President Biden reiterated his belief that disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo needn’t resign unless an investigation proves that he did, indeed, harass and assault seven women.
The occasion of Biden’s slight shift in his view on Cuomo was a softball interview with ABC’s George Stephanopolous for Good Morning America.
Just the other day, Biden wouldn’t say Cuomo should resign, but instead only urged a full investigation of the besieged chief executive.
Biden also told Stephanopoulos that Cuomo’s accusers deserve to be heard.
Maybe he does believe that. Question is, will the claims of those women make any difference?
The accusations from women who accused Biden of behavior akin to Cuomo’s — inappropriate kissing, touching, groping, hugging, sniffing, and in Tara Reade’s case, sexual assault — did nothing to stop Biden’s presidential candidacy.
Possible Prosecution
“I know you said you want the investigation to continue,” Stephanopoulos said of Attorney General Letitia James’s probe. “If the investigation confirms the claims of the women, should he resign?”
“Yes,” Biden replied. “I think he’ll probably end up being prosecuted, too.”
If that happens, prosecutors will likely act on the accusation from an employee at the executive mansion who says Cuomo grabbed her breast. Accuser 1, Lindsey Boylan, says Cuomo blocked her leaving his office and kissed her on the lips. Five other women have also accused Cuomo of sexual harassment.
“There should be an investigation to determine whether what she says is true,” Biden told Stephanopoulos, a former operative for former President Bill Clinton. “There could be a criminal prosecution that is attached to it. I just don’t know,” Biden said.
Albany police have contacted the woman who said Cuomo molested her at the mansion.
Stephanopoulos also raised the demand from top New York Democrats, from Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and the state’s delegation in Congress down to more than five dozen state legislators, for Cuomo to resign.
They “don’t think he can be an effective governor right now,” Stephanopoulos said. “Can he serve effectively?”
Replied Biden: “Well, that’s a judgment for them to make.”
It is indeed, and they aren’t as timid as Biden.
We commend the brave actions of the individuals who have come forward with serious allegations of abuse and misconduct,” they continued. “Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York. Governor Cuomo should resign.
Cuomo denies any and all wrongdoing, although he did admit “unwanted flirtation.”
Biden’s Case
Biden might be reluctant to say too much about Cuomo because of the many accusations he has faced, although he did say, oddly enough, that “a woman should be presumed telling the truth and should not be scapegoated and become victimized by her coming forward.”
Takes a lot of courage to come forward. So, the presumption is they should be taken seriously. And it should be investigated. And that’s what’s underway now.
True enough. But the Biden Standard doesn’t apply — to Biden.
One credible sex-assault accusation that wasn’t investigated, as The New American reported on Monday, came from Tara Reade, a former Biden Senate staffer. She accused Biden last year as he was prevailing in the Democrat primaries.
Despite six corroborating witnesses, and even divorce papers and audio from Larry King’s talk show on CNN that supported her claim, law enforcement never investigated the claim, which amounted to felony sex-assault.
Women who believed her said her claim wasn’t important enough to end Biden’s candidacy for president. The only thing that mattered was defeating Donald Trump.
The only defense Biden offered was that he didn’t remember Reade and that he didn’t do it. That was good enough for top Democrats to continue backing him.
Reade, of course, was not Biden’s only accuser. Other women accused him of crass, unwanted hugs and kisses and fetishistic sniffing.
None of that mattered, though. Democrats defended him.
