2016: Franken for President

[tzikeh]

Al Franken proposed and won an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill, which states that the government will withhold any defense contracts from companies “if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.” He proposed the amendment after the gang-rape of a woman working for Halliburton while in Iraq. After the rape, her rapists locked her in a shipping container for a day (possibly more) without food or water, and told her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she'd be fired.

And get this. After the victim managed to convince one of the men guarding the container to lend her his cell phone, Halliburton banned cell-phone use by any employee in Iraq.

She decided to pursue the case in court, even though (get this) Halliburton's employment contract stipulates that sexual assault allegations would only be heard in private arbitration, without jury, judge, public record, or transcript of the proceedings. To my (hah) AMAZEMENT, the DOJ would not press charges

If the vote had gone by strict party line, it would have passed 58-40.

It passed 68-30.

Now, I'm not super-over-excited about this, because, this vote is kind of a no-brainer, and while I'd like to believe that those ten Republican votes are from Senators who voted their consciences, it's possible (only possible, and yes, call me a cynic) that the votes were from Senators who won thanks to the female vote, and don't want to do anything to endanger it.

But TEN? Talk about bi-partisan support.

A list of all senators and their votes.

What I want to see is a plethora of tv ads highlighting this vote from the Dem candidates challenging the 30 "Nay" Repubs for mid-terms. The GOP will call them "smear" ads and "mud-slinging"--which they still don't comprehend is not the case if the ad is a) not ad hominem, and b) THE FUCKING TRUTH, YOU FUCKS.

Geez. That Al Franken. What a joke of a Senator.

Comments

[ratcreature]

How can it even be legal to put clauses in contracts that prevent you from pressing charges for crimes?

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Employees can press charges privately. The military has this too; no crimes committed within the armed forces can be heard in a criminal court.

[speaks.livejournal.com]

Where did the 8 extra senators come from?

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Where did the 8 extra senators come from?

From my pre-coffee brain.

(D'oh -- editing now.)

[speaks.livejournal.com]

Feel free to delete my snarky comment once edited.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Not at all! I didn't think it was snarky--just pointing out a "whuh?" error.

[lunaris1013.livejournal.com]

I was pleased to see Sen. Lugar as one of the Rs with a conscience. He's represented Indiana for a long time and really has no worries about being unseated. He's an old school Repub that didn't drink the Wingnut Kool-Aid. I respect him far more than our Dem senator, the despicable Evan Byah. At least Lugar has principles.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Well then, go Lugar! I welcome any Republicans still in the Reality-Based Community.

[phoenix64.livejournal.com]

I'm curious what arguments they came up for against the amendment. I mean, really?

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

No argument against the amendment, I'm sure. They're likely heavily funded by Halliburton and can't win their seat back without that money. Morals<money far too often in the Senate.

[cereta.livejournal.com]

One person argued it was an attack on Halliburton. Uh-huh.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm pretty sure all the women voted Yea:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_States_Senate

This made me love Kay Bailey Hutchinson a little. Though given that Jones's case was brought to the world's attention by her CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN representative (Poe, from the Houston area), I can't believe the rest of them decided this was a partisan issue.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right; I misread part of an article. Thanks for the clear-up; will edit now.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

I was SO not surprised my senators were in those idiotic 30. Already wrote to them but I doubt I'll even get a form letter back about this one.

[speaks.livejournal.com]

Both of my senators are idiots. I expected little better of Saxby Chambliss. The man is a disgrace. I had hopes for Johnny Isakkson.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Oh lord, Saxby Chambliss. I'm right near the GA border so we got his ads up here as well. HATE.

[magdalene1.livejournal.com]

That story makes my hair turn white.

[klia.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Al! <3 Thank goodness someone finally took some action on this. Why it took 4 years and AF finally getting sworn in is a mystery to me.