Apparently, Joe Biden’s advisers believe that the recent allegations against the former vice president about his inappropriate conduct towards women are being set up by the Bernie Sanders campaign. “Several around Biden think advisers to Bernie Sanders are at least partly behind the anti-Biden campaign. One prominent backer thinks Biden will run, and ‘is ready to kill Bernie,’” according to Axios. Apparently, Biden isn’t being deterred by the allegations from running for president.
Co-founder of Axios, Mike Allen, has stated that he received a text message from a close source of Biden’s, which read “VP directed staff this evening to reach out to supporters and donors with a simple message — full steam ahead.”
39-year-old Lucy Flores created negative media attention for Biden when she published an op-ed against him on Friday, which was titled “An Awkward Kiss Changed How I Saw Joe Biden.” In the op-ed, Flores accused the former vice president of inappropriate contact during a campaign rally in 2014 that he appeared at in support of her campaign to become lieutenant governor. Flores explained in the op-ed how Biden kissed her on the back of her head and smelled her hair. “I was embarrassed. I was shocked. I was confused,” she explained. Flores, who was a former assemblywoman for Nevada, supported Sanders’ in 2016 over Hillary Clinton.
When she made an endorsement announcement on Facebook, she stated that the American dream of the past is no longer attainable for most people, and the system that we currently have is set up to benefit the top 1 percent in the country. “I believe that now, more than ever, America needs a political revolution,” wrote Flores.
Flores denied that she made the allegations against Biden in order to increase Sanders’ chances of winning the 2020 presidential campaign. “To set the record straight, I haven’t endorsed any presidential candidate including Sanders. But even if I had endorsed someone, that doesn’t erase the multiple pictures, articles & the well known ‘open secret’ about Biden’s inappropriate behavior. This should have been addressed long ago,” said Flores in a tweet over the weekend.
Flores also created a tweet that showed a collection of pictures, which she said reflected “normal human interactions” that she had with other people, including former President Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, and Ilhan Omar.
Bill Russo, a spokesman for Biden, stated that the former vice president doesn’t have any recollection of ever kissing Flores on the back of her head in 2014. “Neither then, nor in the years since, did he or the staff with him at the time have an inkling that Ms. Flores had been at any time uncomfortable, nor do they recall what she describes,” said Russo in a statement made on Friday.
Russo also added that former Vice President Biden “believes Ms. Flores has every right to share her own recollection and reflections, and that it’s a change for the better in our society that she has the opportunity to do so.”
A second woman also came forward with accusations against Biden in regards to inappropriate touching. 43-year-old Amy Lappos said in an interview with the Washington Examiner on Monday that the inappropriate behavior happened while they were at a political fundraiser in October of 2009, as she was working as the congressional aide to Rep. Jim Himes. Lappos explained that Biden placed his hand around her neck and pulled her close to him so they could rub noses. “I thought he was going to kiss me on the mouth,” she recalled.
According to an average from RealClearPolitics, Biden has a seven-point lead over Sanders, which is approximately 22-29%. Following closely are Sen. Kamala Harris with 9.8% and Beto O’Rourke with 9.2%.
