Who couldn’t see this one coming? Four senators are already speaking out and urging Sen. Al Franken not to resign in disgrace.

After Franken’s whining, acknowledge-no-wrongdoing floor speech in which he promised to resign eventually, many hypothesized Franken might not actually do it.

The theory went, given the timing of the Franken conflict in the pre-Alabama Senate election when Democrats were attempting to paint Roy Moore as the face of the GOP and themselves as the moral and virtuous defenders of women. Therefore, all Congressional Democratic reprobates of any degree must go.

Men like Rep. John Conyers, the House’s longest-serving member, finally met his ouster over sexual misconduct. And with Sen. Al Franken receiving more and more allegations at regular intervals from women alleging they were sexually harassed or made to feel uncomfortable by Franken, there was only one thing Franken could do when rising 2020 presidential hopeful Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D – N.Y.) started the call for his head.

Feint at resigning, wait for the storm to blow over, (hope) people forget about him and stay in office at least until the next election.

This path is beginning to look like a good bet on Franken’s part, as at least four of his Senate colleagues have come to his defense and said he shouldn’t resign.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told Politico that the deluge of Democrats calling for Franken to resign was “the most hypocritical thing” he has “ever seen done to a human being.”

“What they did to Al was atrocious, the Democrats,” Manchin added. “The most hypocritical thing I’ve ever seen done to a human being — and then have enough guts to sit on the floor, watch him give his speech and go over and hug him? That’s hypocrisy at the highest level I’ve ever seen in my life. Made me sick.”

Politico also spoke with sources familiar with a private conversation between Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Franken in which Leahy told Franken that he regrets calling for the Minnesota Democrat to resign.

Two other senators said they were rushed to weigh in as pressure on Franken mounted, according to the news outlet, which added that they said did not put enough care and thought into their statements.

Franken refusing to resign immediately was a fast sign the day might never come when Franken walks away. The longer he stays in office, the better the chances he has of it being true. Franken and others know this. Surely, Matt Damon being lambasted for saying a pat on the bum isn’t the same as assault, by the same people who were scandalized by Franken, is a welcome distraction for the Senator.

The Las Vegas odds-makers must surely be shifting the odds on Franken’s resignation.