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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — A growing national outcry over sexual harassment reached the Senate on Thursday, when a radio newscaster accused Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, of kissing and groping her without consent during a 2006 U.S.O. tour of the Middle East before he took public office. Mr. Franken, who has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate, almost immediately released an apology to the newscaster, Leeann Tweeden, who said that Mr. Franken forcibly kissed her during a rehearsal and groped her for a photo as she slept. After initially apologizing without fully acknowledging all of her accusations, he then released another lengthier, more contrite statement that contested nothing. “The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women,” Mr. Franken wrote. “I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t,” he continued. “And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.” The storm that enveloped Mr. Franken in a matter of hours marked a merger of sorts between the harassment scandals darkening the political world and the grave misconduct marring the entertainment industry. Republicans are still struggling to resolve their quandary with Roy S. Moore, the Alabama Senate candidate accused of sexually assaulting teenage girls. ... Link to the full article to read more