Only Joe Biden could end up speaking well of an infamous harasser at a women’s event.
While speaking at the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum on Friday, Vice President Joe Biden (D) praised the bipartisanship of former Sen. Bob Packwood (R-OR), who resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault.
“It was Republicans that expanded access to the polls. It was Republicans in the judiciary committee that did motor voter,” Biden said. “It’s Republicans that were involved. Guys like Mack Mathias and [Bob] Packwood and many others. It wasn’t Democrats alone.”
Packwood resigned from the Senate in 1995 as he faced the threat of being expelled from the chamber after 19 women accused of sexual harassment and assault.
Biden did not talk about Packwood as a great champion of women’s issues or mention the allegations.
This comes at the end of a week in which Biden apologized for using the term “Shylock,” a term to which the Anti-Defamation League objected. Hours after the apology, he referred to Asia as “the Orient.”
Watch the video of Biden below:
(Photo credit: YouTube)
Bob Packwood was a Republican
Dooh!
OK I’m not even sure this is remotely close to a face-palm moment for Biden. He was talking about Packwood’s record with progressive causes. Sure maybe not the best example for a womens forum, but the point that there used to be moderate Rs on some issues was the point.
It’s like Biden is TRYING to disqualify himself from running in a primary against Clinton.
If you’re trying to make a point about bipartisanship and exclude Republicans who’ve behaved badly, you’ll have a hard time making your point.