5th May 2020, 8:49 AM
Hmm, this is interesting. Tara Reade went back and edited her old posts detailing her experience of sexual harassment with Joe Biden. She literally changed them from saying "this is not a story about sexual misconduct" to "this is not only a story about sexual misconduct". https://romansresearch.wordpress.com/202...ial-edits/
Among other holes in her story. The post below does a good job of summing them up. I tracked down sources for each of his points as well, in case anyone is interested.
https://www.reddit.com/r/samharris/comme...dium=web2x
Reade's allegations deserve a full airing and investigation. However, that investigation cannot ignore the problematic and inconsistent aspects of her story.
1) She claims she made a harassment (not assault) claim against Biden to her superiors within Biden's Senate office, that she told multiple people at multiple levels within the office, and that meetings were held on the topic where notes were taken. Every individual at that office (21 in total) interviewed denied that this ever happened. She also claims she filed a complaint to the Senate Personnel Office, and that she filled out paperwork. There is no record of such a complaint.
2) Her story about the nature of the allegations has shifted.
4) Reade's writings reveal other contradictions in stories she tells, which calls into question either her memory of past events or a penchant for embellishment. In 2009, she wrote this about moving to D.C. to take her new Senate job:
In 2019, this was the new version of that event:
5) Reade's public sentiments regarding Joe Biden shift quite abruptly. In 2016, she's liking tweets wishing a happy birthday, retweeting others calling Biden the best VP in history. In 2017, Reade's twitter account retweets and likes various stories and tweets specifically praising Joe Biden for speaking out about sexual assault, and in one tweet says "My old boss speaks truth. Listen."
By September, 2019, after she has come out with the initial "non-sexual" allegations against Biden, she's publicly tweeting that Joe Biden should be investigated for Burisma.
6) I'm no Russophobe, but the things that she has publicly written about Vladimir Putin are downright bizarre. But more importantly, the timing for when her public sentiments for Biden change (see above) seem to coincide with the time at which her public sentiments for Russia and Putin change.
In 2017, she retweets and likes articles outlining Trump's links to Russia, tweets calling for Senate investigations into Russia's involvement in the Trump campaign, and criticizing Russia for legislation that decriminalizes domestic violence.
By 2018, her views on Russia have shifted drastically. In fact, "drastically" is putting the degree of her change in views lightly. She writes:
I'm not trying to imply that sometime in 2017 Reade becomes a Russian sleeper agent or anything like that. But something very radicalizing seems to happen to her between 2017 and 2018, and that change in her worldview is when she also reimagines the reasons she left Washington D.C. behind and her views on her former employer.
7) Reade's brother gave shifting accounts of what he claims Reade told him, first telling the Post about "harassment", then later texting an outlet that he actually remembered her saying that he touched her under her clothes. IMHO, that's not a minor detail that just comes back to you later.
8) Biden's penchant for inappropriately touching women's hair or rubbing their shoulders is well known by now. 7 women came out last year to tell stories about instances such as these involving Biden. In interviews with these women by the NY Times, however, none of them alleged that Biden's actions crossed the line into sexual assault. Tara Reade's allegation remains the only allegation of sexual assault leveled against Biden in his 50 year career.
Among other holes in her story. The post below does a good job of summing them up. I tracked down sources for each of his points as well, in case anyone is interested.
https://www.reddit.com/r/samharris/comme...dium=web2x
Reade's allegations deserve a full airing and investigation. However, that investigation cannot ignore the problematic and inconsistent aspects of her story.
1) She claims she made a harassment (not assault) claim against Biden to her superiors within Biden's Senate office, that she told multiple people at multiple levels within the office, and that meetings were held on the topic where notes were taken. Every individual at that office (21 in total) interviewed denied that this ever happened. She also claims she filed a complaint to the Senate Personnel Office, and that she filled out paperwork. There is no record of such a complaint.
2) Her story about the nature of the allegations has shifted.
- In April, 2019, when she first came forward publicly about allegations against Biden, she is quoted as saying:
Quote:He used to put his hand on my shoulder and run his finger up my neck,” Reade said. “I would just kind of freeze and wait for him to stop doing that.
Quote:Reade said Biden’s senior staff protected the senator. She was considered a distraction. Reade said she didn’t consider the acts toward her sexualization. She instead compared her experience to being a lamp.
Quote:“It’s pretty. Set it over there,” she said. “Then when it’s too bright, you throw it away.”
- Then in March, 2020, her allegations shifts to include the much more serious sexual assault claim involving digital penetration of her genitals. Considering the incontrovertibly sexual nature of this allegation, why make a special point previously to note that you considered his actions to be non-sexual?
- In an essay she wrote in 2009 about her experiences with domestic abuse involving her ex-husband, she wrote that she left D.C. to follow her future husband to the Midwest, where he was going to be working on a Congressional campaign.
- Then in 2018, she wrote that she left her D.C. job for the following reasons:
Quote:When I was in my early twenties and just out of college, I began my journey into politics. I left that political work behind a few years ago. I resigned my position and took myself out of the Washington DC beltway. Why? First, I started as an actor in classical theatre, an artist and writer before Washington DC. This work in the arts has always been my first love and best vocation. Second, I saw the reckless imperialism of America and the pain it caused through out the world. Third, I love Russia with all my heart. I love the people, the history, the culture and even my attempts to learn the language. I could not stand to watch the deception and xenophobia that came from my own American government. It is so sad and destructive to revile another culture or country for no reason but economic gain.
- After she went public with her Biden allegation, her story shifted yet again:
Quote:Then, I went to Senate personnel for help. No one helped me. I resigned or I would say, I was forced to resign. I was told to look for another job.
4) Reade's writings reveal other contradictions in stories she tells, which calls into question either her memory of past events or a penchant for embellishment. In 2009, she wrote this about moving to D.C. to take her new Senate job:
Quote:As the plane descended into Washington D. C., my Siamese cat, Cleo, meowed loudly from under my seat. Cleo had been through all my many moves, men, and a couple of Los Angeles earthquakes. As the lights of Washington D.C. reflected through the plane’s windows, the excitement of my new job as a Senate staffer lay ahead of me.
In 2019, this was the new version of that event:
Quote:I was beyond excited, I packed up my Nissan and cats, told my boyfriend goodbye and headed alone on the cross country drive to Washington D.C.
5) Reade's public sentiments regarding Joe Biden shift quite abruptly. In 2016, she's liking tweets wishing a happy birthday, retweeting others calling Biden the best VP in history. In 2017, Reade's twitter account retweets and likes various stories and tweets specifically praising Joe Biden for speaking out about sexual assault, and in one tweet says "My old boss speaks truth. Listen."
By September, 2019, after she has come out with the initial "non-sexual" allegations against Biden, she's publicly tweeting that Joe Biden should be investigated for Burisma.
6) I'm no Russophobe, but the things that she has publicly written about Vladimir Putin are downright bizarre. But more importantly, the timing for when her public sentiments for Biden change (see above) seem to coincide with the time at which her public sentiments for Russia and Putin change.
In 2017, she retweets and likes articles outlining Trump's links to Russia, tweets calling for Senate investigations into Russia's involvement in the Trump campaign, and criticizing Russia for legislation that decriminalizes domestic violence.
By 2018, her views on Russia have shifted drastically. In fact, "drastically" is putting the degree of her change in views lightly. She writes:
Quote:President Putin’s genius is his judo ability to conserve his own energy and let the opponents flail, using up their energy, while he gains position. Currently, President Putin has a higher approval rating in America then the American President, particularly with women. President Putin has an alluring combination of strength with gentleness. His sensuous image projects his love for life, the embodiment of grace while facing adversity. It is evident that he loves his country, his people and his job. Although his job may seem like in the words of writer, Elizabeth Gilbert on genius, “ trying to swallow the sun.” This is a whole lot to deal with for one mere mortal… President Putin’s obvious reverence for women, children and animals, and his ability with sports is intoxicating to American women.
I'm not trying to imply that sometime in 2017 Reade becomes a Russian sleeper agent or anything like that. But something very radicalizing seems to happen to her between 2017 and 2018, and that change in her worldview is when she also reimagines the reasons she left Washington D.C. behind and her views on her former employer.
7) Reade's brother gave shifting accounts of what he claims Reade told him, first telling the Post about "harassment", then later texting an outlet that he actually remembered her saying that he touched her under her clothes. IMHO, that's not a minor detail that just comes back to you later.
8) Biden's penchant for inappropriately touching women's hair or rubbing their shoulders is well known by now. 7 women came out last year to tell stories about instances such as these involving Biden. In interviews with these women by the NY Times, however, none of them alleged that Biden's actions crossed the line into sexual assault. Tara Reade's allegation remains the only allegation of sexual assault leveled against Biden in his 50 year career.