Double Standard

Morning Workout

So, I do a workout most mornings.  Since I’m “online teaching”, I time-shift my schedule, doing school work from six to eight, then take an hour to hit the elliptical machine and do some calisthenics.   It’s good to do something to stay in shape, particularly in this time of  “stay-at-home orders”.  

This morning I made sure I was on the elliptical machine when Mika Brezhenski interviewed Joe Biden on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.  This was Biden’s first response to an accusation of sexual assault made by former staffer, Tera Reade.  

Reade was a junior member of Biden’s Senate staff in 1993.  A couple years ago, she claimed that Biden inappropriately touched her hair and shoulder in a Senate hallway during that time.  She readily admits she is unclear on the actual time or date.  Her accusation fits a pattern that other women have said about Biden, that he was a “touchy-feely” man. Biden hugged, patted, and put his hands on shoulders, men as well as women.  Some women complain that they felt that contact was inappropriate, and Biden issued a blanket apology for making them feel uncomfortable.

But two weeks ago, Ms. Reade changed her accusation.  She now says that then-Senator Biden did more than just inappropriately touch her:  that he in fact reached under her clothing and penetrated her with his fingers.  The “inappropriate touching” became sexual assault.  She even went so far as to file a police report with the Washington DC police, even though the statute of limitations has long passed. Oddly, the report does not name Biden, though she later said that it was him (Washington Times).

#METOO

If this were Donald Trump, I would assume that the woman was telling the truth.  It certainly would fit the pattern of dozens of other women who claim the Trump did those kinds of things.  I wouldn’t even wait for any further “evidence” that could exist.  It’s the kind of guy Trump is, from paying-off affairs to the Access Hollywood tape.  Somehow though, Trump has gotten a “pass” from much of the nation for his actions.

But as a Democrat in the third year of the #METOO era, I am in a difficult dilemma.  I believe that there are men who abuse their power and assault women.  I’ve known some men like that, and I’ve supported women who stood up against them.  I was and still am appalled that our politics are so polarized that many of my Republican friends found ways to excuse Mr. Trump’s behavior.  

The Record

I reluctantly agreed that Democratic Senator Al Franken resign from the Senate.  Franken too was a “touchy-feely” guy, but worse, a former comedian with photos showing him pretending to commit sexual assault.  It all broke at the height of the Alabama Senate campaign, with Democrat Doug Jones running against a credibly accused child molester, Judge Roy Moore.  The national party had to make a clear demarcation between Moore and Trump-like behavior and what Democrats stand for.  Franken paid the price.

And I also agree that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh got a “pass” for his possible behaviors.  Some credible (and some not so credible) claims were made that he committed sexual assaults.  The critical event of that time weren’t so much the charges, but that there was no real investigation into the women’s claims.  Instead, the FBI was ordered to do a whitewash, and prevented from following up any leads they received.  The Republican Senate made sure that Kavanaugh owed them for a lifetime; in return he received his lifetime appointment to the Court.

The Interview

So here I am, hitting my mileage on the machine, and listening to Joe Biden.  Here are Biden’s bullet points:

• Biden absolutely denies the accusation.  He allowed no “wiggle room”; he didn’t say he “can’t recall”.  Biden said it didn’t happen.
• He asked the Senate Secretary to have the National Archives open his files from the era, looking through all the personnel records to find the complaint she said was made.  The former Vice President is confident there is no such complaint.
• He has asked his staff at the time – no one remembers a complaint.
• He believes that a woman should be heard, and that her complaints should be considered credible.  Then there should be and investigation, and the truth found.  Biden is clear that the truth is that nothing happened.  
• He doesn’t see a contradiction between his stand in the Kavanaugh hearing and his stand today.  He believes that there wasn’t a real investigation of Kavanaugh.
• Biden made it clear he wasn’t questioning Tara Reade’s motives.

There is a “controversy” about Biden’s personal papers, now in possession of the University of Delaware.  Biden donated the papers to be cataloged and kept after his political career was over.  Delaware reasonably thought that would be in 2020, before Biden entered the Presidential campaign.  The “seal” has been extended.  Biden states that the papers contain his personal comments and conversations with world leaders and President Obama.  Legally personnel records cannot be included in those records.

Releasing them would not only hurt a future President Biden in his dealings with other nations, but would be a treasure trove of opposition research for his political enemies.  The records at Delaware are staying sealed. 

My Standard

So do I have a double standard? Well, I have seen and heard the evidence of Trump’s activities.  I have seen the evidence of Roy Moore’s activities.  I saw the pictures of Al Franken.  None of us saw the evidence regarding Kavanaugh; they weren’t allowed to pursue it.  So right now, I’ll listen to what Ms. Reade has to say.  But I’ll need to see more than just a changing story from twenty-seven years ago to believe her.  That’s my standard, and I’m sticking to it.