Thumbs down: And, doggone it, people have had it

During his days playing Stuart Smalley on “Saturday Night Live,” Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota became famous for looking at himself in the mirror and saying, “You’re good enough. You’re smart enough, and, doggone it, people like you.” Well, not so much anymore. Franken has become the latest object of ridicule in the wave of allegations concerning sexual misconduct and harassment by celebrities and political leaders. Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden claims that in 2006 Franken “aggressively” kissed her while the two of them were rehearsing a scene during a USO tour entertaining troops in the Middle East and Afghanistan. A photo also was taken of him appearing to touch her breasts while she slept onboard a military plane.

Some people, Democrats in particular, appear to be trying to draw a distinction between the misconduct of Franken and that of Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama, who stands accused of sexual assault with a 14-year-old girl and inappropriate contact with other teens. But here’s the truth. There is no distinction. Both are stomach-turning. This isn’t about politics. It’s about predatory behavior.

Franken has sent his “sincerest apologies” to Tweeden and said the photo “was clearly intended to be funny but wasn’t. I shouldn’t have done it.” The problem is rooted in the fact that he believed, and may still, that something like that could be interpreted as humorous. Franken needs to spend more time looking in the mirror - while Minnesota voters start looking for a new senator.