This post began as an exploration of presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden’s positions on the issues. I imagined myself chatting with him while he was endeavoring to campaign from his basement.
But the charges of sexual assault against him by a former staffer, Tara Reade, are getting a good deal of media attention.
Biden was slow to respond, allowing former staffers to speak on his behalf. But Friday morning, he issued a statement, which you can read here.
He speaks of his pride in the role he played in developing the Violence Against Women Act, and then he says:
“In the 26 years since the law passed, the culture and perceptions have changed but we’re not done yet. It’s on us, and it’s on me as someone who wants to lead this country.
“I recognize my responsibility to be a voice, an advocate, and a leader for the change in culture that has begun but is nowhere near finished. So I want to address allegations by a former staffer that I engaged in misconduct 27 years ago.
“They aren’t true. This never happened.
“While the details of these allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault are complicated, two things are not complicated.
“One is that women deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and when they step forward they should be heard, not silenced.
“The second is that their stories should be subject to appropriate inquiry and scrutiny.
“Responsible news organizations should examine and evaluate the full and growing record of inconsistencies in her story, which has changed repeatedly in both small and big ways.”
He goes into detail about inconsistencies that I’ll cover shortly, and then he concludes:
“We have a lot of work to do. From confronting online harassment, abuse, and stalking, to ending the rape kit backlog, to addressing the deadly combination of guns and domestic violence.
“We need to protect and empower the most marginalized communities, including immigrant and indigenous women, trans women, and women of color.
“We need to make putting an end to gender-based violence in both the United States and around the world a top priority.
“I started my work over 25 years ago with the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. As president, I’m committed to finishing the job.”
I emphatically agree that all women who claim to have been sexually assaulted deserve a fair and respectful hearing and the presumption that they are telling the truth.
And then their stories must be fully vetted by impartial observers. I am questioning whether that is happening in this case.
Former Vice President Biden wasn’t my first choice as the Democratic nominee. I do worry about his age and health—but not about his mental acuity. I’ve watched him any number of times lately, and he seems totally with it and highly informed and sensible.
At a CNN Town Hall shortly before this abrupt end to the primaries, he was actually terrific on substance, performance, and connection with questioners.
Nor do I worry that he’s a sexual predator. I hadn’t thought I’d have to address the sexual assault charge against him in this post, but it seems to be gathering steam, and I see it as a dangerous, misguided attempt by the press to pursue a story without due diligence.
Keep in mind that Joe Biden was fully vetted by President Obama’s team before he was chosen to be Obama’s Vice President. He served as Vice President for 8 years without a whiff of scandal.
It seems inconceivable to me that the Republicans would not have found any “dirt” on Biden if such an issue had existed.
We do know that eight women, including Reade, complained last year that Biden had inappropriately kissed, hugged, or touched them.
According to The New York Times, he “acknowledged the women’s complaints about his conduct, saying his intentions were benign and promising to be “more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space.”
Biden is widely regarded for his warmth, toward both men and women. He has been a hugger, a touchy-feely kind of guy. At one time, that behavior was fully acceptable. It no longer is, and he understands that.
In his current statement, he says he will “continue to learn from women, to listen to women, to support women, and yes, to make sure women’s voices are heard.”
It’s worth noting that Tara Reade’s original 1993 complaint did not include sexual assault: she made that charge in March of this year and filed a police report in April.
I have seen Ari Melber and Chris Hayes of MSNBC, and New York Magazine writer Rebecca Traister all say the fact that an old friend (who says she’s voting for Biden) validated that Reade told her the story contemporaneously makes them take it very seriously.
In fact, it wasn’t contemporaneously, which means close enough in time so that memories are fresh. It was several years later. And Reade called the friend to apparently refresh her memory.
In addition, none of those I heard seems to have considered that a friend could be repeating a lie without realizing it.
But former prosecutor Michael J. Stern does explore this possibility in his compelling article in USA Today.
“The problem with statements from friends is that the information they recount is only as good as the information given to them.”
I am linking to Stern’s article and other sources that have persuaded me that Tara Reade is not telling the truth.
For those who don’t have the time to read through them, I’m quoting what I think are the most significant points.
First, Stern’s orientation: as a former sex crimes prosecutor, he writes:
“When women make allegations of sexual assault, my default response is to believe them. But as the news media have investigated Reade’s allegations, I’ve become increasingly skeptical.”
His reasons include the following:
—She has changed any number of details in her story a number of times, with “implausible explanations.”
Aside from the highly questionable one about changing what she says Biden did to her, she lied about losing her job.
She originally told The Union, a California newspaper, in 2019 that she refused Biden’s request to serve drinks at an event, and then “felt pushed out and left Biden’s employ,” according to The Union.
But she told The New York Times last month that she faced retaliation after filing a sexual harassment complaint with the Senate’s personnel office, and Biden’s chief of staff fired her.
To Stern, the disparity between those two assertions “raises questions about Reade’s credibility and account of events.”
—The three former Biden staffers whom she claimed to have told about the assault emphatically denied she did so.
“And they did not offer the standard, noncommittal ‘I don’t remember any such complaints,”‘ Stern writes. “The denials were firm.” One said: “‘She did not come to me. If she had, I would have remembered.'” Another’s comment was similar.
The third said:
“‘I never once witnessed, or heard of, or received any reports of inappropriate conduct (by Biden), period.’ If Reade had made such a complaint to her, she added, it ‘would have left a searing impression on me as a woman professional, and as a manager.'”
—Although Reade provided a copy of her 1993 Senate employment records, she has no copy of the complaint she claims she filed against Biden when she left, or was fired, from her job in Biden’s office.
Nor could The New York Times find such a document. Biden has said he’ll ask The National Archives, where such documents reside, to do a search.
—She couldn’t recall the date, time, or location of the alleged assault.
To Stern,
“Reade’s amnesia about specifics makes it impossible for Biden to go through records and prove he could not have committed the assault, because he was somewhere else at the time.”
–She says she told her mother (now deceased) and her brother.
But when her brother was interviewed by The Washington Post, he didn’t mention the sexual assault–the most important part of her charge–but texted that detail to The Post several days later.
Stern finds that time gap questionable.
Similarly, her mother was, according to her, the anonymous caller to The Larry King Live show in 1993. That call was reported as new evidence last week.
The caller said her daughter had been working for a prominent Senator, “could not get through with her problems at all,” and chose not to go to the press “out of respect for him.”
Writes Stern:
“Given that the call was anonymous, Reade’s mother should have felt comfortable relaying the worst version of events. When trying to obtain someone’s assistance, people typically do not downplay the seriousness of an incident. They exaggerate it.
“That Reade’s mother said nothing about her daughter being sexually assaulted would lead many reasonable people to conclude that sexual assault was not the problem that prompted the call to King.”
–Multiple times, in 2017, she praised Biden for his work combating sexual assault. She also tweeted: “My old boss speaks truth. Listen.”
Stern writes:
“It is bizarre that Reade would publicly laud Biden for combatting the very thing she would later accuse him of doing to her.”
–Also in 2017, Reade was condemning Vladimir Putin’s efforts to harm American democracy by interfering in the 2016 election.
But in 2018, she referred to Putin as a “genius” whose athleticism is “intoxicating to American women.”
She wrote:
“President Putin has an alluring combination of strength with gentleness. His sensuous image projects his love for life, the embodiment of grace while facing adversity.”
By 2019 she had expressed the belief that Russian interference in the 2016 election was hype.
More recently, she has claimed that her expressions of admiration for Putin, made in opinion pieces, were taken out of context for a novel she’s writing, and she doesn’t support Putin.
Stern provides other compelling examples as well. His examination is well worth reading.
–Also illuminating is the information provided by Lynn Hummer, founder of a California horse sanctuary where Reade was a volunteer from 2014-2016.
According to an article in Medium, Hummer claims that Reade “stole from her nonprofit, lied, and created stories to obtain sympathy and money.”
“Look, this isn’t about protecting women. This isn’t about the #metoo movement. This isn’t about Joe Biden. This is about truth. Tara Reade stole from me. She lied to me. She stole from my organization. She manipulated me and she duped me…And I have documentation, images and emails to prove it.”
Biden, to his credit, has said he’s not going to question Reade’s motives, though he doesn’t understand why she’s making the charge.
I think one of the reasons it’s so problematic for Biden and his supporters to speak openly about this issue is that to respond honestly, they would be casting aspersions on Tara Reade’s integrity and mental stability.
In this #metoo era, that is difficult to do. We are not talking here about all the women who succeeded, at last, in getting justice from Harvey Weinstein.
As Stern concludes:
“We can support the #MeToo movement and not support allegations of sexual assault that do not ring true. If these two positions cannot coexist, the movement is no more than a hit squad. That’s not how I see the #MeToo movement. It’s too important, for too many victims of sexual assault and their allies, to be no more than that.”
Chris Hayes, whose original reportage was so roundly condemned on Twitter that it morphed into a #FireChrisHayes movement (which I condemn), discussed the three groups of attacks he received.
The first and second groups he could accept: people who supported Biden and people who said “I don’t care; I’m voting for him anyway.”
But the third group–people who attacked Reade and cited other things about her, such as her strange fascination with Putin–he claimed, was doing just what the #metoo movement was designed to counter.
Hayes’s comments gave me pause because in citing Stern and Hummer, I am falling into that third group.
But how can we arrive at the truth if we simply focus on a single incident that inevitably comes down to a “he said; she said” dispute?
To me, hearing independent complaints from Hummer, the horse rescue woman, that Reade had manipulated and stolen money from her, is relevant to character.
Her comments about Putin, I feel, are an indication of instability. Can an unstable person still be a victim of abuse? No doubt, but all these are pieces in a puzzle.
When that puzzle threatens the integrity of a man whose otherwise worst charge was that he inappropriately hugged women who didn’t want to be hugged, I think all the pieces should be considered.
Experts in sexual abuse nearly uniformly say there is always a pattern–not a single instance.
I greatly worry that the press will make this into a “Hillary’s email” issue–though the topic is much more visceral, especially for women, who will be the deciding voters in the November election.
There are already calls for the University of Delaware to release his papers–despite his saying they have no personnel information and contain private conversations with President Obama and foreign leaders.
There are valid reasons that politicians uniformly keep their papers closed to the public until after they’ve left the political scene.
Nevertheless, this demand is made on today’s New York Times editorial page, which offers the following:
“Any inventory should be strictly limited to information about Ms. Reade and conducted by an unbiased, apolitical panel, put together by the D.N.C. [Democratic National Committee] and chose to foster as much trust in its findings as possible.”
All such demands seem to me ludicrous in these hyper-partisan times, and particularly unfair because the existing President has gotten away with hiding his income tax returns and a slew of other documents.
Why on earth should Biden do what to my knowledge no other candidate has done–and certainly not this most duplicitous and evasive opponent?
So I am deeply concerned that this drumbeat may seriously weaken the candidacy of a good man, and lead to Donald Trump’s reelection–he who has been charged by at least 12 women of sexual assault, including one who states that he raped her, and was elected despite having been shown on tape describing his modus operandi for sexual assault.
Press sources are saying this story of Biden’s alleged sexual assault of Reade now has “legs”–it’s not going away.
Of course the press has to follow this story to its conclusion. But they must look more closely at Reade’s contradictions, as Michael Stern has. And anyone who interviews Reade must ask her, politely, to explain her changed stories.
Many prosecutors and sexual assault victims on Twitter have agreed with Stern’s conclusions.
In important ways, I feel that Joe Biden is the ideal person to lead us now: his recent experience in the White House involved combating epidemics, resolving serious economic crises, and expanding health care—all critical to our near-term societal needs.
In addition, his obvious compassion is critically important for our hurt nation. And his willingness to work across the aisle suggests that if any bipartisan efforts are possible, he’ll be in a good position to take advantage of them.
I’ll leave my chat with him on the issues for another time–when I hope this story will fold its legs and–at the very least–give a closer look at all the charges against President Trump, whose behavior actually deserves scrutiny.
There were mea culpas after the damage was done from members of the media for obsessing over Hillary’s emails in 2016 while letting Donald Trump off the hook. That must not happen again.
Annie
annieasksyou... 
Terrific analysis. I posted it on FB. Thanks.
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Thank you, Steve! Hope you and family are well.
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Well done and researched Annie!
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Thanks, Joni!
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Here’s the thing…this happened 30 years ago. Why bring it up now? Everything was different back then. There’s only ONE reason to bring this into the news…she’s getting paid by the Republican party to discredit Biden. There can’t be any other reason. As the Beatles would say let it go. It’s time to march on and get a new Prez, cause this one sucks.
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The problem I see is that this is a perversion of the #metoo movement. Reade was given the presumption of innocence. There are now too many holes in her story to continue pushing Biden so hard without also questioning her more thoroughly—and pushing Trump once again. He’s the one who fits the pattern.
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Mika went at Joe Biden very hard. It was something that had to be done and she did it professionally. The only issue that for me was not fully resolved had to do with Biden’s personal papers being held at the University of Delaware (one of my sons graduated from there 🧐). He pointed out some of the issues with going through those papers, but why not have someone (and this also would be an issue) just search for her name? In this day and age keeping anything confidential is extremely difficult and many of these documents should be kept so. Joe should try to find someone that he has faith in to conduct such a search, but failing that, he should then say that he’s done answering questions. We know that the Republican’s will not let this go no matter what else happens.
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Mika and Joe Scarborough gave trump an open phone before the 2016 election, so I found their self-righteous charges vs the Dems’ treatment of Kavanaugh in the setup to the interview hard to take. And I didn’t think asking the same question over and over and over was particularly professional. There seem to me too many media folk who are making the issue about themselves. Scrutinize Joe, press Reade on her inconsistencies, but don’t forget where the real abuser sits. I’m less worried about the Republicans, who are predictable, than about an overzealous press losing perspective once again.
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I must admit, I didn’t read your entire post (a bit too long for my tastes), but near the beginning you included the statement that, for me, seals the issue …
Keep in mind that Joe Biden was fully vetted by President Obama’s team before he was chosen to be Obama’s Vice President. He served as Vice President for 8 years without a whiff of scandal.
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Hi, Nan. I have been trying to shorten my posts— the last several have been in the 1000 word range—but I felt this one was important enough to provide documentation that I hadn’t seen elsewhere and merits being a part of this crucial discussion. Unfortunately, what you sensibly point out as obvious hasn’t stopped the growing, and I believe misguided, press coverage.
Anyway, it’s here as a resource if you suddenly find yourself being told that Biden is a whatever (the Twitterverse has shown me a side of humanity that I fortunately don’t see in my blog). And I’d welcome your dipping back in to read my conclusion if you care to.
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I’ve found what you say definitely has value, Annie. And while I LOVE to learn, I bore easily. I didn’t used to be this way. Perhaps it has something to do with age? 🙄 Anyway, I’ll take your suggestion and pick up where I left off as I’m sure it’s to my benefit.
Added note — I have to admit I regret that Biden is the one we ended up with. I was much more enthused with a couple of the other candidates. But it is what it is — and I WILL vote BLUE.
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No; I do tend to be verbose—assuming that just because I’m fascinated with my findings that others are too.
I’ve noted that Biden wasn’t my first choice, but I also note why I now think he’s the right person at this time.
I didn’t want to get into the politics because it’s a distraction that then moves into conspiracy theories, but Bernie supporters are openly pushing this story so that Biden will resign and Bernie will reign.
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I didn’t find it too long at all….but then I’m working on one which is over 3000! I find if a post is well written and a riveting read, then word count doesn’t count. While writing for a magazine, 3000 words would be a requirement, whereas on WP, people seem to have shorter attention spans. I was told early days that my posts shouldn’t top 500 words, but that’s just getting started for me….
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Thanks, Joni. I really appreciate your views. I do know people who won’t read more than 500 words. Like you, I don’t care how long a piece is if it interests me, but I also don’t want to lose readers who prefer to move through a post quickly. That’s especially true when I think the topic is as important as this one is.
I look forward to your 3000 word piece!
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Even if the charges against Biden are true, Trump is still 10,000 times worse than him, all things considered.
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That’s certainly true, but this election will be tough enough due to gerrymandering, electoral college Republican advantage, etc etc, to make false charges lingering because of an overzealous press worrisome, I believe.
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You convinced me, Annie, although I must admit I was planning to vote for Biden despite his history of being somewhat too affectionate. My concern is that the press will keep stressing Reade’s charges (see the main editorial on today’s NY Times) the same way op-ed writers and others over-focused on Hillary Clinton’s emails. It is uber important that Trump (who has a proven history of sexual assault and is doing a hideous job of governing the country) is ejected from the White House.
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Reade just stated that she didn’t even mention harassment, let alone assault, in her 1993 complaint, and she cancelled an interview with Chris Wallace for Fox on Sunday. Sounds like she realizes she’s in over her head. So this story with “legs” won’t go away, but perhaps it’s now limping…
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Good piece. Thanks.
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Thank you, Noel. Good to hear from you! Hope you’re both doing ok in this bizarre time.
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Excellent post Annie. I’m with you. She deserves to be heard, but just because she alleges it happened doesn’t mean that it did. Think about it. Biden has spent nearly 50 years in public service, and nothing like this has ever been out there about him. Yes, he’s touchy/feely and I think that’s just who he is. I have friends and relatives who are the same way. I think he realizes that kind of stuff is off limits now. But it’s absolutely our right to question her character, especially the items you mentioned above.
I don’t believe her. That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in the MeToo movement. I do. But we must take each incident and look at the facts. Biden has also called for the National Archives to look through and see if there’s anything in their from his days in the Senate from that time period. And, she’s changed her story now to say that she didn’t mention the harassment or sexual assault at the time. The whole thing stinks to high heaven and I do not feel this will damage Biden in the long run. I mean really, do Trump’s people want to go down this road with over 20 women claiming he assaulted and/or harassed them? I know they’re shameless but I don’t think this has legs. That’s just me.
Again, great post, and I appreciate the intricate details and research.
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Thanks for your kind words, Jeff.
Reade not only changed her story again, now saying she thinks her complaint said he made her “uncomfortable”; she also cancelled a planned interview with Chris Wallace to air on Fox.
As to trump’s shamelessness, they’re playing both sides: Trump is giving Biden unsolicited advice to “fight,” while his campaign is attacking the Democrats’ “double standard.”
I hope you’re right that the story doesn’t have legs; we’ll have to see.
It’s good to hear from you; we seem to be missing one another’s posts lately. You had written a wonderfully feminist piece not long ago, so I thought of you when I posted my piece about women heads of state doing so well battling the coronavirus—and what that might tell us about leadership. If you have a chance, I’d welcome your thoughts on that one if it’s convenient.
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I sure will Annie. Yes, been pretty busy with other things in addition to the blog. But once I get caught up, I’ll check it out. Definitely good to hear from you as well!!
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Annie, thanks for this wonderful, very detailed, and thoughtful post on a difficult subject. I agree with your ultimate conclusion, and the reasons for it. I thought Joe Biden’s written answer was as good as it could be, under the circumstances. For those Trump-lovers who are chuckling at this problem for Joe, contrast it with Trump’s responses to the dozens of women who have lodged similar and worse accusations against him. I don’t know if the story will fade away, but if it doesn’t (likely, with the people who are trying to get Trump a second term), I sure hope the Democrats pursue getting the President’s accusers their due justice vigorously.
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Thanks very much, George. I talk about trump and his campaign’s working both sides of this issue above.
I share your hope that the many women who have accused trump get more focus from the press, leading to some justice for them.
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Excellent post!
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Thanks so much, Susie!
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Well done, well researched! I’m sending it around. He wasn’t my first choice either, but he’s now our best hope. Thank you!
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You’re welcome. The drumbeats are increasing, and this story isn’t going away. Another woman, Republican, just claimed he assaulted her in 2008, but she gave a time and place, and records showed he wasn’t there. She then said it must have been 2007, but records also showed he wasn’t there. Unfortunately, Reade says she doesn’t remember specifics, so it’s harder for press to dismiss her. Not good for anyone, including all the women who were/are actual victims.
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It’s all so POLITICAL!! If these women were so “damaged,” why didn’t they speak up when it happened? Of course they’ll have a list of excuses why they stayed silent, but it’s so apparent why they’re NOW coming out of the woodwork. And as you pointed out … his best defense is that he was thoroughly vetted by the Obama crew
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But the drumbeats continue.
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OK, I believe him. But I can’t forgive him for Anita Hill.
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I certainly won’t defend him on that account. I’m convinced, though, that he’s been well-educated since then—and he should not be obligated to lay bare his entire history while his opponent sits gloating in the White House hiding everything except his corruption and failure as a president.
And look at you: successfully posting a comment! I’m delighted!
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Annie, as always a well researched and in-depth posting. Thank you for your dedication to finding the reasoning for a thoughtful discussion of our events of the day.
I am a Biden supporter. I have been since day 1 what ever date that was. As the political field grew I looked around and did not see a Kennedy, Clinton (Bill or Hillary) or an Obama. I would’ve really liked to see a woman of substance come forward that could carry a large delegate count, but that was not happening. I did not want to see Bernie go deep into the primaries not knowing the primaries themselves were foreshortened by current events. Bernie’s politics are mine. However, I do not see his fire going wide though the passion for his positions do go deep.
As a person of similar age to the recent candidates in 2016 and presumed 2020 election, I do not see Biden’s age an issue as Trumps and Hillarys did not seem to be either at the time in 2016. So Biden was my choice for the many reasons he and others have stated.
Belief. Belief is one of those words that makes me reflect. Belief gets us to places that have shaky ground. All of my life I have heard people of intellect and knowledge declare their beliefs and then expose some unreal deep passion that has little substance other than their belief. In place of belief, I try to use think or know. For me, I am a more complete when I have thought about an issue or subject, researched as far as my brain will allow me before glazing over. There is only so much I can absorb before I come to some end in my exploration.
BTW. This is no criticism. Your posts push me beyond my comfortable place. Not that I am confronted by subjects or opinions that I so differ from yours, but more to the point of finding why I do agree and if there is more to my wants to know the facts or needs and revisit the source of my own positions. I do not know of others. However, I do know I take a stand and after awhile, do not remember how I got to that place I am now all but rooted like a tree; oak or willow still to be determined; where I have my opinion and hold fast to it not willing to give as much as an inch.
The facts as facts and not innuendo, hearsay or worse, conspiracy to harm when there was no facts to steady the story. Facts are what are always needed. Tara Reade needs to be heard and has to a good extent been in the press both quoted and theorized by people in the know and those investigating to a larger more substantial story. She has changed her story from time to time as some of us may do to make our stories more palatable though we never should. Other peoples reputations are in the balance. There is no official record of the incident. If there is any fire in this smoke, it needs oxygen. The fresh air of truthful journalism will do that. Those that have little information from the time of any incident 27 years ago might have their stories on target as reported to them at the time or may well be willing or unwitteling conspirators in pedaling falsehoods.
It is early and we will need to see how it all plays out. However lets go to some of the facts that you have so well researched and developed. This is the only time Joe Biden has been characterized by a charge of impropriety. There are no blemishes on his personal behavior. Yes he is friendly hands on guy. That was the way it was going back 40-50 years. The change that he has not completely caught up on is not that of a person with personal intent to be forceful, but that of one that is friendly, empathetic and moral and still maintain what is now social acceptance.
Women have been preyed upon since forever in all the ways possible. There has been no end to their being victims in business, love and as everyday citizens. If Biden did what he has been accused of and it was a one time lapse in his personal behavior, it is not forgivable. It is unforgivable to another persons rights. To his wife. To himself. To his record.
I could not defend him on any of those counts just as I could not defend Bill Clinton who created his own demise.
For the other 7 or so women that have made complaints to Biden’s touching them that made them feel uncomfortable, Biden stated last year, that he acknowledged the women’s complaints about his conduct, saying his intentions were benign and promising to be “more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space.” I could not ask for more than that and his promise to be aware and change his behavior however innocent it may have seemed to himself at the time.
There will be smear campaigns from both sides and their allies. Unfortunately, the truth for both Biden and Reade will be washed in political theater as it is no longer indiscretions on his part or facts on hers. It is now politics as usual.
What I do defend and I do so with the greatest of passion and overwhelming goal is the defeat of Trump and the change of direction he has imposed on a country. A country and its citizens who are now being overwhelmed by an inept administration that has helped by its inability to save tens of thousands of American lives as the virus impacts our safety and economy that he rode so high on till it was crashed by his own ego, lack of understanding of science and the strength of unity of a country that has weathered tremendous storms during its creation and development. His needs and goals are to disassemble us and create the riffs within us to forge his misguided agenda ahead. Trump needs enemies so his campaign can assign blame. He is the one and only he is to blame.
Biden is not perfect. However, compared to what we have. To what should never had been elected. To what the future will very likely bring in economic instability, rising debt and political turmoil resulting in less for more people and more for those that have far more than 100’s of millions of Americans could ever dream of let alone see within their grasp. Biden is the candidate that we need to right what has gone so wrong.
The democrats have been characterized as the Tax and Spend party when the republicans have for over 100 years, not since the Coolidge administration, have they passed a balance budget while in the White House . The republicans may not tax and spend. However, they will certainly Borrow and Spend and thus put this countries economic security in jeopardy and that is exactly what has happened in the last 3 years of this disastrous republican leadership.
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Hi. I certainly agree with you about trump. I have come to feel that Biden, though not my first choice, is the right person for this time. I am pleased that he sees himself as a transitional figure because it is time for a new generation of leadership.
I’m not sure whether your concern with the word “belief” is anything other than semantic. My sense is that “believe” and “think” in the vernacular are close to interchangeable, while facts are a different matter. Certainly, facts should be the basis for what one thinks or believes, and I tried to present what appears to me to be a compelling case that Reade’s stories don’t add up convincingly. Ultimately, the only people who know are Reade and Biden. Both the Washington Post and The New York Times did in-depth explorations of her, but when I read the views of Michael Stern based on his many years as a prosecutor inclined to believe women, I felt that it was important to alert people to my concern, based on recent history, that some important parts of the media became so fixated on Hillary’s emails that they lost sight of trump and his potential damage. In my current post, released today, I quote a political historian who expressed the same concern. That was my main point in writing these two cautionary posts.
A new Monmouth poll, taken after the story broke, showed slightly more men than women believed Reade’s charge, but women preferred Biden by 30 points. So you’re right: it’s now entered the political sphere, and it will have a life of its own. I just hope press and public alike will not once again give trump a free pass on the women issue.
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Obama’s vetting, changes in the story, particularly that the story got juicier exactly when it needed to get more emotionally gripping to give it traction, that the juicer part about genital contact parallels part of a book her father wrote, raise doubts. Seems a bit too well timed and convenient.
IMHO most such complaints are not entirely made up. There is usually an event that happens to cause bad feelings. Hard to say what happened but I suspect this all started with was a barely insensitive, by the standard of the day, request she serve drinks and Biden, being at the time something of an unenlightened bore about touching, made it worse by trying to hug it out. She was offended. She complained and left. She was right to do so.
Unfortunately it didn’t end there and I think the story got embellished. It is human nature for memory to be revised at each recalling. The direction is typically to make the teller more of a hero/ victim/ sympathetic and the antagonist more of a villain.
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You depict an interesting scenario, but if she complained, why were all three aides so emphatic that she never spoke with any of them?
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I was part of the #MeToo movement as well and support victims, but it is too easy to accuse a politician of sexual assault – even from years ago. I do not believe Reade either – from what I’ve read she is not an honest person.
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Thanks for your comment, Cinda. Two new investigative reports—one by PBS Newshour, the other by Politico—make me feel even more strongly that Reade is a deeply troubled woman with a record of manipulation and deceit.
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