In a live interview with The Washington Post, Sen. Bernie Sanders was asked about #MeToo, and seemed to hedge on whether he’s truly a supporter of the anti-harassment campaign.
While the Vermont independent explicitly says he supports women who speak out against sexual harassment, he can’t help but mourn some of the movement’s victims including his fellow senator, Al Franken, and former President Bill Clinton.
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When asked whether he feels Democrats made a mistake in ousting Sen. Al Franken after more than a half dozen women came forward to say Franken had touched them inappropriately during photo shoots or made inappropriate comments during routine interactions, Sanders would only say that, “Al is a friend of mine and we miss him very, very much.”
As for the Democratic party’s marquee philanderer Bill Clinton, well, Bernie Sanders doesn’t seem to regret voting to keep Clinton in office because what Clinton does in his free time is his business, and he won’t “cast judgment.”
But if any other member of Congress or government official is accused, Sanders is clear that he supports the accuser.
“… if a member of Congress harasses or worse an employee, that member will be held accountable … there will be legislation passed,” Sanders said. “What the issue is about is, we have got to be aggressive in making certain that women … feel safe and comfortable on the job.”
Sanders has recently been on a crusade for fast food workers and Disney employees, demanding they make a ‘living wage” in unskilled labor jobs. Disney has not taken action on Sanders’ demands. In response to the “Fight for $15” movement, McDonalds has indicated they are replacing low-wage cashiers with touch screens.