‘Joe Biden is Joe Biden’: Democratic establishment clashes with progressives over lockstep defense on Tara Reade allegations
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "boys will be boys"-type defense of 2020 Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden has half the internet raging at the party’s “hypocrisy,” while the other half demand the heads of the candidate's critics.
Pelosi delivered a tart rebuke on Thursday to a reporter’s query about how the party was (mis)handling former Senate staffer Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegations against Biden.
Speaker Pelosi: "I have complete respect for the whole #MeToo movement...there's also due process...Joe Biden is Joe Biden...There was never any record...I am so proud, the happiest day for me this week was to support Joe Biden for president of the United States." pic.twitter.com/CFfUMZTeYs
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 30, 2020
Insisting she had “complete respect for the #MeToo movement” and “a lot of excitement around the idea that women will be heard and will be listened to,” Pelosi countered with a mealy-mouthed appeal to “due process,” insisting “nobody ever came forward to say something” except Reade herself.
Reade did claim she not only filed a report with the Senate but complained to Biden’s secretary and two aides, and even CNN had seen a contemporaneous police report.
“The fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden…” Pelosi gushed, appearing to imply that the former vice president’s reputation should speak for itself before declaring that “the happiest day for me this week” was when she decided to endorse him.
Also on rt.com Orwellian ‘memory hole’ in action? Stealth removal of CNN clip supporting Biden sex assault claim proves MSM’s double standardsAs the voice of the same Democratic Party that had made its unofficial slogan ‘Believe Women’ less than two years ago, when one woman after another came forward with appalling if unsubstantiated assault claims against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Pelosi’s apparent brush-off of the disturbing allegations against Biden upset many, who proceeded to vent on social media.
"Joe Biden is Joe Biden.""Boys will be boys."This is exactly what she's telling us. If anyone is shocked by the continued moral bankruptcy of the Dem party, start paying closer attention. Democrats stand for absolutely nothing.And seriously fuck you, Nancy Pelosi. https://t.co/uvHBHaH0ZV
— beth, an alien (@bourgeoisalien) April 30, 2020
"and the fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden" is some real "he's a good guy, he wouldn't do that" shit. https://t.co/mLlK6DnzQp
— austin walker (@austin_walker) April 30, 2020
Others made a joke out of the rampant hypocrisy, or dug up old jokes even Democrats had made, back before Biden was running for president.
Joe Biden is Joe Biden.Joe Biden doesn’t know who Joe Biden is, though.
— Vertue (@VertueCo) April 30, 2020
Joe Biden is Joe BidenJon Stewart in 2015 on Joe Biden: "It's apparently a Senate rite of passage that you're not officially sworn in until Delaware Joe has felt up one female member of your immediate family."pic.twitter.com/DvVdrYj1EJ
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) April 30, 2020
Plenty more still had the memory of Kavanaugh’s public crucifixion fresh in their minds.
Nancy Pelosi, 2018: "Dr. Ford told her story with extraordinary dignity, bravery and unimpeachable credibility. I applaud her courage for coming forward to share her story, and I believe her."Nancy Pelosi, 2020: "Joe Biden is Joe Biden."
— Nicole Alexander Fisher (@_nalexander) April 30, 2020
Nancy Pelosi on the sexual assault allegations against VP Biden:"Joe Biden is Joe Biden"Well Brett Kavanaugh was Brett Kavanaugh—remember how your party treated him?This Democrat double standard really is disgusting to watch.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 30, 2020
Still, the media establishment’s faith in the infallibility of Saint Biden was beginning to fray at the edges, as evidenced by MSNBC’s Chris Hayes giving a few minutes of airtime to Reade’s claims on Wednesday night.
Chris Hayes covering Tara Reade’s allegations against Biden pic.twitter.com/zs5BJEZGVb
— Ibrahim (@ibrahimpols) April 30, 2020
While he prefaced his coverage with a lengthy disclaimer and modulated his voice to heap scorn upon the accuser, it wasn’t enough for the Democratic faithful, who demanded the cable network #FireChrisHayes (and vowed to boycott it until then).
It seems @chrislhayes covered Tara Reade’s bogus accusations against Biden last night without mentioning that her story is riddled with holes and she has sketchy connections to Bernie and Putin.I am blocking @chrislhayes and boycotting any project he’s associated with.
— Uncle Blazer (@blakesmustache) April 30, 2020
I’ve not ever liked Chris Hayes now I’ll never watch him after this untruthful lack of facts about Tara Reade during his show tonight . #FireChrisHayeshttps://t.co/Ztkov45lhx
— Debbie 🐝Ahern 🇺🇸 💙🌊✨✌🏽✌🏻 (@savetheturtles2) April 30, 2020
Some even claimed it was proof Hayes was working for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Read the 2013 transcript of @chrislhayes on @msnbc vigorously protecting Russian intelligence’s attack on U.S. democracy through WikiLeaks, and tell me if you’re shocked. https://t.co/ZNthxFxb3a
— Eric Garland (@ericgarland) April 30, 2020
I feel betrayed by Chris Hayes. I watch his show for progressive content. But Chris’ spreading Russian disinfo & carrying Putin/Tre45on/GOP’s water is UNACCEPTABLE! I HATE everything in Joe’s way. @chrislhayes apologize for your journalistic malpractice or #FireChrisHayes!
— Analisa Swan 🆘 #DemForce⚖️🥁 (@Analisa_Swan) April 30, 2020
Progressives and conservatives were united in their scorn for the #MeToo crusaders turned partisan apologists.
Chris Hayes covered Tara Reade & it really made Democrats dig deep, search their souls. They heard a story of injustice & it touched them. They realized that something had to change.They prayed and discussed and they all came to the same conclusion.Chris Hayes must be fired.
— 🌹 Opa👴 & Oma👵 for PEACE ☸ #DNC Killed Democracy (@NinjaProgressiv) April 30, 2020
Chris Hayes is getting pounded by Democrats for making the mortal mistake of covering Tara Reade’s sexual assault accusations against Biden Chris didn’t get the memo that he is only supposed to ‘pretend to care’ about women being abused when it serves Dems’ quest for power pic.twitter.com/32vxHPn4of
— Melissa A. (@TheRightMelissa) April 30, 2020
It certainly seemed that MSNBC was spooked by the Biden Bros backlash, however, because the Hayes clip never made it to the network’s YouTube channel.
Strange I went to @MSNBC's YouTube channel, and I couldn't find a clip of Chris Hayes talking about Tara Reade and Joe BidenAlmost like MSNBC would like to memory-hole that segment for eternity pic.twitter.com/l8BhwVk0h8
— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) April 30, 2020
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