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ABC Political Director: Franken Didn't Show Any Contrition in Resignation Speech

ABC's political director Rick Klein did not think Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) expressed remorse during his resignation speech on Thursday.

ABC News anchor Amna Nawaz asked Klein, "What sort of stood out to you about the way Franken chose to make that announcement just now?"

Klein said Franken was "not contrite," noting how the senator thought he could "weather" the accusations.

"He was not contrite really at all, and in fact, saying he felt like he could 'weather these accusations'. And I think it was more of a nod to the cultural moment we're in, in him recognizing that he could not do his job effectively as a result of this," Klein said.

The closest Franken came to contrition, Klein said, was when he said "Minnesota deserves a senator who can apply all of her energy."

He noted Franken might have been making a nod to who he thinks the Minnesota governor should appoint in his stead. Klein still didn't find the comment particularly remorseful.

"To me, this was Al Franken saying 'I'm going away, but I'm not going away quietly,'" Klein said.

The ABC political director also noted how he found the timeline Franken laid out "interesting." The Minnesota Democrat said he would be resigning as a member of the U.S. Senate "in the coming weeks."

"The fact that he's not stepping down immediately means that Democrats will have some time to get their ducks in a row," Klein said. "He also stays in the Senate during a critical time–a whole bunch of votes [are] coming up later this week and this month."