A year after announcing resignation, former Sen. Al Franken reemerges with new podcast

It has been almost a year since former Minnesota Sen. Al Franken announced his resignation from Congress amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

This week, however, the comedian is entering politics once again. His reentry isn’t through a campaign or a new job in Washington, but rather, with a podcast.

“Hi, this is Al Franken,” Franken says as he starts the more than hour-long recording. “When I left the Senate I said I was giving up giving up my seat but not my voice, and after the midterm elections I thought I’d start experimenting with ways to make my voice heard.”

The podcast was posted on the former senator’s Facebook page. It focuses on healthcare featuring a conversation with Andy Slavitt, former Obama Administration head of Medicare and Medicaid.

“We’ve just come through the midterms and the Democrats took back the house for the first time since 2010, and the number one issue was healthcare, healthcare, healthcare,” Franken said with Slavitt chiming in. “It’s the first time we’ve controlled the house since 2010, when we lost it. And we lost it because of healthcare, healthcare.”

While the podcast covers a highly political topic, Franken wrote the following on his Facebook page this Thanksgiving:

“I still miss being in the fight every day, and while I’m certainly not running for anything, I hope that, in the next year, I’ll have the chance to help make a difference again.”

The accusations of sexual misconduct still hang over Franken’s legacy in the midst of a persistent “Me Too” era.

The former senator wrote on Facebook: “I’ve also spent a lot of time over this past year thinking about the broader conversation we’ve been having about the experience of women in this country. I know that, for so many people, this issue raises a lot of powerful and painful feelings. This conversation can also be incredibly complicated. I don’t think it’s my place to weigh in on all the debates – but I will continue to listen and learn.”

During the podcast, Franken left listeners with this: “I hope you enjoyed this, if you did, tell friends about it, maybe I’ll do another one, I don’t know. Thanks for listening.”

To listen to the full podcast, click here.