Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and other Democrats have a problem.
The sexual assault allegation made by Tara Reade against Joe Biden, the party's presumptive presidential nominee, is credible and serious. It is arguably as credible as the allegation made in 2018 by Christine Blasey Ford against then-Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
But while Gillibrand and other Democrats rose to defend Blasey Ford and denounce Kavanaugh, they've either been silent on the allegation against Biden or, in Gillibrand's case, have rejected it outright.
"I stand by Vice President Biden," Gillibrand said last week.
The double standard here seems blatant, the hypocrisy flagrant, for a party that celebrated the rise of the #MeToo movement and adopted a "believe women" standard on sexual misconduct claims.
Reade detailed the alleged assault in a recent podcast hosted by political comedian Katie Halper. The interview generated significant attention but also skepticism from those who noted, rightly, that Reade had changed her story after previously saying Biden had only inappropriately rubbed her shoulders and neck.
The allegation seemed ready to fade away, to the relief of Democrats who see Biden as their best chance to defeat President Donald Trump in November.
But last week, two additional people came forward to support Reade's allegation.
None of that makes for an open-and-shut case against Biden, who has denied the allegation. But it's more corroborating evidence than exists for Blasey Ford's claim against Kavanaugh.
Here's what Gillibrand said about the Kavanaugh allegation in a passionate speech delivered on the Senate floor:
"This process is sending the worst possible message to girls and boys everywhere. It's telling American women that your voice doesn't matter. It's telling survivors everywhere that your experiences don't count, they're not important and they are not to be believed."
Gillibrand went on to reject due process for Kavanaugh, noting that his nomination was essentially a job interview.
"Do we listen to women when they tell us about sexual trauma?" she asked, adding: "If we allow women's experiences of sexual trauma to be second to a man's promotion, it will not only diminish this watershed moment of societal change we are in, it will bring shame on this body and on the court."
They were stirring words, certainly, and quite different than what Gillibrand said Tuesday when asked by a reporter about the allegation against Biden. This is from a transcript sent by Gillibrand's office after I asked about Reade's claim:
"So when we say believe women, it's for this explicit intention of making sure there's space for all women to come forward to speak their truth, to be heard. And in this allegation, that is what Tara Reade has done. She has come forward, she has spoken, and they have done an investigation in several outlets."
Wait, "believe women" only means they should be heard? That nonsense contradicts what Gillibrand has said previously, but consistency is apparently secondary if it means tarnishing the party's likely nominee.
The point here isn't to knock Gillibrand alone. The hypocrisy from other Democrats is just as blatant.
I highlight Gillibrand partly because she's our hometown senator--an Albany native who lives outside Troy--but also because she's built a national reputation for calling out the bad behavior of powerful men, former Sen. Al Franken included. Her history makes her stance on the Biden accusation all the more striking.
This is where I mention that Trump has also been accused of sexual assault by multiple women and has bragged about it on tape. He was elected anyway.
That suggests the claim against Biden will be a non-issue in the coming campaign, perhaps deepening the public's cynicism about politicians, especially the male variety, while doing little to affect the vote.
But Reade's allegation won't go away. If Democrats refuse to honestly confront the claim, it will dog them for years to come, undermining the party's credibility and the #MeToo movement more broadly. Future victims will pay the biggest price.
Editorial on 05/04/2020