Alexandra Tara Reade (c. 1963- ), lifelong Democrat and former aide to Joe Biden when he was a senator, accuses him of sexual assault. He was 50, she was 29. Biden is the Democrat running for US president against Donald Trump, also accused of sexual assault.
Believe women: Joe Biden in 2018 on Christine Blasey Ford:
“For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus, nationally, you’ve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she’s talking about is real.”
And Tara Reade has a stronger case.
In 1993, as Reade tells it (graphic description ahead):
“He was talking to me, and he said some things that I don’t recall. And I was up against the wall. And he – I remember the coldness of the wall. And I remember his hands underneath my blouse and underneath my skirt, and his fingers penetrating me as he was trying to kiss me and I was pulling away. And he pulled back, and he said, ‘Come on, man. I heard you liked me.’ But he was angry. It was like a tight voice. And he tended to smile when he was angry. And he isn’t like the Uncle Joe like everybody talks about now.”
And then came the part that has been replaying in her head over and over again ever since:
“I was standing there when he said – he was still near me. He said – pointed his finger and said, ‘You’re nothing to me. You’re nothing.’ And he walked away.”
Joe Biden flatly denies it.
Time’s Up will not help her. The person in charge of their public relations: Anita Dunn, adviser to Joe Biden.
The New Yorker, which broke the Harvey Weinstein scandal, will not touch it.
The New York Times and the Associated Press said they could not find anyone who could confirm it. Apparently they did not try too hard: Business Insider was able to find at least four people who could corroborate it.
CNN and MSNBC interviewed E. Jean Carroll just days after she accused Donald Trump of sexual assault without corroboration – but not Tara Reade.
Documentation:
- Reade kept a journal at the time – but no longer has it.
- Her mother called CNN in 1993 during “Larry King Live” and said:
“Hello. I’m wondering what a staffer would do, besides go to the press in Washington. My daughter has just left there, after working for a prominent senator, and could not get through with her problems at all. And the only thing she could have done was go to the press, and she chose not to do it, out of respect for him.”
- Reade filed a complaint with the Fair Employment Practices Office.
Biden says the last one would be at the National Archives. Both the Archives and Reade say it would be among his senate papers, which are under lock and key at the University of Delaware. Biden says he has nothing to hide – but refuses a search among his papers.
– Abagond, 2020.
Sources: especially Democracy Now, Jacobin, Reason and Katie Halper’s interview.
See also:
- Christine Blasey Ford
- Joe Biden
- Biden 2020
- handsy
- Biden and busing
- The 2020 election for US president
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Abagond 
It just figures. I guess Obama didn’t take a close look either when he picked him. Trump who has so much dirt where he hid his bones is tossing it all on his opponent
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When Biden was being vetted for VP in 2008, where was this woman then. The timing of her accusation is suspicious. It’s true Biden’s weird, and creepy, touchy feelley is problematic. It’s my opinion this woman is probably being paid by tRump.
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“Biden says he has nothing to hide – but refuses a search among his papers.”
Why should he? Since when was the accused supposed to make the accuser’s case for her? She filed, she should have a copy in her archive. Did she destroy it “…out of respect for him.”? Why is she making the accusation after Biden won the nomination, where was she when he was trailing Sanders?
Why should the Democrats help Trump’s campaign? Are they hypocrites when it comes to the Time’s Up, #Me Too nostrums? Do bears sh8 in the woods? So what? Only a very young child would expect things to be otherwise.
Even if what she alleges is true, it is now impolitic.
I’m planning to #Me Too AOC in 2024. Joke 🙂
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“Did she destroy it “…out of respect for him.”? Why is she making the accusation after Biden won the nomination, where was she when he was trailing Sanders?”
Let’s blame the victim.
What made MeToo effective was that it empowered women to come out once they saw that they were not the only ones sexually harrassed or assaulted.
“What ? He touched you too?”
It’s possible that once other women made allegations of sexual harassment towards Biden then that motivated her to come forward. Remember her allegations after it first happened were not taken seriously.
Male privilege within our culture represses women from being heard. Add a power layer dynamic of a prominent male on top of that privilege and it is even harder for them to be taken seriously.
I believe her.
But I still want Trump gone.
If we elect Biden one message we will be sending is that sexual misconduct can be over looked and that the rights of some women are subject to political expediency.
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“Let’s blame the victim.” What did she do with the copy of the complaint she made, “Did she destroy it “…out of respect for him.”?
“Let’s blame the victim.” Let’s.
“I believe her.” Yes, and?
“If we elect Biden one message we will be sending is that sexual misconduct can be over looked and that the rights of some women are subject to political expediency.” These accusations have always been overlooked due to political expedience and always will.
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“Biden says he has nothing to hide – but refuses a search among his papers.”
If Biden’s papers were searched, Tara Reade’s allegations would be the least of his problems. He has been a scoundrel politician for decades. His papers would reveal the extent of his duplicity (talking left and legislating right, like the rest of the Establishment Dems) and that of his colleagues.
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@ Michael Barker
*”Male privilege within our culture represses women from being heard. Add a power layer dynamic of a prominent male on top of that privilege and it is even harder for them to be taken seriously.
I believe her.”*
I do too.
The #metoo movement made waves because it introduced a force multiplier for rape victims. For centuries, if a man took liberties with a woman’s body, he could counter the victim’s revelations about his crimes with a number of standard rebuttals that were accepted by other men and a majority of gullible women:
I was drunk/stoned.
I don’t remember her.
She was drunk/passed out.
It was consensual / she led me on / it was fun for her…
I’m a man of god… respected businessman… mayor… Who do you believe?
She is crazy!
She is loose.
and my personal favorite from an Italian case in the 1990s: “I couldn’t have raped her, because her jeans were so tight, I could not get them off…” [The judge in that case actually released the rapist based on that comment.]
…and on and on, ad nauseam.
With #metoo, serial rapists and abusers are called out by multiple women. The sheer number of accusers dampens the “he said, she said” narrative the media, courts and person’s acquainted with the rapist/abuser like to trot out when defending their favorite criminal.
Before the internet, victims tended to be siloed and unconnected to one another. Now they have an opportunity to compare notes and turn the spotlight on serial criminals as a group.
Yet, the traditions of patriarchy are still strong enough for people to discount the word of two, ten or even fifty plus women. Many people will still defend sexual criminals with great vigor and attack their victims with great ferocity.
Those traditions will be difficult to dismantle.
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Actually, this is funny. Arguing about whether or not a rich, powerful man forced himself on a woman. Rich, powerful men have forced themselves on women for eons and continues to this day. Sometimes these men pay for it, sometimes they just take it.
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“If we elect Biden one message we will be sending is that sexual misconduct can be over looked and that the rights of some women are subject to political expediency.”
Whether Biden is elected or Trump is re-elected, that’s the message which will be sent.
The message women have been getting the last four years is that a woman can’t be president but a man who rapes women can.
Loud and clear.
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Biden isn’t the guy with mismatched memories?
Let’s see how that will play in this case.
You Americans don’t seem to have a bright choice this time.
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” Sometimes these men pay for it, sometimes they just take it.”
True—-and they nearly always get away with it. To them morals, laws and ethics are for the “little people” who pay the bills.
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It seems to me that, no matter what Reade’s political positions are, she can’t win. Any stance she takes is an automatic disqualification from being a “real” rape victim as opposed to being a political malcontent.
She’s a Democrat (but the Sanders kind)? Trying to destroy Biden.
She’s a Republican? Trying to destroy Biden.
She’s part of the Prohibition Party? Trying to destroy Biden.
She supports Biden? But I thought he was your r*pist.
There is literally no political stream she can support to make her claim against a politician look legitimate.
If anyone on this blog’s readership is voting third party/independent, who are you supporting? I have a tentative choice but I’d be interested to see what others have to say.
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An unusually fair piece for you, Abagond (in that you don’t automatically assume that, because it’s in your perceived political interests to support Biden over Trump, you would trash Reade). That said, you could at least mention a couple of the inconsistencies in her story with her recent actions/statements (as Tucker Carlson did), as well as update with the recently revealed statement from her ex-husband, which adds further support to her claims.
I came here expecting to find a one-sided outrage piece on the Arbery shooting that completely omits any information that could be exculpatory, e.g., that in the following link https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=61435
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Look, the only way to deal with such accusations fairly is to treat both the complainant and the accused with equal respect while investigations are ongoing. You can’t just “believe” anyone who makes an accusation. I have been on both sides of the equation both as a lawyer and a private person.
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