A former Senate staffer for Joe Biden named Tara Reade has made claims for a while now that she was sexually assaulted by Biden in 1993. Biden has said, “I’m saying unequivocally it never happened.” Several reputable publications have spent time investigating the allegations, which are now being refueled by new evidence from Reade’s former neighbor, who has confirmed Reade told her about the incident around the time it allegedly occurred. The Washington Post has an excellent timeline of the alleged assault and allegation that you can read here.
This morning, Mika Brzezenski interviewed Joe Biden on MSNBC (clip below) and did not go lightly on him. I thought the interview actually helped him and it was smart for him to answer some hard hitting questions on the subject. Obviously the Trump Campaign, as well as other interested parties seeking to interfere in the election are looking to keep this topic going, but does that mean the allegations should not be investigated further?
In the midst of what could likely be the most important presidential election in our lifetimes, should we continue to look into the claims being brought against Biden? If not, why should we be willing to dismiss the claims? This is an issue that Trump will be harping on over and over while he fully leans into the hypocrisy of it all, so isn’t it better to vet fully and get it out of the way now? If not, why? Don’t we have an obligation to investigate all claims of assault properly and thoroughly, no matter who is involved? What do you think we should do with really complicated allegations at such a pivotal time when so many vested interests are at play?
I don’t even have mixed feelings about this. A different time and place I would. Joe was just about my last choice for the nominee but he is it and Trump is so incredibly dangerous, at this point Joe looks saintly in comparison. It IS a relative situation. We have a pandemic and a narcissist sociopath in the White House, what could be worse? Trump getting a second term. This accusation is from 30 years ago and I don’t mean to totally dismiss this woman but I can’t help but feel deep in my bones - Al Franken. That situation called for a full investigation and it never happen. Are we going to repeat the past?
My 26 year-old son asked the same thing yesterday. My answer: Rome is burning and a predatory, possibly treasonous, definitely incompetent cretin is throwing gasoline on the flames. Remove the cretin, investigate Biden if necessary, and remove him after the election if it did turn out true (my assessment that'll be a no). I have a hard line with predators. I'm also pragmatic AF.
He was VP under President Obama. Don't you think the first black president would have thoroughly vetted his VP? As to Mika's constant references to the U of Delaware; he answered her every time she asked; those documents are sealed because they contain privileged conversations with heads of state and President Obama, so Reade's name wouldn't be in them.
He called for an investigation into the Senate archives to find the document she filed. What more of an answer did she want? I believe Joe.
I agree with VP Biden. A woman should be heard and her claim should be taken seriously and fully investigated. Biden made no attempt to smear Reade. He simply said that he did not do what she accused him of. Personally I do have some issues with the timeline. I have a hard time believing that in the eight years he was VP when Republicans were dying for dirt on Obama’s Administration this never came out. Nor did it come out when Biden ran for President in 2008. Or last year when some women said they were uncomfortable with how he treated them. Now that he looks like the nominee she comes out with a revised story. But yes, she has a right for it to investigated. And he has a right to refute the claim. I thought he handled it perfectly.
One of the issues I have with the Reade accusation is the timing. She claims the incident took place in 1993 but didn’t come forward when Biden ran for President in 2008 or when Obama later picked him as a running mate or when they ran for re-election in 2012 or even a year ago when Biden announced this presidential run. It’s hard to believe oppo research wouldn’t have uncovered a bombshell like this in all that time. Reade also has provided no specifics about the incident in question, not where it happened or a date which means Biden can’t even provide an alibi even if his Senate records become available. I’m just worried this is 2016 all over again with “Her Emails,” a relentless pursuit of *something* by the media to convince us how objective and un-biased they are while letting Trump skate along. #MeToo was an important movement, and it is important to believe the victim, but let’s not be naive not to realize how something like this can absolutely be weaponized for maximum damage. Biden is a good man. Flawed, sure. Nobody is perfect, and he does have a long history of being more touchy-feely than probably some people felt comfortable in the past with and, that by today’s standards, is considered inappropriate. But hugs and hair sniffing (okay, I will admit that one was weird) is a far cry from what Reade says he did, and until she provides more specifics, I’m inclined to believe she or other people are exaggerating the incident for political gain.
I wish I could add a picture of a comment on a WaPo thread I found this week, but I can't so here goes:
From Johnathan Zasloff:
What would I tell voters whom I call and text (and god willing, door knock and register to vote) about Joe Biden and Tara Reade? I think about it this way: I don't know if anything happened between Joe Biden and Tara Reade three decades ago. But I do know this:
1. I know that Joe Biden wrote the Violence Against Women Act, and that Donald Trump boasts about sexually assaulting women.
2. I know that Joe Biden ensured a way to fund Grants to Encourage Arrest and Enforce Protection Order, Grants for Sexual Assault Services, and the Elder Abuse Victims Program. I know that Trump opposes all these things.
3. I know that Joe Biden wrote the law allowing domestic violence survivors to sue their assailants in federal court when local prosecutors refuse, and that Donald Trump not only opposes that but appointed judges to block it.
4. I know that Joe Biden created a visa for women who are survivors of violence to come safely to the United States, and that Donald Trump wants to send them back to their batterers.
5. I know that Joe Biden will appoint a woman to the Supreme Court and put a woman on the ticket, and that Donald has resisted appointing any woman to anything unless she is his daughter.
6. I know that Joe Biden wants to take guns away from brutal abusers, and that Donald Trump wants them to have them.
7. I know that Joe Biden wrote the federal rape shield law, and that Donald Trump and Republicans want to kill it.
That's what we elect a President to do: protect the American people. I know that Joe Biden will do that, because Joe Biden has done that. And that Donald Trump couldn't care less.
I've spent too much time looking at this. I don't think her story adds up but I also do agree it should be investigated further. Personally, and perhaps with political expedience, I think the person on Twitter (aka the pit of Hell) was correct, he was vetted by the Obama campaign which did nothing in a half-assed way. This would have come up as a red flag. That said, the bot situation and the president's flunkies are jumping on this like it was the train to New Haven on a Friday afternoon. Also, and not that I recommend you ruin your day in isolation, some of the comments are horribly misongynistic. Poor angel Tara - horrible witch CB Ford. I don't like this world.
I agree with Tracey Harnish - except for the Al Franken bit. I am not a fan of Franken's but he is and was a comedian and comedians are like caricatures, exaggerated in their presentation. Tasteless? Yes. But much comedy is. Franken needs investigation like dirt under a worm. Focus on getting rid of Trump and his crew and insist on investigations into their crimes.
I have several issues with her story. Not only has it changed several times, but the timing is very suspect. She tells her story the same time Bernie is about to announce dropping out and give his support to Biden. Not only that, but she first says she reported it (believing they would not be able to gain access to records), but now is saying that she didn’t actually report the supposed assault, only the harassment. My biggest issue with her story, as an REAL survivor myself, is her “not remembering” so many things. She doesn’t remember the location, what all was said, dates and so forth. While memory may get bad as you get older (dates are a big one that goes) there are just some things you NEVER forget. I can tell you EVERY word said when I was molested at age 13. I can even tell you every word said the next day when I told my best friend, sister and then my mama. I can tell you what cologne he was wearing, I can tell you what clothes we both had on. I can give you the exact location. When I was raped at 15, same thing. Difference, because of who my molester was and his job at the time, it was swept under the rug. Only after his retirement did he admit to my mother that it happened. So because of that I never reported my rape. But I can still tell EVERY detail. I never ONCE showed ANY support for either. Not privately and especially not publicly. Tara Reade has PRAISED Biden for his work on women’s rights and fighting against sexual assault of women. What TRUE victim does that?? Way too many issues with her story. She’s a liar and she needs to just disappear from media fame.
I concur the timing is off, by 20 years and their are no others that have come forward which usually happens in this type of thing. HerMother’s call naming a respected politician or Senator could have been someone else. I don’t buy it. Senator Biden has clearly been cautioned that his
Physicality should be tempered
How about George W. Bush giving Angela Merkel a shoulder rub at a summit? This is the # me too movement Ms. Reade should have come out when it was clearly an opportune time to do so and she didn’t , I think it is a setup. One thing I think we can all be sure the Dr. Biden has fully vetted her husband on this
While I am absolutely in the camp of believe women, and throw the bums out, the fact that this becomes an issue at this particular moment seems incredibly suspect
This will go on to become the next "but her emails" in the media if we're not careful. There is no evidence here. The documents she says exist don't. She's changed her story many times. She is unreliable. The timing is incredible. She should be respected, it should be investigated, including what she stands to gain at this moment. Women are not saints by virtue of their sex. I believe this is being managed to push the Democrats to open up Biden's records so the GOP can have a fishing expedition. Biden said exactly the right things on MSNBC. He should say no more and leave it there. Trump has answered to none of his many accusers and has bragged about assaulting women. When did that get put on the back burner "because we're better than them?" Because we hold ourselves to a higher standard? How is that noble sentiment going to save our democracy?
I will be interviewing folks in my neighborhood (Monterey Bay Peninsula) who have accused Ms. Reade of stealing $400,000+ from them and also about her having a history of lying. Some say she has pinned the abuse from her ex-husband Tate onto Joe Biden. Her story keeps changing, along with her names. How about interviewing Mr. Trump for all of his sexual assault allegations, interview 30+ women who have accused him? more here, https://celiasue.substack.com/p/sex-lies-and-videos
"I don't know why after 27 years, all of a sudden this gets raised." -Joe Biden
It's disturbing that even after the rise of the "Me Too" movement in recent years that a potential rape victim coming forward doesn't agree with Biden's timeline. It's also disappointing that if he is truly innocent that he acquitted himself so poorly in this interview. If he believes there is no documented claim, let that be confirmed, wherever they might look, whether in the school or Senate archives, instead of talking around that.
That being said, Reade doesn't seem the most reliable of accusers, either.
Is Biden a better option than Trump? Certainly. Should there be an investigation? Also certainly.
The reason I support Joe is simply because he has been vetted more for decades. He was a respected Vice President to a wonderful President. He is also respected around the world. Since we have been through years of nasty political campaigns rooted in Swiftboating, distortions and now foreign interference, it's hard not to view of Tara's allegations with skepticism. Finally, even if he was guilty, he's an angel compared to the guy running against him. If Trump wins again, it will truly be the end of the world.
Mika (not usually a fan) was superb (and appropriate). Biden’s tentativeness made me uncomfortable considering what’s at stake. After The Dukakis/Willie Horton,McCain/Atwater whispering campaign, and Kerry swift boated I am pretty freaking nervous. Here’s what journalists should do: take the accusation at face value and then go out and find the truth. Confront Biden only after a thorough journalist has gotten to the bottom of the story. Like that ubiquitous meme says: don’t listen to the guy who says it’s raining. Don’t listen to the guy who says the sun is out. Stick your head out the freaking window and tell us the truth....
It's a tough situation. Like many cases of alleged sexual assault there are no witnesses, so only two people know for certain what happened or didn't happen. The rest of us are left to look at what has been said and done in the nearly 30 years since the alleged incident and decide. Unfortunately, when politics are involved it also brings motivated reasoning into play. In this case we have many Sanders and Trump supporters, clearly ironically in the later case, rushing to her defense, and many other Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans questioning her story/credibility. I try to challenge my own potentially motivated thinking as much as I can, but can't say I'm unaffected by the existential threat I believe the Trump Presidency is.
That said, I don't think her story is well documented enough or consistent enough to override the long-standing public record that Joe has. The issue of invading other people's space may be related but it's been talked about for a long time and nothing close to what she has alleged has come out. Indeed, she didn't even bring forward her allegation as recently as last year while on record discussing that he made her uncomfortable. This is my opinion and I understand others may disagree and see it differently.
I think that the investigation should be thorough and complete. Period. If it comes out that Joe did it, yikes. I don't know that I could vote for him, which is a huge problem given who is currently occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I'll add this, though: I'd love to know who's bankrolling her lawsuit.
As a teen in the 1970s I had several MeToo experiences including date rape and attempted sexual coercion by a police officer. My own personal experiences tell me this sh*t happens a lot. It certainly did back then. We have a rape-y grope-y disrespectful culture that's only now becoming self-reflective and ashamed of these behaviors. I know there’s a Believe Women stand on sexual assault. Having been there myself, I tend to believe. However, my opinions on Joe Biden can’t be colored by the belief women don't lie. People of both genders do. I've known several women (and men) who lie and embellish. I've witnessed it firsthand. I’ve personally seen a lie become "truer" with each telling until the person telling it creates a new personal mythology even they start to believe. Was it Nazi Goebbels who said "a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth"?
That said, in my opinion this latest allegation needs to be taken with a dose of doubt. Not because Joe Biden or any man or woman isn’t capable of such misconduct, but because such manufactured character assault is in the GOP playbook right next to voter suppression and cheating. They do it ALL the time. Their pushing the Barack "HUSSEIN" Obama narrative was a name association attack. His "palling around with terrorists" was another version tying him to residual shock and fear of 9/11 and, of course, blatant otherism. Tasteless comedian of his day & dynamic senator in later years, Al Franken’s scandal was obviously a set up. It was unfortunate he was made the Dem example against Roy Moore since the money ties of his accuser were discovered to lead back to trump pal Roger Stone. "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" were later discredited for smearing John Kerry-- another GOP twist of the truth for political advantage over a candidate, carefully plotted and dressed up to look legit.
All these professional manipulators have to do is get the MSM to repeat the lie and "tell it a thousand times". And they do. After all, controversy sells. FOX didn't get where they are today by being truthful.
Conservative outrage over Joe Biden is high right now as one might expect. Their bots and paid propaganda accounts push this narrative on social media because trump is polling poorly with women and the USA has enemies who intentionally sow manufactured discord. One can’t help shaking your head at the notion that conservatives are truly concerned about shameful acts by a politician. If that were true then trump's Access Hollywood confession would have been a game changer. Roy Moore wouldn't have even been on the ballot. Or Jim "Gym" Jordan wouldn't have peeped and remained silent while more boys were abused. Conservative outrage for these examples amounted to crickets chirping in an empty amphitheater. The hypocrisy knows no bounds.
To me this latest Biden news is Ukraine 2.0. The Hunter Biden fiasco didn't stick. With his falling polls and general dislike by women, trump needs a big anger-inducing distraction. In the GOP cheaters playbook, sexual assault is the big gun, the figurative kitchen sink of things to toss out when all other bits of slander fail. It pulls a heart string. It foments anger. If they could have done this smear to family man Obama, they would have. The Dijon mustard and tan suit scandals just fell flat. :) And that last bit brings to mind Speaker Pelosi's ice cream. When you have nothing to say, attack the food or clothing.
What’s really unfortunate here is the MSM is talking up the banner but not because a presidential candidate may have done a shameful act years ago. Were that the case, they’d have enough material to cover trump scandals 24/7 for years to come. When it comes down to it, the truth is trump isn't a newsworthy topic. We all know by now that he could literally shoot someone on 5th Avenue and the GOP would help him get away with the crime. Trump scandal is old news. We expect rotten from rotten people. But a scandal involving a former VP with a reputation for compassion stemming from his own tragic losses, now THERE'S a money maker! MSM is putting a suggested whiff of NEW scandal in the air because new news SELLS. If viewers tune in, sponsors make money off their ads.
Case in point-- MSM’s current hype regarding armed but SMALL demonstrations illustrates this clearly. MSM coverage blowing these MAGA Darwin Award shows out of proportion isn’t a surprise, it’s expected. MSM knows these “grassroots efforts” have big money ties just like the tea party did, but they don’t mention it because the cash cow here is having viewership worry about the “next Civil War”. By suggesting civil war, they keep their viewers tuned in to absorb sponsor ads. This is bread and circuses. Always bread and circuses. Americans may go hungry, we may sicken and die in this pandemic, but at least our trusted news sources keep us entertained and primed for product. To me, the big Joe Biden scandal reveal is the same thing. It's entertainment and product placement. Manipulation of the masses gets so old...
The country is facing the next Great Depression. Millions are unemployed now and that number is expected to rise. 60,000+ Americans are dead and we are nowhere near prepared for what's coming in the fall. Food shortages are just beginning. Heaven help you if you need toilet paper or disinfectant. This foul administration and GOP enablers are furiously working to keep money in the hands of their corporate masters and aid out of the hands of Americans in desperate need. The latest is coercion-- denying unemployment benefits to people not wanting to return to potentially life-threatening jobs.
I say investigate EVERYTHING to do with both men, including the dozens of sexual misconduct allegations for trump. Highlight each one. Talk about any non-disclosure agreements and why they had them. Cover witnesses if any. Cover legal charges in the courts if any. Cover any and all instances where someone was paid to keep a secret or was threatened into silence. Show where that money came from. Start with the allegation from Jeffry Epstein's 13 year old victim who said trump slapped her across the face because she protested during his raping of her. She disappeared because she was afraid. MSM could find her.
Don’t linger on this blatant deflection. Don’t dwell on inadequate Covid-19 action by trump or the 60,000+ deaths that followed. Don’t think about the president of the United States suggesting injecting disinfectants or contemplate how to get “tremendous light” up your behind. Don’t wonder about the shady machinations currently taking place in our government. Let's all talk about sexual misconduct allegations against Joe Biden.
It’s been tossed it out. Let’s see if it sticks. Then let’s weigh whatever comes in full measure to the other guy. Hell, let’s review their personal scandals both large and small year by year. Put it all on the table for public consumption during this time of isolation. At least until Netflix adds to its catalog.
Is anyone mentioning the medium article? Have you seen her writings? For years she tweeted support of Biden and wished him well, no mention of ending on bad terms. 2017 she’s pro-Biden and anti-Putin. Then 2018 she starts writing like it’s straight out of a Kompromat manual. 2019
She said Biden touched her On the neck and then after he became the presumptive nominee she changed it to assault. How is it possible she’s not either mentally ill or a Russian asset? Seriously.
Democrats have to band together and behave how republicans would in this situation. Yes, Democrats are supposed to be better. Yes, I’m the era of #Metoo, we should believe everyone that comes forward and give their claims due diligence. I think we could have done much better than Biden in the first place (I wanted Warren) but Biden is the nominee and the Supreme Court is at stake and so is the direction of the country. Let’s be smart this time and do whatever is necessary to win in 2020!
I'm glad to have read the WaPo timeline. I had misunderstood the date of the police report from an earlier reading of reporting or her podcast, thinking she had filed it in April 1993, instead of April, 2020, which would have been damning for Biden.
The case is still not great for Biden with LaCasse going on record with her name, but not as bad. The hearsay rule doesn't apply to the court of public opinion.
I don't think it is going away, like "But her emails" and I personally wish her would authorize a search of the U. Delaware database only for her name, if it could be done to only view those records (although I suspect some will say it wasn't complete) and get ahead of it. I don't want the next shoe to drop, either with more evidence on the Reade allegation, or another allegation like this.
We are certainly in a much better position with only one sexual accuser and no smoking gun Access Hollywood tape, compared to about 25 for Trump, not to mention videos of him partying with Epstein (at whose house he may have raped a teen girl), but anything that might appear incriminating against Biden should come out now, if it ever were, so it doesn't come out in October.
Biden gave his interview and his staff, Kaufman, Toner and Baker, as well, so they probably want to avoid saying too much further on the record, lest a complaint turn up with their names on it and they get caught in a lie.
That said, I feel better after realizing the police report was not contemporaneous (only the Larry King phone call which could be about serving drinks at a party or touching her neck) and a USA Today Op-Ed by a prosecutor blew some holes in her story, but even if I thought it might have happened, Trump still has like 25 women and he's the kind of guy who would do this and there are 1000 non-sexual reasons to get rid of Trump, so whoever the DNC puts on the ticket in November will have my vote.
I believe Joe, also. Why would she not come forward years ago? Why now? Someone should check her bank account. Seems funny her neighbor also suddenly remembers her talking about it 20 some years later. And the phone call with no names? Ridiculous. Trump’s fighting in court in New York
not to give his dna, to a woman who has proof of rape. Plus he is so dangerous to our lives and our country. All this crap about China to divert attention away from the pitiful job he has done just might cause WW3. And opening the country when the virus is still spreading, looks like he hasn’t killed enough ppl yet. More blood on his hands!
The issue deserves investigation. Whatever records exist to corroborate or refute the allegation should be examined. If there are other witnesses, let them come forward.
If I were tasked with designing a scandal to help Trump, I don’t think I could do a better job than this.
Given that the president will never win with a majority, the goal of this scandal would be to suppress enthusiasm and turnout, especially among the left.
Timing this would be key. You could make a case for it coming out after the convention—as last minute revelation—but that might look a little *too* suspicious. Best if it were percolating for a while but only really pushed to the surface as soon as Biden had the nomination locked up—when it’s too late for Bernie or someone else to take it.
In this context, the fishiness of the allegation is a feature, not a bug. If there were something more ironclad, or there was a clear pattern (e.g. as with Trump), the Democrats might actually dump Biden and pick someone else at the convention. Can’t have that.
No, the ideal accusation would need to be just credible enough to create progressive doubt and handwringing, but just fishy enough to ensure that Biden wouldn’t be dumped before the convention. Bonus points for anything that can weaponize the “believe women” line from the me too movement so that anyone who doubts the accusation can be accused of hypocrisy.
BTW, it doesn’t matter how bad faith these accusations of hypocrisy from Trump supporters are. Remember, the name of the game isn’t “choose A over B” — no one is going to switch from Biden to Trump because of this. The name of the game is to demoralize and depress turnout.
Does all of this mean that she’s not credible? Sadly, no! It is possible that this did in fact happen to her, though who knows. This is the most depressing thing about all of it.
There is no “thorough vetting” that will “get it out of the way now.” It’s the same swiftboat attacks that are always used to take down Democrats. It is endless rumor and innuendo, that no amount of fact and hard evidence will dispel. I disagreed with Biden’s decision to do this interview, because he’s just feeding the wolf pack. Now that he has addressed the issue, he should refuse further questions on the subject.
I feel like it has been investigated to the point that it can be.
At this point we must believe Biden's staffers and what there is of the evidence or Reade's ever-changing Biden narratives. Remember we are involved in a very real and deadly war of misinformation and people who want to keep the president where he is will do *anything*.
I do not think Tara Reade should be ignored but there seems to be inconsistencies in her story. Look into Senate Records and 1,800 boxes of Biden's stuff at University of Delaware BUT don't let the #SexualAssaulterInChief slide again after 17-21 accusations
Forget the Trump and friends distractions pumped out . The recent Global events are more apocalyptic and the present incumbent of WH is a danger with a terrible track record who is only too happy to feed journalist distractions.
Why isn’t anyone focusing on the numerous allegations against trump? This woman’s story has been inconsistent from the beginning. Biden ran for VP twice. Why now and not then? Did Obama’s people find anything when they were checking him out as a VP candidate?
At the risk of being chided for believing Kavanaugh's accuser 100% and Biden's accuser not at all, this is why and it has nothing to do with party affiliation. There is no one who believes more in women's' rights and the 'Me, too' movement than I do. However, the two situations are completely different. Mrs Ford spoke out in order to alert the country to improper behavior from a nominee for the Supreme Court. To this day, I believe he has no right to be there. He is a liar and a crook ( IMHO).
Biden, on the other hand, has been in the public eye for years and has run for the second-highest office in the land and Tara Reade didn't think it was the right thing to do to let the public know about his improper behavior back then? That is why I believe she is not telling the truth. She is doing this now only in an attempt to harm Biden's chances to defeat Trump.
It is so patently obvious what is going on with Trump's approval rating falling through the floor. This is the same administration that attempted to crucify Biden's son and nothing came of that other than ammunition used to impeach Trump.
Trump's team plays dirty and they don't care who they harm in the process. Remember, it isn't only Trump. He doesn't like to admit it, but he has handlers who do whatever they think needs to be done to improve Trump's chance of reelection.
In this case, I choose to take a play out of Trump's playbook. If Biden screwed the woman on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight, I still think he is a better candidate than Trump. ( Note I didn't even get into the fact that Trump has been accessed of abuse by numerous women - not just one - and we have Trump on a video claiming he likes to 'grab women by the p---y.' So, heck no, there doesn't need to be another minute spent on verifying or not verifying Tara Reade's statement. Believe what you wish, but vote for Biden and let's restore some sense of decency and sanity to our nation as a whole.
I'm #RidinwithBiden because he was vetted by Obama. Given the fierce competition for that VP spot, if there had been even a hint of a problem, he wouldn't have been picked. Tara Reade is being paid by someone.
Joe Biden unequivocally denied the charges and asked for records to be released from the Senate. He was fully vetted before becoming Obama’s VP. Now, out of thin air these allegations appear? From a woman who has changed her story multiple times and expressed her devotion to Putin?!? How does this become a story? Because Trump allies are pushing this narrative just as they did “But her emails...” Let’s not all fall down the rabbit hole as happened in 2016. Just as unsupported sexual assault allegations magically surfaced about Robert Mueller as he was investigating Russian interference, so now allegations against Joe Biden. Anyone who is a threat to Trump falls prey to “trumped up” charges. Stop giving them oxygen.
I have no problem with doing an investigation, I think it will clear Biden. Let’s see how well Tara Reade’s story holds up under cross examination. Put her under the same microscope Christine Blasey Ford was under. Let’s have hearings and cross examine her. I don’t think she’s credible.
I'm getting really tired of women coming forward so far after the fact. 27 years later, really? I know this kind of crime is traumatic, but then come forward when it happened. Don't wait for a highly opportune time to tell all, because then it looks more like a vendetta and will be harder to prove. These women are losing all credibility when they wait so long.
Should it be investigated? Yes, but a person is innocent until proven guilty – even in high profile cases. It should also end if it is proven she has no concrete evidence. However, a full investigation should be made into her, as well. Authorities should know who is talking to her and bankrolling this whole thing. This is all just becoming too convenient and I get the gut feeling Trump is behind it. Reade moved on with her life for 27 years. Why now?
I'm sad to say, but I would like to see a statute of limitations on making accusations of sexual assault to stop this kind of broadsiding game. It's getting old. I'm sure Kavanaugh would jump to sign this kind of legislation.
This is a red herring that trump is throwing out to control the narrative and sew doubt It is pure politics and the press is being sucked into giving him airtime to build his narrative. They did the same thing in 2016. Joe and Mika were the worst outside of Fox news. A responsible journalist should call it what it is; a political ploy and refuse to cover it!
RNT there now 2 or 3 who corroborate the accuser's story? If Biden doesn't open up the U of Delaware files, won't suspicion persist? He's clueless. Enjoy your Sunday morning with Fox, Creepy Uncle Joe .... PLEASE step aside. Trump will call you "Weinstein LITE & creepy!"
First of all, Mika is a mouthpiece looking to make trouble. But I believed Tara long enough to look into her claim, and found all kind of reasons not to take her seriously (which are already listed here). Here is a thread that sums up why we should care that she lies. twitter.com/kaivanshroff/s…
I don’t even have mixed feelings about this. A different time and place I would. Joe was just about my last choice for the nominee but he is it and Trump is so incredibly dangerous, at this point Joe looks saintly in comparison. It IS a relative situation. We have a pandemic and a narcissist sociopath in the White House, what could be worse? Trump getting a second term. This accusation is from 30 years ago and I don’t mean to totally dismiss this woman but I can’t help but feel deep in my bones - Al Franken. That situation called for a full investigation and it never happen. Are we going to repeat the past?
My 26 year-old son asked the same thing yesterday. My answer: Rome is burning and a predatory, possibly treasonous, definitely incompetent cretin is throwing gasoline on the flames. Remove the cretin, investigate Biden if necessary, and remove him after the election if it did turn out true (my assessment that'll be a no). I have a hard line with predators. I'm also pragmatic AF.
He was VP under President Obama. Don't you think the first black president would have thoroughly vetted his VP? As to Mika's constant references to the U of Delaware; he answered her every time she asked; those documents are sealed because they contain privileged conversations with heads of state and President Obama, so Reade's name wouldn't be in them.
He called for an investigation into the Senate archives to find the document she filed. What more of an answer did she want? I believe Joe.
I agree with VP Biden. A woman should be heard and her claim should be taken seriously and fully investigated. Biden made no attempt to smear Reade. He simply said that he did not do what she accused him of. Personally I do have some issues with the timeline. I have a hard time believing that in the eight years he was VP when Republicans were dying for dirt on Obama’s Administration this never came out. Nor did it come out when Biden ran for President in 2008. Or last year when some women said they were uncomfortable with how he treated them. Now that he looks like the nominee she comes out with a revised story. But yes, she has a right for it to investigated. And he has a right to refute the claim. I thought he handled it perfectly.
No I don't. Obama vetted Biden and if anything was there I don't think he would have made Biden his VP.
One of the issues I have with the Reade accusation is the timing. She claims the incident took place in 1993 but didn’t come forward when Biden ran for President in 2008 or when Obama later picked him as a running mate or when they ran for re-election in 2012 or even a year ago when Biden announced this presidential run. It’s hard to believe oppo research wouldn’t have uncovered a bombshell like this in all that time. Reade also has provided no specifics about the incident in question, not where it happened or a date which means Biden can’t even provide an alibi even if his Senate records become available. I’m just worried this is 2016 all over again with “Her Emails,” a relentless pursuit of *something* by the media to convince us how objective and un-biased they are while letting Trump skate along. #MeToo was an important movement, and it is important to believe the victim, but let’s not be naive not to realize how something like this can absolutely be weaponized for maximum damage. Biden is a good man. Flawed, sure. Nobody is perfect, and he does have a long history of being more touchy-feely than probably some people felt comfortable in the past with and, that by today’s standards, is considered inappropriate. But hugs and hair sniffing (okay, I will admit that one was weird) is a far cry from what Reade says he did, and until she provides more specifics, I’m inclined to believe she or other people are exaggerating the incident for political gain.
I wish I could add a picture of a comment on a WaPo thread I found this week, but I can't so here goes:
From Johnathan Zasloff:
What would I tell voters whom I call and text (and god willing, door knock and register to vote) about Joe Biden and Tara Reade? I think about it this way: I don't know if anything happened between Joe Biden and Tara Reade three decades ago. But I do know this:
1. I know that Joe Biden wrote the Violence Against Women Act, and that Donald Trump boasts about sexually assaulting women.
2. I know that Joe Biden ensured a way to fund Grants to Encourage Arrest and Enforce Protection Order, Grants for Sexual Assault Services, and the Elder Abuse Victims Program. I know that Trump opposes all these things.
3. I know that Joe Biden wrote the law allowing domestic violence survivors to sue their assailants in federal court when local prosecutors refuse, and that Donald Trump not only opposes that but appointed judges to block it.
4. I know that Joe Biden created a visa for women who are survivors of violence to come safely to the United States, and that Donald Trump wants to send them back to their batterers.
5. I know that Joe Biden will appoint a woman to the Supreme Court and put a woman on the ticket, and that Donald has resisted appointing any woman to anything unless she is his daughter.
6. I know that Joe Biden wants to take guns away from brutal abusers, and that Donald Trump wants them to have them.
7. I know that Joe Biden wrote the federal rape shield law, and that Donald Trump and Republicans want to kill it.
That's what we elect a President to do: protect the American people. I know that Joe Biden will do that, because Joe Biden has done that. And that Donald Trump couldn't care less.
I've spent too much time looking at this. I don't think her story adds up but I also do agree it should be investigated further. Personally, and perhaps with political expedience, I think the person on Twitter (aka the pit of Hell) was correct, he was vetted by the Obama campaign which did nothing in a half-assed way. This would have come up as a red flag. That said, the bot situation and the president's flunkies are jumping on this like it was the train to New Haven on a Friday afternoon. Also, and not that I recommend you ruin your day in isolation, some of the comments are horribly misongynistic. Poor angel Tara - horrible witch CB Ford. I don't like this world.
NO. This is a Repub-Russian hit job. They know how to kick up dust when they're in trouble. Also, I offer you this analysis from Michael Stern, former federal prosecutor: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/04/29/joe-biden-sexual-assault-allegation-tara-reade-column/3046962001/
I agree with Tracey Harnish - except for the Al Franken bit. I am not a fan of Franken's but he is and was a comedian and comedians are like caricatures, exaggerated in their presentation. Tasteless? Yes. But much comedy is. Franken needs investigation like dirt under a worm. Focus on getting rid of Trump and his crew and insist on investigations into their crimes.
I have several issues with her story. Not only has it changed several times, but the timing is very suspect. She tells her story the same time Bernie is about to announce dropping out and give his support to Biden. Not only that, but she first says she reported it (believing they would not be able to gain access to records), but now is saying that she didn’t actually report the supposed assault, only the harassment. My biggest issue with her story, as an REAL survivor myself, is her “not remembering” so many things. She doesn’t remember the location, what all was said, dates and so forth. While memory may get bad as you get older (dates are a big one that goes) there are just some things you NEVER forget. I can tell you EVERY word said when I was molested at age 13. I can even tell you every word said the next day when I told my best friend, sister and then my mama. I can tell you what cologne he was wearing, I can tell you what clothes we both had on. I can give you the exact location. When I was raped at 15, same thing. Difference, because of who my molester was and his job at the time, it was swept under the rug. Only after his retirement did he admit to my mother that it happened. So because of that I never reported my rape. But I can still tell EVERY detail. I never ONCE showed ANY support for either. Not privately and especially not publicly. Tara Reade has PRAISED Biden for his work on women’s rights and fighting against sexual assault of women. What TRUE victim does that?? Way too many issues with her story. She’s a liar and she needs to just disappear from media fame.
I concur the timing is off, by 20 years and their are no others that have come forward which usually happens in this type of thing. HerMother’s call naming a respected politician or Senator could have been someone else. I don’t buy it. Senator Biden has clearly been cautioned that his
Physicality should be tempered
How about George W. Bush giving Angela Merkel a shoulder rub at a summit? This is the # me too movement Ms. Reade should have come out when it was clearly an opportune time to do so and she didn’t , I think it is a setup. One thing I think we can all be sure the Dr. Biden has fully vetted her husband on this
While I am absolutely in the camp of believe women, and throw the bums out, the fact that this becomes an issue at this particular moment seems incredibly suspect
#IBelieveBiden
This will go on to become the next "but her emails" in the media if we're not careful. There is no evidence here. The documents she says exist don't. She's changed her story many times. She is unreliable. The timing is incredible. She should be respected, it should be investigated, including what she stands to gain at this moment. Women are not saints by virtue of their sex. I believe this is being managed to push the Democrats to open up Biden's records so the GOP can have a fishing expedition. Biden said exactly the right things on MSNBC. He should say no more and leave it there. Trump has answered to none of his many accusers and has bragged about assaulting women. When did that get put on the back burner "because we're better than them?" Because we hold ourselves to a higher standard? How is that noble sentiment going to save our democracy?
I will be interviewing folks in my neighborhood (Monterey Bay Peninsula) who have accused Ms. Reade of stealing $400,000+ from them and also about her having a history of lying. Some say she has pinned the abuse from her ex-husband Tate onto Joe Biden. Her story keeps changing, along with her names. How about interviewing Mr. Trump for all of his sexual assault allegations, interview 30+ women who have accused him? more here, https://celiasue.substack.com/p/sex-lies-and-videos
"I don't know why after 27 years, all of a sudden this gets raised." -Joe Biden
It's disturbing that even after the rise of the "Me Too" movement in recent years that a potential rape victim coming forward doesn't agree with Biden's timeline. It's also disappointing that if he is truly innocent that he acquitted himself so poorly in this interview. If he believes there is no documented claim, let that be confirmed, wherever they might look, whether in the school or Senate archives, instead of talking around that.
That being said, Reade doesn't seem the most reliable of accusers, either.
Is Biden a better option than Trump? Certainly. Should there be an investigation? Also certainly.
The reason I support Joe is simply because he has been vetted more for decades. He was a respected Vice President to a wonderful President. He is also respected around the world. Since we have been through years of nasty political campaigns rooted in Swiftboating, distortions and now foreign interference, it's hard not to view of Tara's allegations with skepticism. Finally, even if he was guilty, he's an angel compared to the guy running against him. If Trump wins again, it will truly be the end of the world.
Mika (not usually a fan) was superb (and appropriate). Biden’s tentativeness made me uncomfortable considering what’s at stake. After The Dukakis/Willie Horton,McCain/Atwater whispering campaign, and Kerry swift boated I am pretty freaking nervous. Here’s what journalists should do: take the accusation at face value and then go out and find the truth. Confront Biden only after a thorough journalist has gotten to the bottom of the story. Like that ubiquitous meme says: don’t listen to the guy who says it’s raining. Don’t listen to the guy who says the sun is out. Stick your head out the freaking window and tell us the truth....
It's a tough situation. Like many cases of alleged sexual assault there are no witnesses, so only two people know for certain what happened or didn't happen. The rest of us are left to look at what has been said and done in the nearly 30 years since the alleged incident and decide. Unfortunately, when politics are involved it also brings motivated reasoning into play. In this case we have many Sanders and Trump supporters, clearly ironically in the later case, rushing to her defense, and many other Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans questioning her story/credibility. I try to challenge my own potentially motivated thinking as much as I can, but can't say I'm unaffected by the existential threat I believe the Trump Presidency is.
That said, I don't think her story is well documented enough or consistent enough to override the long-standing public record that Joe has. The issue of invading other people's space may be related but it's been talked about for a long time and nothing close to what she has alleged has come out. Indeed, she didn't even bring forward her allegation as recently as last year while on record discussing that he made her uncomfortable. This is my opinion and I understand others may disagree and see it differently.
I think that the investigation should be thorough and complete. Period. If it comes out that Joe did it, yikes. I don't know that I could vote for him, which is a huge problem given who is currently occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I'll add this, though: I'd love to know who's bankrolling her lawsuit.
As a teen in the 1970s I had several MeToo experiences including date rape and attempted sexual coercion by a police officer. My own personal experiences tell me this sh*t happens a lot. It certainly did back then. We have a rape-y grope-y disrespectful culture that's only now becoming self-reflective and ashamed of these behaviors. I know there’s a Believe Women stand on sexual assault. Having been there myself, I tend to believe. However, my opinions on Joe Biden can’t be colored by the belief women don't lie. People of both genders do. I've known several women (and men) who lie and embellish. I've witnessed it firsthand. I’ve personally seen a lie become "truer" with each telling until the person telling it creates a new personal mythology even they start to believe. Was it Nazi Goebbels who said "a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth"?
That said, in my opinion this latest allegation needs to be taken with a dose of doubt. Not because Joe Biden or any man or woman isn’t capable of such misconduct, but because such manufactured character assault is in the GOP playbook right next to voter suppression and cheating. They do it ALL the time. Their pushing the Barack "HUSSEIN" Obama narrative was a name association attack. His "palling around with terrorists" was another version tying him to residual shock and fear of 9/11 and, of course, blatant otherism. Tasteless comedian of his day & dynamic senator in later years, Al Franken’s scandal was obviously a set up. It was unfortunate he was made the Dem example against Roy Moore since the money ties of his accuser were discovered to lead back to trump pal Roger Stone. "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" were later discredited for smearing John Kerry-- another GOP twist of the truth for political advantage over a candidate, carefully plotted and dressed up to look legit.
All these professional manipulators have to do is get the MSM to repeat the lie and "tell it a thousand times". And they do. After all, controversy sells. FOX didn't get where they are today by being truthful.
Conservative outrage over Joe Biden is high right now as one might expect. Their bots and paid propaganda accounts push this narrative on social media because trump is polling poorly with women and the USA has enemies who intentionally sow manufactured discord. One can’t help shaking your head at the notion that conservatives are truly concerned about shameful acts by a politician. If that were true then trump's Access Hollywood confession would have been a game changer. Roy Moore wouldn't have even been on the ballot. Or Jim "Gym" Jordan wouldn't have peeped and remained silent while more boys were abused. Conservative outrage for these examples amounted to crickets chirping in an empty amphitheater. The hypocrisy knows no bounds.
To me this latest Biden news is Ukraine 2.0. The Hunter Biden fiasco didn't stick. With his falling polls and general dislike by women, trump needs a big anger-inducing distraction. In the GOP cheaters playbook, sexual assault is the big gun, the figurative kitchen sink of things to toss out when all other bits of slander fail. It pulls a heart string. It foments anger. If they could have done this smear to family man Obama, they would have. The Dijon mustard and tan suit scandals just fell flat. :) And that last bit brings to mind Speaker Pelosi's ice cream. When you have nothing to say, attack the food or clothing.
What’s really unfortunate here is the MSM is talking up the banner but not because a presidential candidate may have done a shameful act years ago. Were that the case, they’d have enough material to cover trump scandals 24/7 for years to come. When it comes down to it, the truth is trump isn't a newsworthy topic. We all know by now that he could literally shoot someone on 5th Avenue and the GOP would help him get away with the crime. Trump scandal is old news. We expect rotten from rotten people. But a scandal involving a former VP with a reputation for compassion stemming from his own tragic losses, now THERE'S a money maker! MSM is putting a suggested whiff of NEW scandal in the air because new news SELLS. If viewers tune in, sponsors make money off their ads.
Case in point-- MSM’s current hype regarding armed but SMALL demonstrations illustrates this clearly. MSM coverage blowing these MAGA Darwin Award shows out of proportion isn’t a surprise, it’s expected. MSM knows these “grassroots efforts” have big money ties just like the tea party did, but they don’t mention it because the cash cow here is having viewership worry about the “next Civil War”. By suggesting civil war, they keep their viewers tuned in to absorb sponsor ads. This is bread and circuses. Always bread and circuses. Americans may go hungry, we may sicken and die in this pandemic, but at least our trusted news sources keep us entertained and primed for product. To me, the big Joe Biden scandal reveal is the same thing. It's entertainment and product placement. Manipulation of the masses gets so old...
The country is facing the next Great Depression. Millions are unemployed now and that number is expected to rise. 60,000+ Americans are dead and we are nowhere near prepared for what's coming in the fall. Food shortages are just beginning. Heaven help you if you need toilet paper or disinfectant. This foul administration and GOP enablers are furiously working to keep money in the hands of their corporate masters and aid out of the hands of Americans in desperate need. The latest is coercion-- denying unemployment benefits to people not wanting to return to potentially life-threatening jobs.
I say investigate EVERYTHING to do with both men, including the dozens of sexual misconduct allegations for trump. Highlight each one. Talk about any non-disclosure agreements and why they had them. Cover witnesses if any. Cover legal charges in the courts if any. Cover any and all instances where someone was paid to keep a secret or was threatened into silence. Show where that money came from. Start with the allegation from Jeffry Epstein's 13 year old victim who said trump slapped her across the face because she protested during his raping of her. She disappeared because she was afraid. MSM could find her.
Don’t linger on this blatant deflection. Don’t dwell on inadequate Covid-19 action by trump or the 60,000+ deaths that followed. Don’t think about the president of the United States suggesting injecting disinfectants or contemplate how to get “tremendous light” up your behind. Don’t wonder about the shady machinations currently taking place in our government. Let's all talk about sexual misconduct allegations against Joe Biden.
It’s been tossed it out. Let’s see if it sticks. Then let’s weigh whatever comes in full measure to the other guy. Hell, let’s review their personal scandals both large and small year by year. Put it all on the table for public consumption during this time of isolation. At least until Netflix adds to its catalog.
Is anyone mentioning the medium article? Have you seen her writings? For years she tweeted support of Biden and wished him well, no mention of ending on bad terms. 2017 she’s pro-Biden and anti-Putin. Then 2018 she starts writing like it’s straight out of a Kompromat manual. 2019
She said Biden touched her On the neck and then after he became the presumptive nominee she changed it to assault. How is it possible she’s not either mentally ill or a Russian asset? Seriously.
Democrats have to band together and behave how republicans would in this situation. Yes, Democrats are supposed to be better. Yes, I’m the era of #Metoo, we should believe everyone that comes forward and give their claims due diligence. I think we could have done much better than Biden in the first place (I wanted Warren) but Biden is the nominee and the Supreme Court is at stake and so is the direction of the country. Let’s be smart this time and do whatever is necessary to win in 2020!
I think he should allow only Rachel Maddox investigate records. I'll trust her to be honest.
I'm glad to have read the WaPo timeline. I had misunderstood the date of the police report from an earlier reading of reporting or her podcast, thinking she had filed it in April 1993, instead of April, 2020, which would have been damning for Biden.
The case is still not great for Biden with LaCasse going on record with her name, but not as bad. The hearsay rule doesn't apply to the court of public opinion.
I don't think it is going away, like "But her emails" and I personally wish her would authorize a search of the U. Delaware database only for her name, if it could be done to only view those records (although I suspect some will say it wasn't complete) and get ahead of it. I don't want the next shoe to drop, either with more evidence on the Reade allegation, or another allegation like this.
We are certainly in a much better position with only one sexual accuser and no smoking gun Access Hollywood tape, compared to about 25 for Trump, not to mention videos of him partying with Epstein (at whose house he may have raped a teen girl), but anything that might appear incriminating against Biden should come out now, if it ever were, so it doesn't come out in October.
Biden gave his interview and his staff, Kaufman, Toner and Baker, as well, so they probably want to avoid saying too much further on the record, lest a complaint turn up with their names on it and they get caught in a lie.
That said, I feel better after realizing the police report was not contemporaneous (only the Larry King phone call which could be about serving drinks at a party or touching her neck) and a USA Today Op-Ed by a prosecutor blew some holes in her story, but even if I thought it might have happened, Trump still has like 25 women and he's the kind of guy who would do this and there are 1000 non-sexual reasons to get rid of Trump, so whoever the DNC puts on the ticket in November will have my vote.
Why not wait for thw conclusion from an investigation? Why pick a team now? This kind of thinking put trump in office.
JUST NO..
I believe Joe, also. Why would she not come forward years ago? Why now? Someone should check her bank account. Seems funny her neighbor also suddenly remembers her talking about it 20 some years later. And the phone call with no names? Ridiculous. Trump’s fighting in court in New York
not to give his dna, to a woman who has proof of rape. Plus he is so dangerous to our lives and our country. All this crap about China to divert attention away from the pitiful job he has done just might cause WW3. And opening the country when the virus is still spreading, looks like he hasn’t killed enough ppl yet. More blood on his hands!
The issue deserves investigation. Whatever records exist to corroborate or refute the allegation should be examined. If there are other witnesses, let them come forward.
If I were tasked with designing a scandal to help Trump, I don’t think I could do a better job than this.
Given that the president will never win with a majority, the goal of this scandal would be to suppress enthusiasm and turnout, especially among the left.
Timing this would be key. You could make a case for it coming out after the convention—as last minute revelation—but that might look a little *too* suspicious. Best if it were percolating for a while but only really pushed to the surface as soon as Biden had the nomination locked up—when it’s too late for Bernie or someone else to take it.
In this context, the fishiness of the allegation is a feature, not a bug. If there were something more ironclad, or there was a clear pattern (e.g. as with Trump), the Democrats might actually dump Biden and pick someone else at the convention. Can’t have that.
No, the ideal accusation would need to be just credible enough to create progressive doubt and handwringing, but just fishy enough to ensure that Biden wouldn’t be dumped before the convention. Bonus points for anything that can weaponize the “believe women” line from the me too movement so that anyone who doubts the accusation can be accused of hypocrisy.
BTW, it doesn’t matter how bad faith these accusations of hypocrisy from Trump supporters are. Remember, the name of the game isn’t “choose A over B” — no one is going to switch from Biden to Trump because of this. The name of the game is to demoralize and depress turnout.
Does all of this mean that she’s not credible? Sadly, no! It is possible that this did in fact happen to her, though who knows. This is the most depressing thing about all of it.
I wish Warren were the nominee.
There is no “thorough vetting” that will “get it out of the way now.” It’s the same swiftboat attacks that are always used to take down Democrats. It is endless rumor and innuendo, that no amount of fact and hard evidence will dispel. I disagreed with Biden’s decision to do this interview, because he’s just feeding the wolf pack. Now that he has addressed the issue, he should refuse further questions on the subject.
It’s a credible claim otherwise he would release the info. He’s lying but he’s a 100% better than trump so I will hold my nose and vote for him.
I don’t believe anything Tara Reade says because she keeps changing her story Also I believe it is a smear attack on Joe Biden I am voting #Biden2020
I feel like it has been investigated to the point that it can be.
At this point we must believe Biden's staffers and what there is of the evidence or Reade's ever-changing Biden narratives. Remember we are involved in a very real and deadly war of misinformation and people who want to keep the president where he is will do *anything*.
I agree with this 👇 opinion piece.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/04/29/joe-biden-sexual-assault-allegation-tara-reade-column/3046962001/
I agree with this opinion 👇
I do not think Tara Reade should be ignored but there seems to be inconsistencies in her story. Look into Senate Records and 1,800 boxes of Biden's stuff at University of Delaware BUT don't let the #SexualAssaulterInChief slide again after 17-21 accusations
Forget the Trump and friends distractions pumped out . The recent Global events are more apocalyptic and the present incumbent of WH is a danger with a terrible track record who is only too happy to feed journalist distractions.
Appearing on Fox News propagandist, anti-democracy platform did not give Tara Reade any credibility.
Why isn’t anyone focusing on the numerous allegations against trump? This woman’s story has been inconsistent from the beginning. Biden ran for VP twice. Why now and not then? Did Obama’s people find anything when they were checking him out as a VP candidate?
At the risk of being chided for believing Kavanaugh's accuser 100% and Biden's accuser not at all, this is why and it has nothing to do with party affiliation. There is no one who believes more in women's' rights and the 'Me, too' movement than I do. However, the two situations are completely different. Mrs Ford spoke out in order to alert the country to improper behavior from a nominee for the Supreme Court. To this day, I believe he has no right to be there. He is a liar and a crook ( IMHO).
Biden, on the other hand, has been in the public eye for years and has run for the second-highest office in the land and Tara Reade didn't think it was the right thing to do to let the public know about his improper behavior back then? That is why I believe she is not telling the truth. She is doing this now only in an attempt to harm Biden's chances to defeat Trump.
It is so patently obvious what is going on with Trump's approval rating falling through the floor. This is the same administration that attempted to crucify Biden's son and nothing came of that other than ammunition used to impeach Trump.
Trump's team plays dirty and they don't care who they harm in the process. Remember, it isn't only Trump. He doesn't like to admit it, but he has handlers who do whatever they think needs to be done to improve Trump's chance of reelection.
In this case, I choose to take a play out of Trump's playbook. If Biden screwed the woman on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight, I still think he is a better candidate than Trump. ( Note I didn't even get into the fact that Trump has been accessed of abuse by numerous women - not just one - and we have Trump on a video claiming he likes to 'grab women by the p---y.' So, heck no, there doesn't need to be another minute spent on verifying or not verifying Tara Reade's statement. Believe what you wish, but vote for Biden and let's restore some sense of decency and sanity to our nation as a whole.
I'm #RidinwithBiden because he was vetted by Obama. Given the fierce competition for that VP spot, if there had been even a hint of a problem, he wouldn't have been picked. Tara Reade is being paid by someone.
Joe Biden unequivocally denied the charges and asked for records to be released from the Senate. He was fully vetted before becoming Obama’s VP. Now, out of thin air these allegations appear? From a woman who has changed her story multiple times and expressed her devotion to Putin?!? How does this become a story? Because Trump allies are pushing this narrative just as they did “But her emails...” Let’s not all fall down the rabbit hole as happened in 2016. Just as unsupported sexual assault allegations magically surfaced about Robert Mueller as he was investigating Russian interference, so now allegations against Joe Biden. Anyone who is a threat to Trump falls prey to “trumped up” charges. Stop giving them oxygen.
I have no problem with doing an investigation, I think it will clear Biden. Let’s see how well Tara Reade’s story holds up under cross examination. Put her under the same microscope Christine Blasey Ford was under. Let’s have hearings and cross examine her. I don’t think she’s credible.
I'm getting really tired of women coming forward so far after the fact. 27 years later, really? I know this kind of crime is traumatic, but then come forward when it happened. Don't wait for a highly opportune time to tell all, because then it looks more like a vendetta and will be harder to prove. These women are losing all credibility when they wait so long.
Should it be investigated? Yes, but a person is innocent until proven guilty – even in high profile cases. It should also end if it is proven she has no concrete evidence. However, a full investigation should be made into her, as well. Authorities should know who is talking to her and bankrolling this whole thing. This is all just becoming too convenient and I get the gut feeling Trump is behind it. Reade moved on with her life for 27 years. Why now?
I'm sad to say, but I would like to see a statute of limitations on making accusations of sexual assault to stop this kind of broadsiding game. It's getting old. I'm sure Kavanaugh would jump to sign this kind of legislation.
We have to take it seriously.
Mika made such an idiot of herself this morning I’m starting to think she was set up.
Yes we have an obligation to investigate all claims thoroughly no matter who is involved.
This is a red herring that trump is throwing out to control the narrative and sew doubt It is pure politics and the press is being sucked into giving him airtime to build his narrative. They did the same thing in 2016. Joe and Mika were the worst outside of Fox news. A responsible journalist should call it what it is; a political ploy and refuse to cover it!
RNT there now 2 or 3 who corroborate the accuser's story? If Biden doesn't open up the U of Delaware files, won't suspicion persist? He's clueless. Enjoy your Sunday morning with Fox, Creepy Uncle Joe .... PLEASE step aside. Trump will call you "Weinstein LITE & creepy!"
First of all, Mika is a mouthpiece looking to make trouble. But I believed Tara long enough to look into her claim, and found all kind of reasons not to take her seriously (which are already listed here). Here is a thread that sums up why we should care that she lies. twitter.com/kaivanshroff/s…