn't have done it."

The picture -- Tweeden appears to be asleep in the photo -- to which Franken refers is this one:

No matter what your political affiliation, you have to see how inadequate Franken's first apology is. He a) insists that Tweeden is misremembering an episode in which he grabbed the back of your neck and stuck his tongue in her mouth during a "rehearsal" for a kissing scene and b) minimizes a photo in which he appears to be fondling her breasts while her eyes are closed as simply a joke -- albeit one in poor taste.

Guy Cecil, the former head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and now the boss of a leading Democratic super PAC, voiced his frustration with the inadequacy of Franken's apology on Twitter.

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