'Me too' Biden hypocrisy should offend you too

I don't know if Joe Biden did it or not -- sexually assault Tara Reade, I mean. What I do know is that hypocrisy turns my stomach. You, too? So Me Too, please hear this.

The "believe every woman" Me Too folks do just that -- believe every woman -- if doing so helps their agenda. But they dismiss every woman who hurts their chances of hurting President Donald Trump's chances -- which is their ultimate desire, decency be darned.

It's the predictable double standard in politics, and it's disgraceful. How do you organize a movement and hold rallies under the guise of believing women, only to then not believe a woman who, to those paying attention, is, at the very least, credible -- certainly more credible than Christine Blasey Ford, who embarrassed herself with claims against now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh?

If you think I'm saying Biden did, in fact, assault Reade in 1993, when she was his Senate aide, reread my first sentence. So what, then, am I saying? Now, reread my second sentence. Look, I wrote a column some time ago dismantling the notion that we should believe someone just because she's a woman. That's ridiculous. Integrity has nothing to do with gender. Taking the woman seriously enough to investigate her story, yes. But believing her just because she wears a dress and heels is foolish and usually is merely a surrender of common sense for political expediency.

Tara Reade's case does suggest she's no Blasey Ford -- that she's on the up and up. At the time of the alleged incident, she apparently told friends and family about the attack from a "prominent senator." She even told her mother, who called in to "Larry King Live" about it. I guess we'll learn more as this unfolds. I'm not here to skewer Biden -- not yet anyway. Y'all can do -- or not do -- that. I'm here to do the wag of the finger and cluck of the tongue. What does it say when outrage concerning such allegations is based on who the accused happens to be? It says political agenda supersedes human decency. Take this as an example: Alyssa Milano -- activist, actress and Me Too missionary, who sees red at the mistreatment of women -- sees only gray when Biden is accused.

In an op-ed titled "Living in the Gray as a Woman," Milano wrote,

"As an activist, it can be very easy to develop a black and white view of the world: things are clearly wrong or clearly right.

[...]

"Except it's not always so easy, and living in the gray areas is something we're trying to figure out in the world of social media. But here's something social media doesn't afford us -- nuance.

"The world is gray."

So now, the world is gray. In all fairness to Milano, she did indicate in her op-ed that she's aware of new evidence and said, "I hear and see you, Tara." I hear and see you, but I love Biden (i.e., I can't stand Trump.) OK, I added that, but fair-minded folks know what's up.

Then there's House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, partisan extraordinaire. Is she believing every woman?

When asked at a press conference about the situation, Pelosi said, "I respect your question, and I don't need a lecture or a speech." She went on to say, "Joe Biden is Joe Biden." Well, all righty, then. And just who was Brett Kavanaugh -- I mean, other than an innocent man?

Then Pelosi, despite the "believe every woman" hypocritical creed, said, "I am so proud; the happiest day for me this week was to support Joe Biden for President of the United States." Well, isn't that ... special?

Biden himself finally spoke up on Friday, and Pelosi again voiced support for the man whom -- let's face it -- she was going to support anyway: "I am proud to have endorsed Vice President Biden," Pelosi said during a Congressional Hispanic Caucus conference call. "I thought that he dealt with it -- a complete denial, support for women."

Just be real, people. Just say, "There's reason to believe that Biden, indeed, may have pinned Reade to a wall and penetrated her with his fingers, but, well, honestly, I don't care because, you know, he's a staple around these here parts, and, well, Donald Trump has to go, and Biden is probably our only shot at that -- and even that is a long shot." Their foolishness is fooling nobody, so hypocrites need to come out of the closet and boldly admit they're hypocrites. After all, "Biden is Biden." In other words, "It is what it is," right?

Horrible accusations have been made about Trump's past, about Biden's past, about lots of folks' pasts. I don't believe or disbelieve based on politics or gender. Evidence matters. Me Too's biggest concern, however, is winning an election, not supporting decency. They might as well fess up because anyone with half an eyeball can see it, and whether Biden is guilty, anyone with half a heart should find the hypocrisy appalling. Do you? Yeah, Me Too.

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member.