Speaking at a Democratic National Committee event for women’s leadership Friday, Vice President Joe Biden gave a positive shout out to Bob Packwood, a former U.S. senator who was ousted from Congress following sexual harassment accusations.
Biden made his remarks at Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. The event was dubbed the Women’s Leadership Forum Breakfast.
Making the point that present day Republicans do not compromise with Democrats, Biden said the GOP was once “involved” with expanding voter access. “Guys like [former Maryland Sen.] Mac Mathias and Packwood and so many others,” Biden said. “It wasn’t Democrats alone.”
The Washington Post broke the story in the 1990s of several women who claimed Packwood sexually harassed them. Packwood resigned sometime after.
“So I’m not joking,” Biden said. “This is not your father’s Republican Party or your mother’s Republican Party.”
Biden’s ill-timed, Bidenesque comments come two days after having referred to Asian as “the orient” and opportunistic bankers as “Shylocks,” a term offensive to some Jewish groups.
Seriously, who lets this guy off-leash? I am now almost looking forward to this clown getting enough money to make a serious run at Hillary just for the theatrics. Between his constant bumbling and her shrill overreaction to everything, I’ll have enough material for five years. Elizabeth Warren will have to become a fake Native American juggler just to get stage time during the primaries.
Go, Joe, go!
UPDATE: BuzzFeed‘s White House reporter quickly ran interference for Biden on Twitter, pretty much saying Packwood’s support of Title IX makes the remark OK, despite all of the harassment and abuse:
re eyebrow raising @VP Packwood ref earlier at DNC wms event, Packwood was a sponsor of title IX (before other stuff) http://t.co/8pgfqwwMam
— E McMorris-Santoro (@EvanMcSan) September 19, 2014
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