Journalists and networks are finally, reluctantly, being forced to cover the claims of Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer for Joe Biden who accused the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of sexual assault. CBS got to it on Thursday and PBS’s Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday night.
On PBS, Amanpour talked to Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, reluctantly wondering, “I need to ask you this, obviously, because it’s a story in newspapers, on the AP, allegations by a woman called Tara Reade who accused the Vice President of sexual assault in the '90s when she worked in the Senate office. Obviously, the campaign is denying it. What and how are you going to deal with these allegations? Particularly in our Me Too World.”
“How are you going to deal with these allegations” is about the lamest way a journalist can press a Democrat on something awkward and difficult. The Perez interview went on for 13 and a half minutes, but the sexual assault discussion was disposed of in 1 minute and 26 seconds.
Over on CBS This Morning, co-host Tony Dokoupil on Thursday waited until the very end of his interview with Bernie Sanders. Finally, he asked the socialist, who just endorsed Biden, about the accusations. Notice that Dokoupil can't even be bothered to say Reade's name:
We also asked Senator Sanders about other concerns some supporters have, including a sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden. His accuser reportedly filed a police report last week. Now claiming Biden assaulted her in 1993 when she was working in his Senate office. Published reports indicate her story has changed over the years. Biden's campaign calls the allegation, quote, “untrue,” and says the alleged incident, quote, “absolutely did not happen,” close quote. Here's what Bernie Sanders had to say about it. One of your most important allies, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said recently she thinks it's legitimate and relevant to talk about sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden. Do you agree?
Sanders did not offer a ringing defense of Biden, saying, “I think it's relevant to talk about anything. I think any woman who feels that she was assaulted has every right in the world to stand up and make her claims…. I think that she has the right to make her claims and get a public hearing, and the public will make their own conclusions about it.”
The Washington Post on Monday broke its silence with a skeptical investigation of Reade's accusations. The New York Times finally covered the assault claims, but edited story at the request of the Biden campaign. For more on how the Post and the Times covered it, go here.
Reade first went public on March 25. There is no excuse for journalists to drag their feet on it. Even worse, ABC and NBC still haven’t covered the story.
Transcripts of the questions from the section of CBS This Morning on Biden and from PBS are below. Click "expand" to read more.
CBS This Morning
4/16/2020
8:22 AM ET
DOKOUPIL: We also asked Senator Sanders about other concerns some supporters have, including a sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden. His accuser reportedly filed a police report last week. Now claiming Biden assaulted her in 1993 when she was working in his Senate office. Published reports indicate her story has changed over the years. Biden's campaign calls the allegation, quote, “untrue,” and says the alleged incident, quote, “absolutely did not happen,” close quote. Here's what Bernie Sanders had to say about it. One of your most important allies, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said recently she thinks it's legitimate and relevant to talk about sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden. Do you agree?
SANDERS: I think it's relevant to talk about anything. I think any woman who feels that she was assaulted has every right in the world to stand up and make her claims.
DOKOUPIL: Do you think that should weigh significantly in the mind of --
SANDERS: I think that she has the right to make her claims and get a public hearing, and the public will make their own conclusions about it. I just don't know enough about it to comment further.
DOKOUPIL: All right.
Amanpour and Co.
4/15/2020
11:42:13 to 11:43:39 1 minute and 26 seconds
[Talking to Tom Perez, DNC Chair]
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: And I need to ask you this, obviously, because it’s a story in newspapers, on the AP, allegations by a woman called Tara Reade who accused the Vice President of sexual assault in the '90s when she worked in the Senate office. Obviously, the campaign is denying it. What and how are you going to deal with these allegations? Particularly in our Me Too World.
