evidence: According to someone familiar with the situation, Schumer spoke with Franken later that day, advising him to take the issue more seriously and to reach out to the women senators. Franken has no recollection of this conversation, but says that it’s wrong to suggest he wasn’t already taking the matter seriously. His plan was still to respond to Tweeden’s claims at the Senate Ethics Committee hearing. "I was going by the book," Franken told me. "We didn’t think we should mount a lobbying campaign. But then it all started cascading." He faults Schumer for not insisting to his caucus that an investigation was under way, and that due process required facts before a verdict. "Look, the Leader is called the Leader for a reason," Franken told me.