While most Republicans and Democrats alike have expressed outrage over revelations that Sen. Al Franken kissed and groped a woman without her consent, Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Bill O’Neill not only seemed to dismiss the allegations because they were "sexual indiscretions" that happened “decades ago,” but went on to discuss his own sexual history.
Mind you, O’Neill also happens to be a sitting state Supreme Court justice.
"Now that the dogs of war are calling for the head of Senator Al Franken I believe it is time to speak up on behalf of all heterosexual males," he said in a Facebook post.
"As a candidate for Governor let me save my opponents some research time. In the last fifty years I was sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females. It ranged from a gorgeous blonde who was my first true love and we made passionate love in the hayloft of her parents barn and ended with a drop dead gorgeous red head from Cleveland.
“Now can we get back to discussing legalizing marijuana and opening the state hospital network to combat the opioid crisis. I am sooooo disappointed by this national feeding frenzy about sexual indiscretions decades ago. Peace,” he concluded.
Recommended
According to a version of the post Cleveland.com screen captured, O’Neill went into more detail about the two sexual relationships he mentioned. The former being “personal secretary to Senator Bob Taft (Senior),” while the latter he said “was a senior advisor to Peter Lewis at Progressive Insurance in Cleveland.”
He confirmed to the Ohio-based news site that he authored the post.
In addition to defending Franken, O’Neill also stood up for Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.
"Roy Moore apparently seems to be a challenged individual when it comes to morality," O'Neill said, reports Cleveland.com. "I think that's very, very clear. He's been convicted of nothing and he's never had the opportunity to defend himself and that violates due process in America. The media is about to determine the election of a United States Senate campaign."
For what it’s worth, fellow Democrats are none too pleased with his post.
Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirstin Alvanitakis said O'Neill missed the point about the national dialogue happening over sexual assault.
"Unfortunately, Justice O'Neill's Facebook comments that dehumanize women add nothing to this important conversation, which is actually about harassment and abuse, not encounters between consenting adults," she said.
And fellow Democratic gubernatorial candidates Betty Sutton and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley both weighed in.
Sutton said on Twitter she was “horrified” and “outraged he would equate sexual assault with indiscretion."
Whaley meanwhile called for him to step down.
"Sexual harassment, degrading and devaluing women is not a joke," Whaley tweeted. "Justice O'Neill should resign."