Al Franken I know was on Saturday Night Live during the era that the show tanked and became the dweeb U.S. Senator from Minnesota.
Now, I know that both men have been corralled in the same pig-pen with Kevin Spacey, Mark Halperin, Harvey Weinstein, David Corn et al.
They share the common germ - unchecked power.
They are politicians, journalists, Hollywood moguls, judges, lawyers, actors, CEOs, gays, straights, bisexuals, questioning, Democrat and Republican.
They are all the creepy little boys we knew as kids who were 'protected' by nuns, parents, class, religion and friends. They were 'protected' from ever needing to check their impulses at the door, window, couch, or playground.
They did whatever and to whomever they chose to do when, where, why and what they wanted.
The creep on the playground at St. Tommy More parish who ran up to you and your pals and spit hockers on your shirts only to dash to the robes of Dominican nun on supervision and whine, "They hate me because I am going to be a priest, Sister!" might now be leading social justice protests all over the news.
The creep who grabbed the girls in the cloak room only to be given a 'second chance' from Sister Duplicious, because his Dad was a 15th Ward wheel, might now be facing a Hollywood Extra camera and microphone.
We do what our consciences and our morals allow us to do. If our consciences and morals are warply shaped by people who love a compromise, we might tend to abuse power.
We never read that Stan the cop, Eddie the roofer, Theresa the nurse, or Willie the County Mountie are being charged with criminal sexual assault, pleasuring themselves in public, exposing their short comings in an elevator, or forcing their impulses on a child.
These are not powerful people.
Predators work to gain trust, acceptance and power over people. They are people with no 'off-switch' in operation. They do as the feel, please and will, because they can.
The rest of us answer to God, the parents, teachers, coaches, our children and above all our spouses.
The freak show will continue until we return to some higher authority. Gee, God might be a good start.
The creeps are protected.
Al Franken! Shake hands with Judge Roy! Never mind the filth; Old Roy's got what you got.
