by Natalia Castro
Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith are running to maintain their seats this November. While both are leading in the polls, their race has not been without controversy.
In Americans for Limited Government’s latest issue advocacy ad, they highlight the hypocrisy surrounding Klobuchar and Smith’s alignment with controversial political figures Al Franken and Keith Ellison. By refusing to call out violence against women in their own party, even within their own state, Klobuchar and Smith have proved they are more invested in party politics than doing what is right.
Klobuchar became a national name during the nomination process for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh was subject to unsubstantiated sexual misconduct claims that dragged out his nomination process for weeks. Klobuchar became one of his fiercest critics and an adversary during the hearing process.
Smith also called upon constituents to “rise up” and “use their voice” against Kavanaugh on the steps of the Supreme Court.
Smith and Klobuchar advocated against Kavanaugh, despite an FBI investigation which was unable to verify his alleged victim’s story and bodies of evidence supporting Kavanaugh’s denial of events.
Meanwhile, in these Senators’ own state of Minnesota, two high profile political figures have been accused of violence against women with actual evidence to back their victim’s claims.
Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Representative and DNC Deputy Chair, has been accused of domestic violence by a previous girlfriend and is currently the Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Minnesota. The former girlfriend, Karen Monahan, has produced medical records and text messages from 2017 articulating Ellison’s violence against her.
Nonetheless, both Smith and Klobuchar have both stood by him. Smith has said in local interviews that Ellison has denied these claims and that is enough for her, yet Kavanaugh’s denial was not? Smith now campaigns alongside Ellison for his Attorney General seat in the state.
Klobuchar has also avoided denouncing his actions and instead claims he explained himself to her. While it seems no amount of evidence would have led Klobuchar to believe Kavanaugh, a simple conversation with Ellison seems to have done the trick.
Furthermore, former Minnesota Senator Al Franken was forced to resign earlier this year after nearly a dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct, including photos released of him inappropriately touching a women while she slept.
Franken’s resignation is what put Tina Smith in the Senate, despite this, even she has not renounced Franken’s actions. Instead, Smith told The View that Franken was a “champion for Minnesota” and “progressive issues”, as well as a “friend to hers” personally making this a “tough time”.
Klobuchar has even gone as far to say that Franken may still have a third act to make a comeback in the future.
For two female Senators who pushed the “believe women” narrative harshly against Kavanaugh, the hypocrisy is startling.
When Karen Monahan was asked on social media if she felt her party, the Democratic Party, believed her, she responded, “No, they don’t. I’ve been smeared, threatened, isolated from my own party. I provided medical records from 2017, stating on two different Dr. Visits, I told them about the abuse and who did it.”
Senator’s Klobuchar and Smith are only invested in protecting women if the women are attacking Republicans and that is not fair or just. To tell Klobuchar and Smith that they must protect the voices of all women call Klobuchar at: (202) 224-3244 and Smith at (202)224-5641.
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Natalia Castro is the multimedia manager at Americans for Limited Government.
