Joe Biden Expresses Regret to Anita Hill, but She Says 'I'm Sorry' Is Not Enough

[onit2day]

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden knew Anita Hillwas going to be an issue for him. So a few weeks ago, as he prepared for his presidential announcement, he reached out to her through an intermediary and arranged a telephone call, hoping to assuage her.
It did not go how he had hoped.
On Thursday, the first day of his presidential campaign, the Biden camp disclosed the call, saying the former vice president had shared with Ms. Hill “his regret for what she endured” 28 years ago, when, as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he presided over the confirmation hearings in which she accused Clarence Thomas, President George Bush’s nominee to the Supreme Court, of sexual harassment.
But Ms. Hill says the call from Mr. Biden left her feeling deeply unsatisfied.
In a lengthy telephone interview on Wednesday, she declined to characterize Mr. Biden’s words to her as an apology and said she was not convinced that he has taken full responsibility for his conduct at the hearings — or for the harm he caused other victims of sexual harassment and gender violence.
She said she views Mr. Biden as having “set the stage” for last year’s confirmation of Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, who, like Justice Thomas, was elevated to the court despite accusations against him that he had acted inappropriately toward women. And, she added, she was troubled by the recent accounts of women who say Mr. Biden touched them in ways that made them feel uncomfortable..."
Read more at: : https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/us/politics/joe-biden-anita-hill.html
This is something that we Democrats, as well as Sen Biden must confront as videos of the ordeal will surface. It's not just the words and actions but also the anger and attitude. What do you think?

[abqtommy]

1. It's Anita Hill's privelege

to hold a grudge and deny forgiveness. I personally do that to people who have not treated me as badly as she was. It's good to remind people that there are consequences to words/behaviors.

[LakeArenal]

2. It's her right to not accept an apology.

My right to say it’s enough for me and I’m ready to move on.

[George II]

3. I believe variations of this 5-day old story has been posted several times already. Biden has now..

...apologized several times, too. What are people who are dwelling on this looking for?

[WA-03 Democrat]

4. Sorry but Anita is not going to be o the ballot

Yes Joe acted as on would in the 80s

Save the country.

This is a condard

[cwydro]

31. A "condard?"

What?

[jberryhill]

32. This

It’s a condard.

[cwydro]

35. Is it a type of covfefe?

Or like a canard?

A condor?

A combination? A lying bird of prey?

[Honeycombe8]

36. Like "Three Days of the Condard"? nt

[onit2day]

15. What is that supposed to mean Biden may become our candidate & this will be foremost

So why would you make such a snide comment. 2 things the opposition party will bring up is Hill and War vote, then Bankruptcy bill. Go ahead and just ignore it if you want but cut out the personal attacks. I'm not the least bit desperate...I'm dying.

[crazytown]

6. Anita Hill.Anita Hill.Anita Hill.

That’s what voters come up and say to candidates. What are you going to do about Anita Hill?

Political class masturbation.

[Little Star]

7. He has accepted responsibility.......

and tried to make amends.

She has the right to her feelings of anger and also the right to not engage.

I have the right to judge his whole life and actions when I decide to vote. For me the good out weighs the bad by many, many, many miles.

[onit2day]

16. Well put little star.

[shanny]

33. Nearly 30 years later

and only when he is running for president in the era of #MeToo and (even more) Barf Kavanaugh.

Not impressed.

[LongtimeAZDem]

8. So what? Biden didn't harass her, he didn't vote for Thomas, and he did what he could to have

a fair and impartial hearing over a matter of an unsupported, unverifiable claim.

He has apologized more than he needed to, IMO, and to blame him for the Kavanaugh debacle is despicable.

I still have sympathy for what she went through, but it's fading rapidly.

[aikoaiko]

17. It appears that Hill thinks he could have done more as chair to call more people.

If I understand correctly.

[LongtimeAZDem]

23. Sure, but the FBI couldn't substantiate anything, and several witnesses said they hadn't seen any

such behavior.

So, if he had kept calling witnesses, Biden would have looked like he was on a witch-hunt to derail and African-American Supreme Court nominee. He chose not to do so.

[onit2day]

18. You must not have watched the hearings. All democrats voted no but as far as harassment

You really need to watch the hearing. I just hope we are not forced to with a republican attack ad. They will attack Joe's sensitivity.

[LongtimeAZDem]

22. I watched the hearing the first time around.

[awesomerwb1]

9. Hey Bernie fanatics...

how about we recycle this article from 5 days ago every week?

[MineralMan]

11. Oh, it will get repeated over and over again.

No question about it.

[LongtimeAZDem]

12. I wonder if Sanders will address the pervasive culture of sexual violence and harassment in his last

campaign, or if he'll just deflect the question and let his supporters attack the questioner. Again.

[onit2day]

19. It was not mentioned here. Why do you feel the need to attack Bernie supporters

This has nothing to do with my supporting Bernie so why mention his name in a NYT piece about Biden which is not an attack article. just informational. So many on this site suffer from Bernie derangement syndrome seeking to find any reason to attack him or his supporters. Maybe that's why you see this article as an attack on Biden. It isn't. Trying to demean it with "It's 5 days old..." and "recycle it " just shows a head in the sand bias. It should allow you to see that Joe thinks he made a mistake and is willing to apologize and change his behavior. But somehow you see it as a means to attack Bernie. Talk about being divisive and desperate. Biden is looking for ways to make it better for victims. Both Biden and Bernie are national leading candidates which is why we should be supportive of both. You don't see Bernie supporters bashing Biden yet it's daily for Bernie over petty reasons. It's why so many Bernie supporters have marked 'undecided' so as to avoid such petty bickering and attacks. But you will vote for Bernie if he is our candidate right?

[awesomerwb1]

24. I didn't read your post but the last two sentences (and my post was not an attack)

" It's why so many Bernie supporters have marked 'undecided' so as to avoid such petty bickering and attacks. But you will vote for Bernie if he is our candidate right?"

I am active online on different platforms and a TON of Bernie "supporters" are attacking the Democratic party. Wayyyyy too many are Bernie or bust. If it isn't Bernie, it will be trump who they will be voting for -again-. No thanks.

I have zero respect for some of the people Bernie has hired for his campaign...you know the ones who will instantly bolt to Stein's or whoever else's campaign that isn't Dem or Rep. And Bernie keeps attacking the Democratic party while he's running under their flag.

Cut your nose to spite your face at the expense of the planet. NO thanks. No, will not be voting for Bernie if he keeps up his attacks....but sure as hell will be supporting all Dems down ballot. (The state where I'll be in 2020 is blue through and through so my vote for Prez will not be missed one iota).

[ehrnst]

43. Indeed.

I see no evidence of the existence of "many Bernie supporters who have marked 'undecided'" on DU, let alone to "avoid such petty bickering and attacks."

I guess that's one way to rationalize and reject evidence that one is in a minority, and not the majority.

[ehrnst]

42. If that's true, why do you keep posting where "Bernie derangement syndrome" is so rampant?

Last edited Thu May 2, 2019, 10:11 AM - Edit history (1)

There are other places on the Web where you would find more lockstep agreement the candidate, and might be more comfortable.

What evidence do you have that the reason there are so many "undecided candidate" DU posters is that there are "so many" Sanders supporters wh are "afraid" to identify as such.

The Sanders2020 group seems to be a large and lively group, and not shy at all.

I think that it's wishful thinking on your part, based on the posts I've seen from the Sanders supporters here on DU. You'd like to believe that they are far more numerous than they are, so it makes sense that you would claim that, lacking any real evidence.

I'm seeing "petty" and "attacking" on DU as well - calling any questioning of Sanders on anything "Bernie derangement syndrome" for example.

[trueblue2007]

47. i am getting tired of reading this same attack thread. This is the 2nd or 3rd time now

it has been posted. Do not post it again please

[Demsrule86]

10. Hiding this.

[BannonsLiver]

13. I've lost interest in Hill's web of grudges

If she wants to accept great. If not, great. It’s not going to change anything either way. That is the harsh reality people who think (and hope) this issue will derail Biden’s campaign and boost their own candidate, should probably start coming to grips with. It’s just not going to work.

[MineralMan]

14. You really should self-delete the other copy of this in GD.

Really.

[onit2day]

20. You're right. I will.

[musicman65]

21. Let us move on

this was some time ago he said all that he should say.
No one is perfect,by any means,so let this cloud pass
It would seem the others running,would like to cut into him deeper,,,,Enough Already !!

[WeekiWater]

25. I truly don't care.

I take no issue with Hill not accepting his apology.

These are the attacks that are going to backfire on Biden. They are character attacks and no one questions his character. Truly a foolish way to come at Biden. It will only help him.

[LanternWaste]

26. an effective chum, yet it baits no one but those throwing it into the water.

No doubt, when the story first appeared, it was a concern to us all. Yet he stood in front of it and took the paper bullets as adults should.

But now, as the story simply gets told over and over (and over and over again), it's become nothing more than chum. Certainly a bizarre form of chum, as it baits no one but those throwing it into the water.







(this is where the irrational ask idiot questions like, 'don't you care about women's concerns?' or meaningless statements such as 'this makes us look bad, we're supposed to be better than this...')

[AlexSFCA]

27. GOP doesnt find sexual assault as disqualifying

whether it’s SC justice or president. It’s not an issue they care about.

[shanny]

34. And....we should aspire to be like them?

[LongtimeAZDem]

37. Of course not. Biden ran the hearings as fairly as he could, and voted against Thomas.

Are you suggesting he he finds sexual assault acceptable?

Some people seem to believe that Biden should have prevented Thomas' confirmation at all costs, fairly or unfairly. Basically, they're pissed of that he didn't act like a Republican.

[shanny]

40. His hands were tied.

Smells like leadership.

[Loki Liesmith]

28. Eh. Whatevs.

[Thomas Hurt]

29. Funny isn't it how this has been dug up and no one is revisiting Thomas' part in this

Let's keep the narrative on pointing fingers at the Democrat while Trump is still squatting in the WH. (smh)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

30. Old news.

[Honeycombe8]

38. Geez. This is getting old. Move on. Nothing new to see here. nt

[Jakes Progress]

39. This old white guy weighs in.

Last edited Wed May 1, 2019, 09:27 PM - Edit history (1)

This thread seems to be a Biden/Bernie fight. Meh.

I'm an old straight white guy too. I was around for the fiasco that put thomas on the court. I'm not a Bernie backer; he's way down on my list. But I think Joe has not come to show that he understands what he did. I remember watching the hearings and being pissed as hell. Then after thomas did the testimony that kavanaugh studied, the hearings were abruptly ended. Only a few days later did we learn the there were several women in the room next door who had come to Washington to support Hill and accuse thomas of the same thing. Several women. They were waiting to testify. They were surprised when the committee chairman ended the hearings and decided not to call them to testify. They were flabbergasted. Biden was that chairman.

Now I know it was another time. People say that about black-face governors and people who used to tell demeaning gay jokes. Meh. But, for me, Biden needs to show that he knows he really screwed up. Not "I'm sorry that I couldn't help" or "Sorry it was bad". He needs to know that he messed up. He owes an apology (and acknowledgement of error) to Hill, the women waiting in that room, and to the American people for letting clarence thomas sit on the supreme court.

I will definitely vote for Biden if he is the nominee. No candidate is perfect, even the one at the bottom of my post. But we don't do our party and our principles any benefit by ignoring stuff. I just want Biden to show that he gets it, that he understand what he did wrong.

I don't think this disqualifies him from being the candidate. If it did, I can think of a dozen things that would disqualify the other old white guy that is running.

Two cents worth from another old white guy.

[ucrdem]

41. The corroborating witnesses wouldn't have changed anything.

Except to make Biden look worse. Hill gave superb testimony as you probably recall. Apparently Specter gave her grief over some minor contradictions she had to walk back after lunch, the way nasty attorneys do, and Hill might have felt humiliated, but the world believed her, though supposedly the electorate was split. But the senate votes were what mattered and the porn store guy and the rest would only have weakened her case . Hill was treated courteously by Biden and kept her cool. She can hold her head high. And truth be told so can Biden.

[Jakes Progress]

44. You keep telling yourself that.

Biden screwed up. He was from an era of male white privilege. He needs to acknowledge what he did so that we know he won't be in a position to do it again.

How do you know that the collaborating witnesses wouldn't have changed anything. If you are robbed and it is only your word against theirs, but you also have 5 witnesses that saw them do the same thing, don't you think you would want them to be able to testify?

Biden thought he would look bad letting testimony against thomas go on after thomas gave his petulant tirade about being "lynched". It was the performance testimony that kavanaugh studied to rant for his SC seat.

Look. I like Joe. But let's not kid ourselves. He should show that he understands. Right now, I don't see that he does.

[ucrdem]

45. Because I watched Hill testify. She was completely convincing.

She didn't need a chorus and in the event, the chorus didn't want to sing, with good reason. Specter and Simpson would have ripped them into atoms. It wasn't necessary and whose vote would it have changed anyway?

[Jakes Progress]

46. Sounds like an excuse

that Joe might try to use. It's crap. And I think you know it.

Yes. I watch the hearing too. And after the chairman of the committee (you know who) let thomas do his crying game as the last testimony because he cancelled the other witnesses, we can never know how it might have gone.

Biden is okay. I like him. He is not the best candidate for our party. He isn't the best qualified candidate running. He doesn't have the temperament to be president in these times. But if he is the nominee, I will put my feet on the ground just as much as I did for Hillary and for Obama. I will never bad mouth him in front of the stupid people who are "undecided". I will be a Biden man. "Go, Joe, Go!"

But he screwed up badly in the thomas hearings. Okay. People screw up. But I would like my president to be someone who can honestly reflect on their screw ups, learn from them, and indicate that they have done so. I don't even want to think that he is the kind of guy who can't admit mistakes or, worse, is too self-absorbed to see that he made one.