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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 8 december 2017

Franken exit a 2018 headache for Dems

By ALAN FRAM political calculation to tol- coda to the political ca-
Associated Press erate Trump and Alabama reer of the one-time TV fun-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. GOP Senate candidate nyman who became one
Al Franken, a rising political Roy Moore, who’ve both of his party’s most popular
star only weeks ago, reluc- been accused of sexual as- and bellicose liberals.
tantly announced Thursday saults that they’ve denied. Just two days earlier, Rep.
he’s resigning from Con- In largely unapologetic re- John Conyers, D-Mich., a
gress, succumbing to a tor- marks that lasted 11 min- civil rights hero who’d been
rent of sexual harassment utes, Franken said “all wom- the House’s longest-serving
allegations and evapo- en deserve to be heard” current member, resigned
rating support from fellow but asserted that some ac- after facing sexual harass-
Democrats. But he fired a cusations against him were ment allegations of his
defiant parting shot at Pres- untrue. He called himself “a own. The two departures
ident Donald Trump and champion of women” dur- underscored the party’s Don Stratton, left, shakes Lauren Bruner’s hand after arrival at
other Republicans he said ing his Senate career who determination to show no ceremonies at the Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.,
Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. Survivors gathered Thursday at the site
have survived much worse fought to improve people’s tolerance for such behav- of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to remember fellow
accusations. lives. ior, a strategy that can servicemen killed in the early morning raid 76 years ago, paying
“I am leaving while a man “Even on the worst day of bring stunningly fast con- homage to the thousands who died with a solemn ceremony
who has bragged on tape my political life, I feel like it’s clusions to political careers marking the surprise bombing raid that plunged the U.S. into
about his history of sexual all been worth it,” he said. but that party leaders be- World War II.
assault sits in the Oval Of- Franken’s departure, which lieve could give them high (Craig T. Kojima /The Star-Advertiser via AP)
fice and a man who has re- he said would occur in moral ground on a subject Pearl Harbor survivors remember
peatedly preyed on young “coming weeks,” made that’s shown no sign of fad-
girls campaigns for the Sen- him the latest figure from ing. friends killed in raids 76 years ago
ate with the full support of politics, journalism and the On a 2005 audio tape re-
his party,” Franken said. arts to be toppled since leased shortly before last By AUDREY McAVOY of the USS Detroit in Tokyo
Associated Press Bay.
HONOLULU (AP) — Survivors Herbert Elfring remem-
gathered Thursday at the bered hearing bombs ex-
site of the Japanese attack plode and first thought the
on Pearl Harbor to remem- explosions were U.S. train-
ber fellow servicemen killed ing exercises.
in the early morning raid 76 Then a fighter plane with
years ago, paying homage Japan’s World War II Ris-
to the thousands who died ing Sun insignia strafed
with a solemn ceremony the Camp Makaole base
marking the surprise bomb- where Elfring, 19 at the
ing raid that plunged the time, was serving. The bul-
U.S. into World War II. lets missed him by about 15
About 20 survivors attend- feet (5 meters).
ed the event at a grassy “When I looked up and
spot overlooking the har- saw the red ball on the fu-
bor and the USS Arizona selage I knew it wasn’t our
Memorial. They were joined plane,” he said. “I knew it
by about 2,000 Navy sail- was a Japanese plane.”
ors, officials and members The Jackson, Michigan
of the public. man is now 95 and said re-
Gilbert Meyer, who lived turning to Pearl Harbor for
through the Dec. 7, 1941 the anniversary of the at-
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., center, holds hands with his wife Franni Bryson, as he leaves the Capitol bombing, said he returned tack makes him feel spe-
after speaking on the Senate floor, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Franken to pay his respects to his cial because he’s one of
said he will resign from the Senate in coming weeks following a wave of sexual misconduct shipmates from the USS the few remaining survivors.
allegations and a collapse of support from his Democratic colleagues, a swift political fall for a Utah — and say a prayer “I have one of those caps
once-rising Democratic star. for them. that says ‘Pearl Harbor Sur-
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) The 94-year who lives near vivor’ on it,” he said. “It’s

The 66-year-old Minneso- October. That’s when the year’s presidential elec- Lytle, Texas, was an 18-year- amazing how many peo-
tan, a former “Saturday first articles appeared re- tion, Trump is heard talking old fireman first class when ple come up and thank me
Night Live” comedian who vealing sexual abuse alle- about grabbing women, a torpedo hit the port side for my service.”
made a successful leap gations against Hollywood and several women ac- of the Utah. He said he’s Elfring was in the military
to liberal U.S. senator, an- titan Harvey Weinstein and cused him of sexual as- still alive because he hap- for the entire war, serving
nounced his decision in a energizing the #MeToo saults. Women in Alabama pened to be on the ship’s in Fiji, the Solomon Islands
subdued Senate cham- movement in which wom- have accused Moore of starboard side. and the Philippines. When
ber three weeks after the en have named men they unwanted sexual contact “I think about my shipmates it ended, he went to the
first accusations of sexual say abused or harassed and pursuing romantic re- and how they were killed. University of Michigan on
misconduct emerged but them. Democratic Minne- lationships when they were It reminds me that we’re the GI Bill, worked for a gas
just a day after most of his sota Gov. Mark Dayton will teenagers and he was in lucky we got off and we’ve and electric company and
Democratic colleagues name a temporary succes- his thirties during the 1970s. made a good country for raised family of five.
proclaimed he had to go. sor, who will serve until a Asked about Franken’s them,” Meyer said. The ceremony began with
His remarks underscored special election next No- comment about him on Meyer later served in the a moment of silence at
the bitterness many in the vember. Thursday, Trump merely battles at Attu, Kiska, Iwo 7:55 a.m. in honor of those
party feel toward a GOP Franken’s comments ap- replied, “I didn’t hear it, Jima and Okinawa. He who lost their lives — the
that they say has made a pended a melancholy sorry.”q witnessed Japan’s surren- same time the attack be-
der in 1945 from the deck gan. Four Hawaii Air Na-