Joe Biden finally selected Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate after months of speculation, even after the two sparred frequently on the campaign trail during Sen. Harris’s bid for the presidency.
Sen. Harris not only called Biden’s record on race problematic, but even sided with the women accusing the former vice president of sexual harassment and misconduct on the campaign trail in 2019:
FLASHBACK: Kamala Harris said she believed the women who accused Joe Biden of sexual harassment. She's now his running mate. pic.twitter.com/UU1cPW3mRI
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 11, 2020
Less than a year later, as her vice presidential prospects became more likely, Sen. Harris sided with Biden in the face of graphic sexual assault allegations from his former aide, Tara Reade, who alleges that then-Senator Biden assaulted her in the United States Capitol. Reade also alleges that she reached out to the campaigns of Sens. Harris and Warren for assistance, but was dismissed.
The newly-minted vice presidential candidate’s stance on the #MeToo movement is completely fluid. In the Fall of 2018, as then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh faced a blisteringly partisan confirmation process, Sen. Harris enthusiastically sided with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of misconduct, without any hesitation. Before both sides could even testify, Sen. Harris deemed Kavanaugh guilty and declared that everyone must “believe women” unquestionably. When asked about Reade's claims, Sen. Harris said that the Joe Biden that she knows is "somebody who really has fought for women and empowerment of women and for women’s equality and rights." When less-substantial allegations surfaced against a well-qualified, conservative jurist in line for a seat on the Supreme Court, she took the claims at face value and later called Kavanaugh's confirmation "a stain on our justice system."
Reade's allegations against Biden were much more detailed, and could be corroborated, unlike Dr. Ford's claims against Kavanaugh, but Sen. Harris joined the effort to run interference for Biden.
Now, as she is given an opportunity to effectively be the president, Sen. Harris abandons her own standard for dealing with sexual misconduct allegations. Rather than take a pragmatic approach, by letting both sides be heard, Sen. Harris gives selective attention to allegations, depending upon the political repercussions. Believe women, as long as doing so is politically expedient.