An inveterate groper, it appears

Two More Women Accuse Sen. Al Franken Of Inappropriate Touching

A few moments ago, MSNBC reported he has no plans to quit, but does plan to go apologize to his voters

Two more women have told HuffPost that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) touched their butts in separate incidents. 

These are the third and fourth such allegations against Franken in the past week. 

Leeann Tweeden, a radio host, wrote last week that Franken had kissed and groped her without her consent during a 2006 USO tour. 

On Monday, Lindsay Menz accused Franken of groping her at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010.

The two additional women, who said they were not familiar with each others’ stories, both spoke on condition of anonymity. 

But their stories, which describe events during Franken’s first campaign for the Senate, are remarkably similar — and both women have been telling them privately for years.

Meanwhile, this apology makes it sound like there could be a lot more out there.

Al Franken apologizes for making 'some women feel badly' amid groping allegations

Sen. Al Franken released a statement Thursday addressing recent allegations of sexual harassment.

Franken, a Democrat, said that he feels terrible that he "made some women feel badly."

"I've met tens of thousands of people and taken thousands of photographs, often in crowded and chaotic situations," the statement said. 

"I'm a warm person; I hug people. I've learned from recent stories that in some of those encounters, I crossed a line for some women -- and I know that any number is too many."

Franken's statement came just days after a woman said he grabbed her buttocks while taking a photo with her at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. 

She was the first person to allege that Franken engaged in improper touching while he was in office.

"Some women have found my greetings or embraces for a hug or photo inappropriate, and I respect their feelings about that," Franken said in the statement. 

"I've thought a lot in recent days about how that could happen, and recognize that I need to be much more careful and sensitive in these situations."

"I feel terribly that I've made some women feel badly and for that I am so sorry, and I want to make sure that never happens again," the statement said. 

"And let me say again to Minnesotans that I'm sorry for putting them through this and I'm committed to regaining their trust."

Sad that his best defense, and the Democrats' best defense against charges of a double standard, is to recall that he was groping grownups, not adolescents or, in one known case, a 14 year old girl.