There is deep irony that, because of the difference in the way the parties see the world and racial and gender issues, Anita Hill's testimony could ultimately do more damage to Joe Biden's career than to Clarence Thomas'.
There is deep irony that because Democrats are such purists, and despite Republicans claiming to be the party of conservatism and family-values morality, we get regressively worse Republicans in office.
Joe Biden bent over backward not to seem a partisan orchestrator of a "high-tech lynching" in Thomas' words, of a black man.
The Kavanaugh hearings were in many ways the opposite of the Thomas/Hill hearings, so it's odd Ms. Hill sees them as "setting the stage." She objects to Thomas testifying first; Kavanaugh testified after Christine Blasey-Ford. The Judiciary Committee, "all-white, all-male" in Hill's day, now had several female senators including two of color—all on the Democrats' side. And, but for Lindsey Graham whose soul apparently died with John McCain, Republicans left most of their questioning to a woman trained in interviewing victims of sexual assault.
Sadly the result was the same, the accused confirmed largely thanks to Republican support. Joe Biden, nobody seems to recall in these discussions, voted No on Thomas' confirmation, even though eleven Democrats (one of whom, Richard Shelby, is now Republican) voted Yes.
In 2016 Hillary Clinton was called to account for her husband's sins. This time, must Democrats pay for Republicans'?
6
He’s just too old. I am 79 and not half as capable as I was even 10 years ago. Joe should stay retired and keep his mouth shut. He may be morally superior to trump but that’s a low bar.
6
Though i believed Ms. Hill then, and now (and find Thomas to be a detestanle hypocrite), is this discussion really pertinent to the moment?
At worst, Joe Biden could be accused of bad judgement, along with the rest of the Congressional panel. That being said, Ms Hill now risks seeming petty and opportunistic, when this isnt about her but rather removing Donald Trump from office. She should have instead referenced the ckntinuing farce of the Thomas appointment and sai she would support whichever candidate selected by the Democrats. Instead, she chose a curcular firing squad.
4
There are crimes of commission and crimes of omission. Joe Biden is responsible for some of both, and they have led to monumental consequences.
If Mr. Biden had conducted Clarence Thomas hearing more fairly and given a chance for Anita Hill supporters to testify, it is possible that CT would not have gotten on to the Supreme Court. If that had happened, it is at least possible that several critical 5-4 decisions might have gone the other way, including: Bush v Gore, and Citizens United.
If that had happened, then probably:
- 9/11 may not have happened
- Iraq adventure may not have happened
- ISIS may not have happened
- Trump may not have happened
Who knows.. But this much we do. Joe is 76 years old. He should rest, step aside, and let the new generation take up the baton. The honest truth is that Joe is as much addicted to power as any other politician.
It is hubris to believe that you are the only one who can save the country. Have faith in the new generation and support them. At one point they lived in your world, now you are living in their world. Time moves on. Past generation must make way for the future.
8
Hard to deny everyday sexism when unconvincing language like "acted inappropriately toward women" replaces "attempted to rape one in college."
1
So Joe Biden calls Anita Hill to express “his regret for what she endured.” He says on The View “I’m sorry she was treated the way she was treated.”
Dude, really??!!
Admitting regret is NOT an apology. If you say “I regret that you were shot” you are working really hard NOT to say “I'm sorry I shot you.”
Why is it so hard for some people to understand that “expressing regret” is NEVER an apology?
13
OK...Biden was wrong, and many other Dems and GOPers were wrong...and it was almost 30 years ago. I am very supportive of Ms. Hill's position, but let's not pillory Biden when we still have a President who got a sexual predator on the Supreme Court, and has not had to backtrack on his "grabbing [whatever]" tho he is in charge of the country. There are so many wrongs that the Republicans have done, and yet the Dems always have to double down.
I understand why Biden doesn't want to go further. At the time he thought he was doing the right thing. Let's see what he does now and stop putting word requirements on those who have erred. BTW, I am not a supporter of his, as I feel there are better candidates. But it is time to set this to rest as a black mark on our history, but not an active attack from Joe.
5
@Mountain Dragonfly And no doubt he thought he was doing the right thing on criminal justice, on student loans, on the Iraq war, on inappropriately nuzzling women, and on, and on. At some point you have to wonder seriously about the guy's judgement, even if not his good intentions.
6
So Ol' Uncle Joe just clarified: he did NOT apologize. He was commiserating. He did nothing wrong, he says, he has nothing to apologize for, he says. All of his on "The View".
So Professor Hill was correct. There was no apology. And here are all these neo-liberals attacking her yet again for not "accepting his apology at face value." She did. Its face value was zero.
11
"... she says "I'm sorry" isn't enough. So what WOULD be enough? Is Ms. Hill acting to help the most fellow Americans or is she just acting out of revenge. A lot of people in the country have gotten and continue to get abused way more than her. Is she going to hand their rights over to Trump in order to express her bitterness?
7
If Biden can't bring himself to apologize for his actions, he really doesn't deserve to lead this country.
9
He should be apologizing to the nation for helping to put a notable mediocrity on the SCOTUS to replace a giant, Thurgood Marshall.
8
Joe Biden, The misled: Iraq war, Clarence Thomas, etc., now wants us to elect him as the leader. Sorry Joe.
Bob Newman
6
Not all of us older wiser Democratic women support Biden's run. His ideas are old and he is saddled with pride just like Trump. Being sorry for Hill's ordeal is not admitting that he had any fault in the matter. Putting off that apology until his third(?) presidential run shows a total lack of contrition and more of the same political calculations that made him responsible for failing to hear all the women, thereby ensuring Thomas confirmation, and Kavanaugh's. When will we get honest people in power who consider us all equal? Fed up with white male domination of our party. Biden, go home.
10
I keep hearing all this silly talk about Biden being the only one who can beat Trump—nonsense.
Not only is good ole boy Biden completely out of touch (except with women he is approaching from behind or touching foreheads or nearly rubbing noses), he is so repeatedly gaffe-prone he would soon shoot himself in the foot.
He hasn’t changed. And at his age he’s not going to change.
In fact it seems he’s running on squinty-eyed autopilot.
15
Great news photo by Mr. Lopez.
2
Me too, vs I'm sorry. Who wins, who loses?
2
Dear Joe Biden, we need a strong standard bearer to go head to head against Trump, win and correct the serious mistakes made by Trump and Co and lead this country.
It shows character when you can make a heartfelt apology to Ms. Hill. One that she accepts. Do it or go back to your well earned retirement. The Democratic Party will find a capable candidate.
4
Hill is correct to want more than an apology for women who are victimized by the system. Things have not changed, and will not change if women are not treated fairly. This has nothing to do with forgive and forget, or move on. Ever heard of repeating history if you don't learn the lesson the first time around?
3
I thought Biden was a better man than he's showing. His laughing off women who are telling him he made them uncomfortable is eye-opening. And now his ham-fisted comments about the botched Thomas hearings are turning this voter completely off. If it's him and Trump I'll hold my nose and pull the lever but he's not showing anything that would make me enthusiastic. Plus he's on the upper end of the age spectrum for a candidate - and his views of women aren't ripening very well.
6
I greatly admire Anita Hill and the composure she has shown over the decades since that travesty of a hearing to confirm Clarence Thomas. For me, even if Joe Biden apologized to her and the other women who could have testified (if he had let them) to add information to the workplace harassment that this man perpetrated, will do nothing to ameliorate the fact that Clarence Thomas should never have been confirmed. Both he, and Brett Kavanaugh should still face consequences for their lies and inappropriate actions.
8
@moodygirl. You forgot the fact that both Justice Thomas and Justice Kavanaugh were investigated and the baseless allegations were proven false. It never happened!
In the Twitter era it seems nobody ever accepts apologies anyway, so the smart thing to do is not apologise.
3
Oh please, I am so over all this outrage . The Anita Hill issues were horrible and yet 30 years later, no one blinked confirming Justice Kavanaugh! I believe Joe when he says he is sorry.
Ms. Hill didn't speak out against the last Supreme but yet chooses now to say something. I feel bad for all but I am not interested in this being a thing to talk about. Look who sits in the White House - non of his transgressions seemed to matter to those that voted for him.
7
I think this. If Trump wins in 2020, it will because the factions of among the Democrats adopted a MADD policy that wiped out the near term possibility of better health care, a fair approximation of large scale democracy in our three-branch system, addressing climate change, sensible immigration law, a system of alliances (domestic and international) that forestall economic decline.
6
While the apologies Professor Hill calls for from Joe Biden are important, the most important apology he should make is to the American people for saddling us with Clarence Thomas on the Supreme court for decades.
13
@Gary Ferdman
It is unfair to pass the collective guilt on one individual.
5
As an older white male from Pennsylvania who remembers the disgraceful 1991 hearings very very well, I can give Biden one piece of advice if he "wants to put it behind him": leave the race. Go home. Your day is past. All the older white people quoted in the article who defend him (and apparently want us to forget that he was the Chair of the committee) ought to realize that the future of the Democratic Party, and the winning combination against Trump, is not Biden. For everyone's good, including his, he needs to drop out, the sooner the better.
20
If these "progressive" extremists can't get past something that happened 30 years ago, the "future of the Democratic party" is 4 more years of Trump.
3
@Robert
No woman who accused Biden of inappropriately touching them years ago has called his behavior sexually motivated. Nonetheless, the moment he was made aware that it was inappropriate, he apologetically explained his faux pas, recognizing that in matters related to sexual harassment how the person at the receiving end feels about it is all that matters. True, some have found his apology and explanation inadequate. I am sure he is going to issue a whole-hearted apology. So, let this not be the reason for the demand that he withdraw from the race.
Re Anita Hill, yes, she did not get a fair deal at Clarence Thomas's Senate confirmation hearings, presided over by then-Senator Biden. And, yes, the outcome may have been different, and Justice Thomas may not be sitting on the Supreme Court now, if Biden has called more witnesses to corroborate Prof. Hill's accusations against Thomas. But when African-American Thomas played the race card, characterizing the hearings conducted by the all-white Senate panel as "high-tech lynching," Biden felt compelled to end the hearings fast. Remember, he did treat Hill with respect throughout her appearance. It was Republican senators, especially Orrin Hatch and the late Arlen Specter, who portrayed her as a liar. So, let not the humiliation that Prof. Hill suffered be blamed on Biden. Remember also that it's he who called Hill now and apologized for what happened three decades ago. She is willing to give him a second chance. Why not us?
2
For those who are confused about how Mr. Biden voted, he voted against confirming Clarence Thomas, not for.
12
So many judgemental people here throwing stones at Joe Biden as if they never did anything they did not apologize for in the past.
Yes, there is karma for everything. Joe Biden has his and everyone bashing Biden will get theirs in the form of more Trump.
By then it will be too late to say "I am sorry for enabling Trump."
Then you will deserve your bashing.
Democracy is not about the perfect candidate because we don't have any, male or female.
11
Now is the time to choose our person. Criticizing those we feel less desirable does not mean we end up with Trump. Basically most of our candidates are qualified, even Biden. But with so many choices we need not "settle". Any Democrat can beat Trump, if they promise healthcare and to not hate everyone. It's a low bar.
3
Carry on, Women of America!
-1960s: Men receiving Draft Notices, not able to plan their future the way women were. Women had more rights. No one in the Women's Movement demanded this inequality be corrected: "Men: Your're on your own, don't expect us to help!"
-1970s: Passing of the Equal Rights Amendment required the help of many men. ERA never ratified, brought down by Phyllis Schlafly. Women let this opportunity slip by.
-1970s: Women's Liberation. Result was "Ms.". Glass Ceiling remained, unequal pay for equal work remained. Women let this opportunity slip by.
-2017: 'MeToo' movement: Men are the enemy, have no right of due process. This is fine with women. Glass Ceiling and unequal pay for equal work continue. This movement is setting Women's Equality back a generation. Women making the most of this opportunity.
-April 2019: Anita Hill won't support Joe Biden, no surprise.
Women feel they don't have the power to make a change that would benefit the entire country. However, if the two parties had their conventions to nominate their respective candidates for president and then all the women voters had a convention and decided who ALL women would vote for, that candidate becomes president.
Another opportunity slipping by.
Next Up: The men will decide what women can do with their bodies and they'll end your right to choose.
Women of America, you can change things, will you?
3
Joe is an older white man. Nothing he could say or do that will assuage the vast amount of angry women. As a group there is certainly reason to feel angry about not getting your proper respect. This election should be about selecting the right candidate, regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, or sexuality. Period. That means don't blindly discriminate based on your personal opinion or learned bias.
6
"Why can't she just move on?" "She is just being a professional victim" "She is just helping Trump". Ms.Hill did move on. She did not become a regular on the pundit circuit.She has largely stayed out of the limelight. When the me too movement exploded the press came to her and asked her to respond. She did not thrust herself into this election cycle, Mr. Biden approached her and did it in a clumsy manner. Ms. Hill wasn't and isn't the problem.
161
@KJ Peters
I agree - that Anita Hill has, over her long career, been nothing if not a dignified, upstanding professional. I have always admired her, and lament that she once again is thrust into the limelight, thanks to Joe Biden's ham-handed, and way too late, attempt to cleanse his record from his behavior towards her in the Clarence Thomas hearings.
25
@KJ Peters
I agree that the problem isn't Ms. Hill. What happened is three decades ago, and she's now working for the conservative Hoover Institute, so she has a wonderful career.
The problem is rather that once again, the media will prefer to constantly write big headlines about her and Biden, instead of seriously informing ordinary citizens about Biden's women's rights record for the last three decades - which, as all women's rights organizations have confirmed, is absolutely fabulous.
By doing this, they are making the exact same mistake as when they focused 24/7 on Hillary's emails, allowing in this her opponents to massively cultivate cynicism. And when conservatives becomes cynical and a GOP candidate is so too, they feel fired up and vote, whereas when Independents and Democrats start to become cynical, they refuse to vote and stay home, thereby handing the election over to the GOP.
Just one example: this week the Trump administration decided to block a UN resolution that would condemn rape as a weapon of war.
And yet, the NYT simply interviews Ms. Hill and ends its article about Biden's women's rights record by letting her say that she doesn't know whether Biden is able to "distinguish himself from Trump on these issues". NO mentioning of Biden's real record, and no mentioning of what Trump is doing to the world on this issue.
That's NOT "fair and balanced" reporting at all. And once again, it will not stay without any consequences - for the US, and the world.
17
I like Biden a lot (though I think he's making a mistake running), but this seems a bit tone deaf. It's amateur-ish to think that this would would come across as anything other than opportunistic and insincere. 28 years go by and he chooses to apologize just prior to a POTUS run? And did he not think that announcing this wouldn't bring the press to Hill's door and that she'd give a less than positive portrayal of the issue (not to mention bringing attention to it)?
For his sake I hope the rest of his campaign is much less clumsy & awkward than this.
18
Based on the majority of comments here, the Democratics will not win back the White House in 2020. Democratic voters will never be happy with any nominee, and Trump,the worst candidate, is loved by his. Hope you’re happy with 4 more years of Trump!
15
Democrats have completely abandoned Anita Hill. They either abandoned her 28 years ago or they’re abandoning her right now
8
@Larry
Hill is a "distinguished" professor, much-wanted and well-paid speaker, and authority on . . . what? Being a martyr. She was wronged about the same way thousands --- male and female, young and old, white or non-white --- are wronged daily just for living in this modern age.
7
Yes! Anita, stay strong, demand what's right. Thank you.
11
Let's all remember here that Anita Hill is a spokesperson for one person - Anita Hill.
7
The Democratic Party has moved light-years past Joe Biden, and I doubt he will be able to catch up.
14
Joe has lost my support. I had no idea the past political vindictiveness of said Joe. I had hoped he would pull the country together but it looks like Joe will pull the party apart no matter his running mate.
I call for Joe to step down. Past actions have consequences and we are trying to right this ship of democracy. We need a role model, a worker and one that reaches across aisles, genders and races.
I call for Kamala Harris and Amy Klobachur to form a pact that whoever get the most support would be the presidential candidate and the other the vice-presidential. I want Elizabeth Warren high up in this administration to implement her ideas.
It will take a woman to beat Trump. White men (I am one of them) have messed Washington up. Joe messed it up playing hard ball politics with Clarence Thomas (who I hate for letting companies patent DNA: Monsanto).
Joe, even your message is off as you began. Just beating Trump is not enough. I've written you saying you needed to bring back civil mores to Washington (to rid the system of the blatant lying).
Klobachur and Harris are my favorites looking out toward winning.
Next the Senate: what should we do?
7
And incident from THREE DECADES ago? I felt badly for Ms. Hill back then because being on the receiving end of sexual harassment myself, I knew in my heart she wasn't lying. However, I feel sorry for her now because she can't let go of her angerver how she was treated. But since then Biden has shown he has gained understanding and empathy for women - that little thing called VAWA.
Growing up in the south I had racist ideas. And I was homophobic. People CHANGE. We should judge Biden as he is now, not how he was 30 years ago.
13
so the veep apologized to Prof hill. (about time. he never did it before?). how about apologizing to the rest of us who have been stuck Clarence T all this time. Not that the damage to Prof Hill was not consequential but consider the damage if good actions.
3
Biden owes an apology not only to Professor Hill
but to all Americans, not only for his unjust treatment of her but for his vote to make Clarence Thomas a Supreme Court justice, knowing, as he certainly did, that he was unfit in every way,. Not only because of his mistreatment of her but in every other way. As his subsequent career on the Court fully demonstrated. He's just a lousy judge. In every way.
9
@archer717J
Joe Biden did mishandle the confirmation hearing of Clarence Thomas but he DID NOT vote to confirm Thomas either in the hearing or when Thomas's confirmation vote was held in the full Senate.
7
The salient point is, what, exactly, does Joe Biden regret? His carefully scripted statements leave out all personal responsibility he had for her suffering, for the train-wreck of a hearing, for failing to stand up to the bullies and to give the allegations their due weight.
We could use a strong example of how to publicly admit having been wrong and having done wrong, thereby causing incalculable harm both to Anita Hill, but also to the honor of the United States. Every American child learns that owning up to errors and wrongdoing has to precede moving forward. I can't think of a single public figure with the courage to do this.
His "regret" statements are like the passive voice: they omit any reference to agency. I want to hear him say, "I did this, I was wrong and irreparable harm resulted from my actions. I have changed, and from the perspective I now have, this is how I would act.... and what I wish I had done." Until he expresses regret for what he did, and not just for how other people felt, I can't look to him for the leadership our country needs now.
14
The Anita Hill treatment was disgusting. But equally disgusting was his support for making student loan agreements unbreakable--no bankruptcies and even in death, the loans were collectable from co-signers. These guarantees made the for profit colleges a great bet--they could collect the money, not bother to educate and the loan companies would get paid anyway.
With the ability to claim bankruptcy, loan companies would not loan for sham educations because they know they wouldn't get paid back.
That was an un-American law--we're a country that believes one can make a mistake, be forgiven and move forward.
7
Fully half of the Democratic field of Presidential hopefuls have no baggage at all to deal with and you know why? Because they have no experience. I am surprised that Ms. Hill is apparently feeling so much pain from this episode that she can't recognize that times have significantly changed and Mr. Biden has apologized. That is something the current occupant of the White House would never do ... he views it as a sign of weakness.
5
@Eve Waterhouse While your last statement is certainly true, that doesn't let Biden off the hook for failing to take responsibility for his missteps after 28 years. In fact, he has a lot of 'splainin' to do for a lot of his actions and votes over the past 45 years. The issue isn't whether times have changed, but whether Biden has.
5
@Eve Waterhouse While your last statement is certainly true, that's not the issue. Neither is the fact that times have changed, nor Anita Hill's lingering feelings.
The issue is whether Joe Biden has changed. He's got a lot of 'splainin' to do for this and numerous other missteps over the past 45 years, and if he's not up to taking responsibility for them, he shouldn't be elected. And, I predict, won't be, even if Trump is much worse.
I’m sure Ms Hill is a fine person. She seems like one. It’s up to her whether or not she wants to accept an apology. No-one can force her too.
But compared to the issue of getting Donald Trump out of office, I’m afraid I just don’t care that much about Ms. Hill’s feelings about events 30 years ago.
What I do care about, very much, is that Biden is the candidate that can and will defeat Trump. Biden may not be a saint, but the current occupant of the White House is an actual devil.
5
When TV time is in the equation , she'll play this for all the attention she can get. Just like 28 years ago.
3
How about we treat Joe the same way he treated Anita Hill? It’s women’s turn now to stand in judgment. And too many of us don’t find him credible.
10
Hill made unsubstantiated allegations. There is no reason for Biden to apologize.
9
@No
"Unsubstantiated" because Biden cancelled the witnesses who could have substantiated them.
15
Unsubstantiated because she never filed a complaint, and even followed Thomas several times when he took new jobs.
4
Joe Biden encourages the "couch" vote. Stay home on the couch rather than vote for Biden, who STILL doesn't see the impact his behavior had on women because of the Hill hearing.
Clarence Thomas' roaring that the hearing was a "high tech lynching"? It surely was, with Anita Hill left twisting in the wind, while Geeche ascended to a seat on SCOTUS, despite the fact that the ABA found him to be a poor lawyer and worse judge.
10
@Katherine
That's absurd.
If you would be right, why is he called one of the strongest heroes of women's rights by ALL of the country's women's rights organizations ... ?
Just look at what you're doing here: judging a candidate's entire record and character all while refusing to examine that record, and instead start imagining that he only achieved ONE thing in his entire life, and that thing happened thirty years ago.
Trump and the utterly corrupt GOP didn't massively win the 2016 election (now destroying women's rights day after day - and just this week alone blocking a UN resolution, as ONLY country in the world, that calls for strengthening the access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for wartime victimes of rape) because of the Russian intervention and 24/7 Fox News fake news only.
The main reason why he won is because of the 60% of Americans who strongly reject the GOP's agenda, millions of them failed to do their homework and engage in proper vetting of Hillary or other Democrats on the ballot.
If "we the people" don't inform ourselves, and if we don't ACTIVELY question and verify our own instincts and prejudices, then we can't obtain a "government for the people". That's how things work in a democracy.
NO politician "encourages the couch vote". The Constitution gives each and every citizen the power to make that anti-democratic decision for herself.
Not voting when Biden is the nominee means actively deteriorating women's rights, at home and globally.
5
Maybe if Joe Biden removed Clarence Thomas from the Supreme Court she could forgive him?
4
So what's her advice, in that case?
She went on having a great career, and works for the very conservative Hoover Institute.
Did she vote for Trump or Republicans in 2016 and 2018?
If yes, she's actively supporting an administration that constantly destroys women's rights - this week once again in the UN, as we've all seen.
And she's attacking one of the best and most experienced and talented Democratic candidates out there, who according to ALL women's rights organizations today is one of their "strongest heroes" because of how hard and how effectively he fought to advance women's rights both at home and globally, and both as a Senator and as a VP.
Why isn't the Times putting her words into context here?
When you compare three decades of women's rights records, and you first look at Trump and then at Biden, there's no way to answer the question "Whoever Democrats choose as their nominee must be able to distinguish himself or herself from Mr. Trump on these issues, Ms. Hill said. But given his history, she was asked, does she think it will be difficult for Mr. Biden to do that?" ... the way she just did: "I don't know".
WE know. All the objectively proven facts are out there.
Except for ONE mistake three decades ago, Biden CONSTANTLY did the exact opposite of what Trump did, for decades now, when it comes to women's issues.
How can Anita Hill be seen as an expert on these issues, if she doesn't even know this, let alone congratulate Biden for what he did since then?
8
@Ana Luisa. Condoleeza Rice works at the Hoover Institution, not Anita Hill. There's more than one successful black woman out there.
9
Biden waited to say sorry for 28 years...until about a month before he launched his Presidential campaign ? And he still thinks that, as committee chairman, he did everything he could back then ?
No wonder Ms. Hill isn't impressed.
10
@Oriole And Anita Hill waited 10 years to complain about Clarence Thomas ONLY after he was nominated to the bench?
No wonder I am not impressed with you or Anita Hill.
If Anita Hill doesn't like Biden's apology, she can get in line to wait for Trump's apology to women.
Biden isn't perfect but neither is Anita Hill.
7
We can do one of two things. Either we can keep fighting the wars of the past. which is the biggest waste of time in the world, or we can look to the future and try to build a better world. Miss Hill wants to keep fighting the wars of the past and that is exactly where she is stuck..in the rearview mirror. Mr. Biden has the future on his mind and his wheels are moving forward. It's very familiar to the way it always plays out between republicans and democrats. D for drive. R for reverse.
8
A conservative male lawyer is nominated to the Supreme Court. Confirmation hearings go relatively well. The nominee is poised to be confirmed.
At the last moment charges of sexual improprieties are brought forward by the nominee's political opponents to threaten the nomination. A hasty FBI investigation finds that no crime was committed, and that there is no evidence to support the charges brought by the female accuser.
Even so, nationally televised hearings are held. They become a spectacle, but do nothing to settle the issue. Both sides remain aggrieved. The nominee protests strongly, and is confirmed, but barely. The accuser does not forgive, and her supporters do not forget.
The pattern repeats. First decades ago with Anita Hill, and again just last year with Christine Ford. The same thing. Political posturing instead of rational consideration. Committee hearings turned into reality television.
We need to do better.
8
Biden's record pre-Obama is everything Dems don't want. The treatment of Anita Hill is just one example. He represented the corporate business interests of Delaware, not what's good for the American people. He allowed banks to take advantage of consumers and has cozied up to Dow chemicals in the past. There are better choices out there.
6
On the on hand, I have tremendous sympathy for Anita Hill. Not only was she completely shoved aside and disrespected, the current administration has signaled that it would love to return to those times with shows of disrespect for women and women of color.
That said, at some point you have to look at the bigger picture, and a democratic president will simply be better for women and minorities in general. No one is perfect, but in spurning Joe Biden, Anita Hill may be killing the best chance of eliminating an incredibly anti women's rights administration.
6
Will Anita Hill become a tool for the republican party now? What a weird world we live.
3
@Robert
Now?
She's working for the ultra-conservative Hoover Institute for years already ...
And exactly in the week that the GOP decided that America should be the ONLY country in the world blocking a UN resolution that increases access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for women who during wartime were raped ... she decides to attack Biden, who for decades now has championed women's rights legislation.
When asked whether Biden distinguishes himself on this issue, she, a lawyer who perfectly knows how to fact-check, instead answers "I don't know", and then even has the guts to add that he should "step it up".
NO denouncing of what her own party is doing to women AT ALL.
Even worse than that, the Times just lets her say no matter what she wants to say, without putting things into context, which of course leads to tons of cynical comments in the comment section, that do nothing to help us create a more perfect union.
THIS is how we got Trump in 2016.
The media don't seem to have learned anything.
1
@Robert Very good point.
1
@Ana Luisa. You are confused. First, Anita Hill and Condoleeza Rice are not the same person. Second, Anita Hill did not suddenly decide to "attack Biden." She was quietly minding her own business when Joe Biden decided to issue this non-apology and drag her back into the spotlight. Mr. Biden started this brouhaha all by himself - Ms. Hill did not start it and neither did the Times or any other media outlet.
1
Maybe Anita Hill and the MeToo's should be pointing their discontent at Clarence Thomas and ask him to step down from SCOTUS.
5
Joe Biden is a fraud and this forced omission of a apology is proof positive. Joe is a puppet for the moderates who wants it to stay status quo in politics. with old white men being in charge. Joe is exactly what is so wrong with the Democratic Party. Joe is not what this party needs and the party should move on. He as been in politics way to long. U can not teach an old dog new tricks.
3
Never Biden. Start the campaign against lameness now.
4
I find it difficult to accept that an insensitive act of 28 years disqualifies Biden and agree with Hill that it should not.
But using him as a pinata until he apologizes to the satisfaction of Hill, Me Too and even those unborn at the time of Thomas hearings is simply gross excess. The same kind of excess that boo'd Bernie when he couldn't spontaneously elaborate a policy to the satisfaction of an all female audience. The same kind of excess that ran off Franken.
It is more than dismaying to me that genuinely good and sympathetic male, democratic candidates are trashed by a near fanaticism while the emperor of sex discrimination and predator in chief sits in utter joy at the spectacle.
Lost in the modern charge of the Valkyries to immediately right all historical wrongs is that the very male political victims they now pillory are very likely the only ones capable of defeating Trump. And with it threaten to defeat the very changes that they seek.
Disqualification by age similarly victimizes experience. And lest we forget, the shrill newbies who would outs the genius of Pelosi now sit in adulation.
Whether Joe Biden emerges as the candidate against Trump should depend on how he emerges from the battle, testing how he intends to govern and represent against the rest. Can we leave it at that? I'm not crossing any fingers.
7
In reading comments both in this and other articles, one should always keep in mind the likely possibility that Trump's people are busily trashing the person they actually think is most likely to beat Trump in 2020.
5
I think it's time for Dr. Hill to move on. If she's been watching any of the hearings she would see that you can't reign in the #CorruptGOP, they go low, lower and lowest.
2
I’ve listen to Biden and seriously considered him in accordance with my values...my answer is an absolute no.
The photos of him acting like a praying mantis attacking people’s heads is too much for me.
7
Is this going to become the "her emails!" of the 2020 election then? Along with Warren's DNA test and whatever else Dems can focus on and tear themselves up over? All while the most despicable person ever skates along in office, unscathed?
Yeah, I thought so.
3
Where is Judge Thomas in all this? Is it Joe Biden who was the subject of Anita Hill´s allegations? I think this is some how misdirected as the person himself Anita accused of the acts sits somewhere else comfortably.
5
The Dems shammed Al Franken out of office to take the high ground when it comes to harassment issues. Biden has not only been handsy" with women but has yet to deal directly with a very important issue(Anita Hill) to Dems. Politics has changed in the last several years. Biden can't win the presidency living in a past political culture. The media and the voters expect more. Look what the media did to HClinton when she would dance around certain questions(Oh those emails). WAKE UP OR WALK AWAY... JOE.
4
Injustices deny justice and regardless of against of to whom the injustice falls, it is impossible to repair the damage done. The truth s that we will always see and hear women's testimony against men backed by power abused verbally and threatened. If that is to be stopped, then any and all attacks ought to be punished, lest we will never know the true extent of the problem. Next time, hear every single individual who may be a witness of the alleged misconduct, etc. Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone or entity who would attempt to threaten or allege that a witness' testimony is not true. [Notice I said entity because under the law it seems that corporations are like human beings.]
1
Everything that Biden was now being attacked for, from dismissing Anita Hill to supporting the war in Iraq to repealing Glass Steagal, was supported and / or endorsed by other powerful Democrats, including a president.
The only way to not make a mistake in judgment is to never make a decision about anything.
It is time to move on.
6
Ms. Hill, Thank you for standing up and saying sorry is not enough. If Democrats are serious they should expand the number of Justices and nominate you for the Supreme court.
2
Everyone seems to be pointing to Biden's mistakes and how he regrets them as a reason not to support him. I hate what he did to Anita Hill. I hate that he contributed to Clarence Thomas being on the bench. But I also know he has learned from his mistakes. He's a wonderful person, with a very long track record of compassion and integrity. The younger pack has the advantage of not being in positions of authority high enough to make really tough decisions. Biden has. I like all of the Democratic candidates, and I'm not sure who is the best bet, but no one should dismiss Biden. He has more experience than anyone, and he's exactly what we could use right now - a genuinely good person.
5
@Jason
You say you "know he has learned from his mistakes." I wonder how you could know that.
Wasn't it just the other day that women he had made uncomfortable with coming up behind them and seizing their shoulders and/or smelling their hair mentioned their dislike of that behavior? "I get it, I get it," he claimed.
But then, a few days later at some kind of event, he JOKED about having permission from a man and a little boy to hug and touch them.
Imho, he doesn't learn from his mistakes. His non-apology to Anita Hill was about "his regret for what she endured."
Yuck. The president who will be expected to clean up after the liar-in-chief will have to speak plain English and use the active voice.
I don't hate Joe, and I will vote for him if it comes to that, but there's something smarmy about him. And he's too old.
2
I watched the hearings in 1991 as a young working woman in what was very much a man’s world. I was appalled, but not surprised. We have evolved (some) since then, but much work remains to be done. I am 60 now. For the sake of our nation, it’s time to stop fighting old battles and move forward, together. I’m good with Joe Biden’s apology. I’m ready to move forward. If we do not win this election, I am deeply afraid for the fate of our nation. It’s time to come together. I’ll gladly vote for Joe if he is the chosen candidate.
7
She doesn't think it is disqualifying, but she's happy to offer copious amounts of criticism as to why his outreach & apology wasn't enough? I am *so sick* of people putting their personal grievances ahead of the health of the country. While Hill was treated horribly decades ago and deserves a mountain of apologies from everyone who played a part, this news was deeply disappointing to me. She just comes across as a perfectionist holding a grudge, and impossible standards for men to meet. If you refuse to forgive a decent man like Biden -- yes, yes, he has many flaws but he is overall decent -- regardless of what is at stake for the country, you just come across as bitter.
8
@Jessica Mendes
What “impossible standards”? He calls her right before he announces his run for the presidency to apologize, but doesn’t apologize. He just now realizes he mismanaged the committee?
2
I appreciate the renewed derision of Biden’s treatment of Anita Hill, but at least Biden has and now is still showing that he regrets the way she was treated. In fact, this very newspaper treated the issue in 2008 the day Biden was selected by Obama to be his running mate.
https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/biden-and-anita-hill-revisited/
In the comments of that article, this comment by brklyn says it best:
“Look, Biden has a long record in the Senate. He will have made mistakes, as everybody probably would.
But one thing about Biden (and I wasn’t a fan of him in the primaries) is that he WILL admit when he’s made a mistake. He showed regret in regards to Anita Hill/ Clarence Thomas. And he’s recanted his Iraq vote pretty early on. He said straight out that he blew it.
That said, better that he looked at all the available evidence at the time. Hillary didn’t even bother to read the intelligence report. Better that he admitted his vote mistake. Hillary still hasn’t.”
That is a quantum leap forward compared to what we have now. Democrats need to see the whole picture and they should not let this mistake torpedo Biden’s campaign.
6
It seems ridiculous to even be considering Biden when there are so many perfect women to select from.
6
Senator Biden wasn't Ms. Hills abuser Justice Thomas was. Eleven Democratic senators voted to confirm Justice Thomas, none of whom were named Biden.
10
Besides failing to give Professor Hill the time and respect she deserved, Biden allowed Clarence Thomas to be confirmed to the supreme Court for a life term. We're all living with those consequences, Mr. Biden. How different America might be with a moderate judge. "Erotomania," indeed. My blood still boils. We are clinging to something that happened in the past, but are reminded of your impatience to end the hearings every time a radical conservative judgement is handed down.
5
Discard the Dem most likely to beat Trump over this old stuff? Perhaps some of you folks would be happy in a theocracy. And before you puff yourself up with self-congratulatory morality and pride of principle remember what happened to It's Time for a Woman in 2016. Also, if you have some spare time go out and speak to people not in your circles.
7
Why is this even a story when you have Trump sitting in the WH? Until and when Trump apologizes for and to the women who have accused him of misconduct, until and when the Senate holds Trump responsible for all the damage he is doing to our democracy, I don't care what Anita Hill or any other person has to say about something that happened 28 years ago. Also, why bring this up now that Biden is running and not when he was Vice President. This is nothing but more trash.
6
I'm a lifelong Democrat who is sick and tired of these 'politically correct' revisionists. Look back at the past and learn the lessons. But punishing a decent person because you have a piece of hurt in your own heart makes you only marginally better than the GOP haters. It says volumes about these people who continue to expect reparations for the injustices of the past while forgetting that what good remains in our society is being viciously torn down by TRULY evil Republicans. I pity people who let their youthful emotions destroy the present. They truly are pathetic.
8
Anita Hill is a professional Victim.
She can never forgive the horrible things that happened to her .
Or she goes Pufffff and disappears from the media. A fate way worse than anything Biden did.
2
@Glenn
So I guess you're okay with 20 years of the horror of Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court because the Senate chose to take the word of a man over that of a woman and refused to call corroborating witnesses to her story.
2
@Glenn
Why should she forgive when Thomas never apologized, she was smeared by the Republicans who have never apologized and Biden only apologized now when he wants to be president. Feel entitled much?
3
It's not hard to imagine what the right-wing ghouls will do with this fodder. Dems really need to avoid that flaming hot mess.
1
And now will the NY Times please do a full and comprehensive article on the positive accomplishments of Mr. Biden?
And when that is done, would you please print a similar article on the accomplishments of the other Democratic candidates?
4
@LauraF
As a Democrat I would prefer comprehensive articles on all the nominees.
1
@Veronica
You're right; let's have a good long look at all of them.
I can't know what Biden was thinking during the Thomas hearings nor can I know if he believed Anita Hill. I do wonder if the reason Biden stayed away from Thomas' conduct was to avoid raising the stereotype of black men as sexual predators. For decades in the US, this stereotype was used to justify murder, lynching and imprisoning black men.
5
Biden voted against Thomas, so that is insightful. Very true of black male stereotype, I think that was on Biden’s mind.
2
Judging from comments--not only circular firing squad--but lies inside another firing squad that ensures if first firing squad misses each other the outer will get them all........Trump desperate for power has network...........
1
So Anita Hill will get Trump elected by not accepting Biden’s apology. All of you Biden Bashers prepare for 4 more years of Trump. Biden is the only Dem who can beat Trump. You will have no one to blame but yourselves!
5
@Gerry B
Biden doesn’t have a chance to beat Trump. Two failed presidential campaigns and a gaffe machine is what Biden offers. The Republicans would LOVE for Biden to be the nominee. There are better candidates in the running.
2
@Veronica--You need moderate who's reach is Obama comparable--Biden comes closest--Name candidate that's better?
2
The past is the past it cannot be changed just don't repeat the same mistakes.
3
I wonder how many people here actually watched the entire hearing at the time? Biden voted against Thomas and did his job. I would have to watch it again maybe.
1
Joe Biden's expressions of regret would be acceptable if he did it 25 years ago and not a week before announcing he was running for President, once again. Why all the press for Joe Biden. Sen. Harris, Warren, Booker are much better candidates with fresh ideas and no baggage.
7
@Julia Anita Hills' accusation would have been more believable if she had leveled them ten years earlier before Thomas was nominated. Anita is NO different than Biden.
2
Joe Biden had plenty of time to apologize to Anita Hill.
As recently as a few months ago, he dodged a question from Judy Woodruff of PBS when she asked him if he had apologized to Prof. Hill.
Clarence Thomas has been sitting on the Supreme Court for the past 27 years, passing judgement on matters important to women. That's the lasting legacy of this injustice.
Sorry. Too late, Joe.
8
@Goldbug Wrong. Joe voted against the Clarence Thomas nomination.
Anita Hill was too late in complaining about Clarence Thomas and the sexual harassment that allegedly occurred more than ten years earlier.
While Joe Biden’s recent apology to Anita Hill sounds lame, it’s worth remembering that Senate Republicans did most, if not all, of her egregious questioning. I think it quickly became clear that Thomas would have the votes for a narrow confirmation. It was he-said she-said at a time when such accounts were easily ignored, particularly involving African Americans. And Republicans really wanted to exchange Thomas, a barely qualified black conservative, for Thurgood Marshall.
But that should be far from the end of the story. There’s plenty of reporting that Thomas lied multiple times during his testimony. That alone is grounds for impeachment. As many people know, there were several women available to corroborate Anita Hill’s account at the time, and more have since been uncovered by reporters (see below). Thomas has also been accused of sexually harassing others since his confirmation, with at least one reported case from 1999.
lmpeachment should be on the table for both Thomas and Kavanaugh. Both are probably guilty of serious violations of judicial ethics, perjury, and misbehavior. Getting angry about Anita Hill’s treatment or Christine Blakey Ford isn’t enough. It’s well past time to make things right on the Supreme Court.
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/02/the-case-for-impeaching-clarence-thomas.html
6
I am still trying to figure out whether Biden’s failure to fully apologize for this and his boundary violations is a sign of sincerity, political calculation at the expense of integrity, or just lack of remorse.
I remembered Anita Hill.
I will NOT vote for Joe Biden.
5
Weepy, touchy Joe Biden should be finally turned out to pasture and the gate welded behind him. It's time now for younger, smarter, stronger leaders to occupy the presidency, and save American democracy.
4
Check Buzzfeed to see that Joe Biden is one of the founding fathers of our student debt crisis.
2
At 76, Biden should know what constitutes an apology. “I am sorry for my wrongheaded thinking.” “I was wrong and my mistakes were especially serious given my influence.” “I ask your forgiveness, but I understand if you can’t forgive me.”
And, waiting all these years to issue these passive regrets for “what you endured.” Political expediency? Shame on you, Joe Biden.
5
I did not follow the Thomas confirmation hearing, but I did read that Republicans & George H. W.Bush wanted a Black man on the Court and Thomas was not considered qualified enough by professional associations. Biden was not solely responsible for his confirmation. Nobody is perfect even Anita Hill herself. Why was this can of worms opened? All of the Dem. candidates are flawed and have made mistakes and it's not too hard to find them. If they haven't made any they have been living in a cave somewhere.
1
She has a Yale law degree and is a Professor at Brandeis University. Appointing her to replace Clarence Thomas on the U.S. Supreme Court would certainly go a long way . . .
9
Anita Hill's rejection of Biden's outreach went beyond his role in the Thomas judicial hearings, alluding to his "inappropriate touching" of women who were uncomfortable. None of that is a disqualifier. If it was, Hillary Clinton would be president.
Gerald Ford was a caretaker president when we needed one. I believe Joe Biden could fill that role as well, and without any pardons for his predecessor.
3
How "political" of Biden. The only real change we can expect from him is a policy or plan that will hurt him if he doesn't get behind it. That's not leadership. That's not civil service, that's self-service. No, Joe. This country needs more than Mo-Joe.
2
I understand Ms Hill’s life long resentment and anger from the whole debacle of the Thomas hearing and his wrongful confirmation. I remember it well and at the time was sadly dismayed at the way she was treated. But, Mrs Boxer has it right. Biden has evolved and he is the only one who can defeat Trump. Comparing Biden to the vile deceitfulness of Trump who would never admit concede or even discuss a lie or misstep of his own and who does not show any humility or wisdom of age makes him a kind of angel of hope. We must look at the big picture and make Trump a one term or less president. This is actually an emergency in the light of our most pressing issue of our time global warming. Given that we still have the electoral college and millions of peoples votes in populated states dont count like mine we need big name recognition as well as someone who will will hit back in a dignified way which is already happening. Trump simply doesn’t have the inner core to be a decent person instead he soothes himself with name calling and lies. In the end he becomes a cheap monster. Compare that to Biden. I am very sorry for your pain Miss Hill and the whole of gender violence which must be addressed but it is not the overwhelming issue. Trump is.
3
Ms. Hill had her day to speak. I believe her story and would have preferred Judge Thoma not serve. However, I choose to look at all candidates' policies and not cherry pick issues. I beieve Senator Biden has learned over time and I won't dismiss him becasue Anita Hill won't forgive him.
2
I find it troubling that Mr. Biden waited 30 years to recognize publicly his mishandling of the interrogation of Ms Hill during Mr. Thomas’ confirmation hearing to the the Supreme Court.
He is a product of that generation of males entitled to supremacy and unquestionable righteousness when confronted by a woman’s bringing to light sexual harassment by one of their own. His bringing up an apology as he is seeking the Democratic nomination smacks of opportunism and self serving remorse 30 years later.
I would vote for him if he were nominated because I want Trump gone, but I would much prefer Elizabeth Warren to be the Party’s nominee. She is a fresh voice, a smart legislator with real programs and a clear agenda whom I can support. Biden? Same old same old good old boy politics.
5
Joe Biden was wrong. As a Republican who will once again vote for a democratic president, I can say with assurance that I won't be voting for Joe. Too many strikes against you, Joe.
2
Biden should not have apologized. It is Anita Hill who should apologized for making a false legal claim against Clarence Thomas, a claim that never would have been upheld under Title VII even if she made factually accurate statements. She had no legal claim and Biden and his judicial committee did the right thing in calling her out.
3
Good for her. I'm glad she stood up for what is right. Biden only reached out in hopes of political gain.
3
The Dems would best move on from this candidate ASAP, or they risk get into a fog of controversy over this candidate.
4
@Bart
Too late. The front and center article on the page of this paper is a live article of Biden's interview on a morning tv show.
What about that deserves any fanfare?
He's got baggage miles long. This will not end well.
3
Joe Biden acts like the guy who witnessed a car accident talking to the pedestrian victim, not like the guy who was driving the car that hit her. There is absolutely no acknowledgement by him of his culpability in what happened to her in that hearing. He was the chairman, he decided who got to testify, and purposefully barred other women Thomas had harassed from testifying, he allowed crude and intrusive questioning of Ms. Hill, he allowed that hearing to become a car wreck. He held the gavel; he drove the car.
4
Anita Hill was angry because Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court as a Justice. This was not supposed to occur. Many felt that Clarence Thomas was being singled out for the sexual harassment accusations because he was a conservative. The liberals wanted to keep him off the Court so they took this route. This was their aim but there was not enough evidence to stop Mr. Thomas from being sworn in as a Justice. She has never forgiven Joe Biden for not taking her side. There was just not enough proof against Justice Thomas so he was confirmed.
Even today Justice Thomas is belittled and mocked for his conservative beliefs. He is a brilliant man who deserves to serve now as he did back then.
3
@KMW Joe Biden voted against Clarence Thomas.
1
Hmmm -- I was always on Anita Hill's side until I read this. The bad guy is Clarence Thomas who also happens to be a not very great Supreme Court justice. Now Anita is showing herself as maybe not so deserving of my support. The problem with Joe Biden is that he has too much experience. There are many years of recorded experiences, some of which will now bite him. However he is basically a man of character and, I believe, the man with the best shot to get rid of a terrible President. So sorry Anita but you are about to step on your own history with your simmering resentment.
2
Punishing Biden For the Anita Hill fiasco would be like punishing me for things I did in high school, I like Biden, have changed since then and nothing will be gained.
1
If Biden is smart, and serious, he will take this leaf of a tattered olive branch and heed to Anita’s advice - and move the campaign discussion for respecting women now and into the future.
And ensure that ‘he said she saids’ at this level are given full disclosure.
Kavanaugh hearing - grasley would not take the time to respect Bookers request of information.
2
There have been a lot of comments on here asserting that there was nothing Biden could have done differently to treat Anita Hill more fairly in the Thomas hearings. I hope the folks who assume that will read this article in today's Washington Post, and rethink their assumption: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/joe-biden-was-in-charge-of-the-anita-hill-hearing-even-he-says-it-wasnt-fair/2019/04/26/a9a6f384-6500-11e9-82ba-fcfeff232e8f_story.html?utm_term=.3268fb2a0057
3
To assume that human emotion follows rational trajectories punctuated with our temporal needs is our biggest folly. What is the meaning of an “apology” to a destroyed Anita Hill after all these years?
4
This is the same place this story was yesterday. Are you just trying to rub Biden’s nose in it? The more I see this bias the more I’m even more prone to give him the benefit of the doubt considering the era. I did watch the hearings at the time and found Hill credible, although I don’t remember just how much Biden played in the final decision and I’m not certain why he should apologize, but then you didn’t really go into that, did you?
2
This article focuses on Biden’s apology and Hill’s response. I read an excellent article this morning in the Post about the details of how this hearing played out, in public and behind the scenes.
“Joe Biden was in charge of the Anita Hill hearing. Even he says it wasn’t fair.” by Elise Viebeck
Although I watched much of those 3 days, I wasn’t aware of all the details. Sobering. Biden was caught between a rock and a hard place and made some key mistakes. He tried to be fair to everyone but wasn’t fair to Hill because Republicans outmaneuvered him (and the other Dems) by being united and truly awful.
If Republicans had responded by being decent human beings in their questioning would we even have this controversy? I doubt it.
5
In this case, "'I'm sorry' is not enough" is a trivial response. Trivial in the sense that a Presidential candidate with a problem from the past would of course have to PROVE that problem no longer exists, in terms of current behaviors. However, how does one know the candidate has truly reformed for real until they're in a position of real power (the Presidency, or whatever) from which their actions can be judged? Politicians are good and deciphering what they SHOULD say.
Biden could say all the right things, and even believe HE believes them when he says them, but nothing proves thought like real action. When push comes to shove, what does one really DO. People fool themselves all the time; the proof is in the pudding.
If hill wants Biden to say some "right thing", she's making a mistake. So, what "right thing" could Biden DO at this point that would be enough?
What it really comes down to is, do you think Biden is an honest person or not? Including honest with himself.
1
@Barry Williams
"I'm not sorry for anything I've ever done."
Joe Biden, April 2019.
Seems he can't even say the right things.
1
@K kell I don't care what he's sorry about, or not. I want to know what he'll DO in the future. Too many people apologize eloquently and profusely, and change nothing.
It doesn’t reflect well on Ms. Hill to not accept Mr. Biden’s apology now for how he held a hearing 28 years ago but to have had no problem when he was running for or serving as Barack Obama’s Vice President for eight years.
5
One hopes the American people believe in redemption and forgiveness. Anita Hill is right to hold him to account.
Others found redemption and change; among those was Robert Kennedy. He was a lawyer for McCarthy and remember his transformation. Let’s put Biden’s skills to work and continue his education. This is a quality we value in a President. Our current one is fairly incapable of insight.
2
None of these jokers will beat the supreme joker; this is just another reason why. It is almost science fiction- the evil creature that is made of the very stuff that the "good guys" use to take him down; it only feeds and empowers. And the likes of Biden are neutral to truth, thus making them powerless. Time is the only thing that will overrule this hierarchy of deceit. Whether we'll be around long enough to see the tower fall is a sad dream. We all made this, and continue to make this, every time we turn on a light or make a comment here. How painful to see that our addict world has only one option: bottom out completely. And then every bottom has a trap door. What cause will bring us together as a people? not people of the USA- people of the Earth? The Earth is the only law there is. It sustains all our nonsense. So if we want to continue to play our foolish games, we better get together and get it together and save the thing that allows us our foolishness. I don't understand, you say? We have to do what we can where we can. However, the horrible irony is, anything we do that supports the thinking and systems that got us here in the first place are only enabling our demise.
1
Joe Biden isn't the person to blame for Anita Hill's sexual harassment. Clarence Thomas is. Lets not forget that Anita Hill followed Clarence Thomas to a second job. If it was that bad, then why follow a harasser?
People are questioning Biden's timing should also be questioning Anita Hill's timing as well. She didn't say anything about the harassment until about ten years later and only when Thomas was being nominated for the bench.
And let's not forget that Anita Hill worked for the EEOC of all places.
4
She was right then. She’s right now. Time to finally listen to her.
5
@Jonathan So why didn't she complain when Biden was VP for Obama for EIGHT YEARS? She would have had a very sympathetic Obama ear.
Someone should check Anita Hill's bank account for any Republican fund infusion.
Lets not forget that Anita never said anything about Clarence Thomas until Thomas was nominated for the bench. If Thomas wasn't being nominated, we would have never heard a peep squeak from Anita.
2
I admire Joe in his role as VP under Obama. If Joe Biden is really sorry, he should also needs to point out that Thomas did a bad thing and that Thomas should not be eligible to sit on the highest judicial position. Joe should do everything possible to fix his terrible mistake, not just to help him “clean” for running the campaign.
1
He is too old to be the Democratic nominee for President. Period. Same with Bernie, love him as I do. It is time for new blood.
3
@Resident Farmer
Who do you propose then?
Select Anita Hill as his running mate. That would be a good start at trying to make up for the past.
@Joan Casali Then I am sure we would be finding Anita's fair share of skeletons in her closet like the perfect person she is.....
2
In the current democratic heart, is there no longer any room for forgiveness? Is there no longer any room to believe that over a span of years people can evolve and become more enlightened? That over years they can grow and their thoughts and opinions can change?
Or is it just, you did this, or you thought that years ago so that's who and what you are today. So no, we can't forgive, and no, we can't forget. And no, it's not possible that you are a better, more enlightened person than you were 30 years ago.
3
@bored critic
"I'm not sorry for anything I've even done."
Biden, April 2019
1
The only thing that will show Biden's truly sincere regret is to offer Ms. Hill the Vice President Slot. This will make Biden more competitive for the Black vote as well.
1
God, wouldn't that be something. I have no idea what her credentials are, but agree that such a ticket would feel empowering to a lot of people and send a much needed message of reconciliation to the rest of the world.
1
"To this day I regret I couldn't come up with a way to get her the kind of hearing she deserved ... "
He's in denial. He was the guy in charge of the proceedings, and chose to question her integrity , chose not to call supporting witnesses, and made her a victim for the second time. Couldn't? No, wouldn't.
4
Joe Biden is yesterday's man, in so many ways.
Time for America to move on, and move up.
7
"Biden is the Hillary Clinton of 2020, and it won't end well this time either"
"Joe Biden wants to make America straight again. “America’s coming back like we used to be,” the former vice-president told reporters in Delaware on Thursday, shortly after he released a video officially announcing his 2020 campaign. “Ethical, straight, telling the truth … All those good things.”
"It was unfortunate phrasing, but what else would you expect from a man whose foot always seems to be hovering somewhere near his mouth? Gaffes are part of Biden’s brand and, we will, no doubt see a lot more of them in the coming months.
We can also expect to see a lot more lofty promises about turning the clock back on Trumpism, and returning America to the (entirely mythical) days when the country was a bastion of morality."
The above excerpt from The Guardian Newspaper, pulls no punches in telling the truth about Biden.
Biden will hang in until before the convention, and then will ignominiously fade back into the wilderness created by a Democratic Party widely reviled by most democrats.
The truly sad and awful thing about this, is that unless the party wakes up and throws its support behind Bernie Sanders, and all he espouses and knows must occur, Trump will coast into his second term and then it's game over for America.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/26/joe-biden-is-the-hillary-clinton-of-2020-and-it-wont-end-well-this-time-either
2
Poor Joe made a bad judgement call years ago. The high minded readership of the NYT will give no quarter or forgiveness. We can already see which way the election will go. The rudderless ship of the Democrats will continues its aimless drift.
4
Joe Biden was a young old school white male 28 years ago and today he is an old old school white male. He owes an apology to me and you for the role he played in elevating Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, a decision that continues to hurt blacks and women to this day.
Running for President- say it ain’t so, Joe.
1
Please hasn't this woman outlived her relevance? She got her day in the national spotlight, failed in her planned destruction of a powerful man, then cashed in on her Feminist notoriety with a professorship at a liberal Cali college, like Angela Davis did on her criminality. I don't like Biden and find it funny to see the Liberals eat each other. Still my dislike of Feminists attacking every man in sight regardless of race is a bit too much. They hate the patriarchy, it's their boogeyman. They better get used to it. The majority of women aren't with them, if they were we'd have an Equal Rights Amendment (we don't because they lost) and Hillary would be president (she isn't they lost). Are you seeing a pattern here?
2
Yes. I see a pattern signaling your fear of women.
2
Trump has a nickname for Biden. I guess that means he’s taking him seriously?
1
Good for Dr. Hill.
She and Dr. Blasey-Ford are the true heroes here along with so many women that have been and are being denied opportunities (and indeed stripped of their rights) because of their gender.
The violence and discrimination against women MUST STOP NOW, and Biden is on the wrong side of this necessary change.
7
Biden could not control the Judiciary Committee he chaired. Does he really expect that he can control Trump and the Russians who will coming after him should he win the nomination? The Democrats need someone stronger, younger and with fewer lifetime political mistakes in their closet.
4
I can understand why he didn't apologize back then. But after Kavanaugh? If he watched that performance and didn't immediately recognize the parallels, then he's not paying attention. He should have called Hill the day after Christine Blasey Ford testified.
5
There are so many excellent comments here and so many opposing thoughts to reconcile.
Unfortunately Biden's apology to Anita Hill doesn't seem convincing or even genuine. Biden seems to be"touching base" before announcing his candidacy, not expressing true remorse which he certainly should feel (much stronger and more deeper than polite, superficial regret.)
Better late than never, of course, but this is too long overdue to be believable.
And to the extent that Biden is responsible for saddling us with Clarence Thomas on SCOTUS all these years he has done a monstrous disservice to his country.
But he really has "evolved" on his racist attitudes and he stumbled into forcing Obama to "evolve" into support for marriage equality. That is important.
The "bottom lines" are that I'd much prefer to see a more progressive Democrat nominated (not necessarily a younger one) BUT we MUST get rid of Trump. If Biden is nominated of course I'll campaign energetically for him and vote for him.
Last word: I'm glad to see that Anita Hill has had a distinguished and successful career in spite of what was done to her. She is a true national hero.
4
How much is enough "sorry"? How do you measure "sorry?" Over time, as more is revealed about situations, people have a chance to look back and see how they could have done something different, or better, or they see mistakes they made. A change of heart and mind is possible with anyone who dares to take an introspective view of him/herself. And many people will believe Mr. Biden's sincerity, or lack thereof, based on their on standards and beliefs, and political persuasion. People who even now stand by the impostor who has been squatting in the White House for 2+ years will condemn Mr. Biden. Go figure.
2
I watched the hearing as I was getting dressed for my wedding, and in the years since I have read too many of the dismal decisions Clarence Thomas has joined. Where in the world did they find this guy?
But I see the nomination of Thomas as much more of a stain on George H.W. Bush, who nominated him to the Court, than anyone else.
And I do not blame Joe Biden for his actions in the committee. Don't forget that at the time there was more a consensus between the Republican and Democratic parties and I believe Biden saw his role as furthering those efforts.
Also, I don't believe anyone back then could have remotely imagined Thomas' work on the Court for all these years.
Indeed, the "high tech" lynching Thomas complained of (oh, poor me) is perhaps the single instance where he has acknowledged the difficulties minorities have faced over the years in this country. Certainly all his concurrences on the Court have done virtually nothing to remedy them.
Still, I am annoyed with Anita Hill at this late date. The issue has been rehashed so many times in the intervening years. Why now take what I perceive as a somewhat cheap shot at Biden? What if anything has she been doing in the intervening years to speak out for the rights of women and minorities? What purpose do her comments now serve except to undermine the Democrat's chances of defeating Trump in 2020.
4
Ms Hill has long since made her point—she was abused, dismissed, and denied justice. I, too, am sorry for that. Perhaps, though, it’s time for her to move on; the injustice can’t be undone.
There is a point somewhere at which a person’s dwelling on something for years and years, never forgiving or putting it behind oneself, becomes tedious. And now, with the future of the country at stake, Ms Hill needs to decide whether that future or her grudge from the past is more important.
89
Agreed absolutely. She could have simply said "Thanks Joe but I've since moved on. Wish you the best".
That would raise her stature higher than her current posture of holding a grudge for almost thirty years.
20
@Merlin
Her stature is not in question; she's not running for anything. It doesn't matter at all to me whether she "moves on", that's her business.
The question facing the voters is whether we think a given candidate is capable and ready to address the issues we care about. I haven't thought about Anita Hill in a few years... you might say I've "moved on"... but I think about sexual violence and gender discrimination every day. So my question for Biden --or any candidate-- is the same as it would have been 28 years ago: what are you going to do about it today? And if there's substantial historical evidence that the candidate couldn't or wouldn't do what's needed, I would want to know what new evidence they can provide that convinces me that they can and will.
It's not that hard for me to be open to the possibility that Biden may yet convince me of his answer. But the article presents Anita Hill as being open to hearing that answer from Biden as well... which is pretty amazing, I think. Far from "dwelling on the past", she's sounds to be more open to being convinced than many others might be from the relative safety of their living room. Again, she's not a candidate and her personal feelings are completely irrelevant to me in supporting a candidate, but I mention it in response to your comment about her stature. The article suggests to me that she stands quite tall.
52
@David Illig
Ms Hill is making a new point here: Biden has had 28 years to issue an apology and has apologized only at a time that it's politically expedient.
84
Joe Biden has seen tragedy, but I don't think it has touched the part of him that is striving, ruthless & conniving. Those Anita Hill hearings were brutal - because of him. Nasty. bombastic, condescending dismissal of Prof. Hill with a sneer and a wave of the hand.
He puts on the good show for the camera, I'm sure he's lovely to people who suit him. I don't trust him for a second. When someone shows you who they are - believe them.
He is last on the list of Dem contenders that will get my $ & my vote. Still looking who see who can get elected. Kamala and Mayor Pete are at the top of the list. Smart and authentic. We'll see.
7
Why did Biden vote against Thomas then? Doesn’t sound dismissive to me, in the end.
1
He voted against Thomas and I bet you never saw the hearing at the time.
1
Kamala is the one....female, black married to a white lawyer, young but experienced, knowledgeable about finance, photogenic. What more do we need?
2
So the Democrats will hand the President another victory by holding their candidates to impossible litmus tests while the Republicans lie with impunity. This country will not elect a small town mayor, a California prosecutor, a New York senator with no real ideas other than her own zeal to win, or an avowed socialist. But hey, the Democrats can hold their heads high because they stood on principle, I guess.
6
@Vince
On the contrary, this country will elect just about anyone who can stoke their collective fears and keep them entertained at the same time. Proof positive is sitting in the Oval Office right now.
3
Yes. At this rate, the Democrats might as well do the impeachment thing AND nominate Bernie. Nothing to lose. Fractured party = Trump win.
1
Good for you Anita Hill. I'm fond of Biden, but what happened during the Thomas hearings is inexcusable & still stinging our nation. Thomas still sits on the Court, along with the other old, conservative men who we are stuck with until they die!
Life terms for Justices creates problems that our forefathers did not contemplate (people just didn't live that long back then). Also, stalling tactics which gave us Kavanaugh were also not a part of the original deal.
Yes, our current Court is a model for much that is wrong in our country. It's misogynist, intolerable, & moldy...
5
He called to apologize in preparation for announcing his presidential campaign. He announced his apology the day after announcing his presidential campaign.
I thought Biden was supposed to run on his authenticity.
6
“Regret” is a non-apology.
7
If indeed it's taken this long for him to get back to her, he didn't get it. He sat there and let Sen Danforth, Specter and a few of the other smug Republicans go after her and gave no support. On his watch the Senate confirmed the most pathetic Justice in the nation's history.
7
Let's be perfectly clear on this. While I completely understand and agree with Ms. Hill's point-of-view on this this issue, Joe Biden was not and is not a sexual predator. The predator is in the White House. Biden did a very poor job of conducting an investigation and should be held accountable, but the criminal in the 2020 race is Donald J. Trump!
6
Biden is just more of the same of old white men running things. I’m 53 and would love to see someone younger and with fresh ideas become president before I die. PLEASE! I’d love to see a woman running things because after all the world wars and garbage that men have created, it will take a woman, of course, to come in and clean up their mess.
Having said that, I do like Mayor Pete and Cory Booker. Sure wish Hillary had chosen Cory as her running mate. Things may have turned out differently.
2
Maybe Clarence Thomas should be apologizing here.
Biden didn't harass Hill. Biden voted against Thomas' confirmation.
7
It’s telling that the Thomas/Hill issue is still being cast as a race/gender conflict, including in this article. Persistently lost in this formulation is the fact that Anita Hill is a black woman who was harassed by a black man. The dynamics of race played out across this case in a fashion that allowed the members of the Judiciary Committee to present themselves as white men saving a black man from a ‘high-tech lynching” by a woman they never recognized as African-American. Let’s not forget, either, that #MeToo was a movement started by women of color.
6
No body is pure enough to pass through the eye of the needle that is the Democratic primary process. Anyone consider maybe this is why our best and brightest young liberals no longer run for office?
2
The only possible solution for Joe is to make professor Hill his running mate.
1
I ask women who have legimate concerns about discrimination and abuse!
What is worse?
Four more years of Donald Trump as our monarchial President...?
OR
Supporting Joe Biden and thinking about the big picture of the USA's future?
3
yes by all means lets pick a real progressive this time. wait what happened with mcgovern. oh yeah that went well. I am sure the suburbs of detroit can't wait to vote Mayor pete.
1
Biden doesn't get it. When responding to several women who were made uncomfortable by his "tactile" behavior, he said he apologized for making them uncomfortable but he would not apologize for his "intentions." What kind of idiotic statement is that? Basically, he puts his own righteous "intentions" above their effect on women.
8
So she wants him to grovel?
4
@td vtt No - accept responsibility.
1
Why is this apology coming now? He has had almost 28 years to think about this and offer an apology. My cynical guess is that he knows this will hurt him with many women who remember the hearings with disdain and anger. Too little, too late, Mr. Biden.
13
Is Biden's not apologizing to Hill a tactic he's taking from the Trump "never apologize" playbook? Is he afraid of alienating those old white guys he hopes to win back from Trump? Even if he wins a few of those, he'll lose the millennials who see him as someone stuck in the past himself. Not a smart strategy.
3
@theresa And won't that be great? Bernie or some other "progressive" doesn't get the nomination and Biden does and he'll "lose the millennials who see him as someone stuck in the past" and complain until 2024 about the eight years of a Trump presidency?
Yeahhhhh...that's the ticket
1
Same today as 28 years ago, "I believe Anita".
11
So did Biden. He voted against Thomas, remember?
1
We are a very unforgiving society. We let a person's error in years past be the defining point for that person today. A wiser saying is point one finger towards someone and three point back to you. I wonder if Anita Hill wants something negative out of her past to define her? And what does she want Joe Biden to do in addition to saying he is sorry? Biden has shown he has integrity and he is the one candidate who can defeat Trump.
5
"I'm sorry for what happened to you" is not the same as"I'm sorry for what I did." Version one takes no personal responsibility at all and makes it abundantly clear that the perpetrator doesn't get it.
12
@JM: The person who should say "I'm sorry for what I did.", is Clarence Thomas. He dragged both Anita Hill and Joe Biden into his mess.
He voted against Thomas. That seems like a supportive move to me.
1
This is real simple: either the Democrats oppose women and support Biden or they oppose Biden and support women
5
@Larry: Well. it's clear then that Republicans not only oppose, but hate women in kneeling for Trump. Biden has shown over the years that with his policies he supports women, so your "either, or" makes no sense.
1
given the era in which clarence thomas was appointed, high-tech lynching had much more power than a young woman's appeal for justice. NO thing that happened back then diminishes Anita Hill's courage in standing up. should the establishment have acted better? of course.
4
I will not vote for Biden. I didn't want to vote for Hillary, either, I supported Bernie. Biden is this election's Hillary. What he did to Anita Hill ( and subsequently what happened to Christine Blasey Ford) is the main reason I do not think he is presidential material. I am currently watching Beto O'Rourke ...
5
And Clarence Thomas sits in silence along with Brett Kavanaugh and stolen seat Neil Gorsuch.
12
I hold Joe Biden responsible for do-nothing Clarence Thomas AND sex offender Brett Kavanaugh sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court today. Biden took 28 years to deliver a half-baked non-apology re the Judge Thomas hearings fiasco. The delay underscores his inability to comprehend responsibility for the subsequent chain of events. Plus his touchy-feely manner with people has always been creepy. And his political time has passed.
9
I like Joe Biden, and I respect him but what he is doing now is just sort of desperate and pathetic. In terms of Anita Hill, it's way too little, too late. I get the impression he still doesn't get it. With regard to Hill's assertion that he owes other women apologies- I don't know. He could have gone out of politics with a solid reputation, as President Obama's VP. Instead he's making a grab for the third(!) time for president? Why?? It's over. Why doesn't he see that? Same for Bernie. I would have voted for him a few years ago. But the ship has sailed. Everything these old men are doing now is just undignified.
6
Biden’s alleged “evolution” in this would seem more genuine if instead of saying he regrets he “couldn’t” give her a fair hearing, he said he regrets he “didn’t” give her a fair hearing. It might seem like wordsmithing, but the distinction is important, and the latter would have been admission that he failed, and a sign he recognized that.
And people arguing that this is being seen differently during the MeToo era are not entirely correct. People who were paying attention were angry at the time. He was playing politics - and was worried about how his treatment of the first African American SCt nominee would affect African American voters (even though Hill is African American, many in that community didn’t rally behind her, because she was speaking up against an African American on the cusp of making history).
10
@mebel Clarence Thomas was NOT the first African American Supreme Court nominee! OMG! He was nominated when Thurgood Marshall retired. The man who was the NAACP's attorney in Brown v. Board of Education was cynically going to be replaced with an inexperienced political hack who had already tried to destroy the EEOC from within. Biden fell into this trap of not wanting to oppose the handing over of the unofficial "Black" seat on the Supreme Court. Mr. "Nice" stepped into it. He has bad judgment, no vision for the new generation that is the future of the Party, and his advisors can't even write an apology that passes muster in the new century.
3
@mebel
What did you just say? Clarence Thomas was NOT the first African American on the Supreme Court. Have you never heard of the Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall?
Unlike Clarence Thomas, Thurgood Marshall was outstanding and should be remembered!!!
Quote from Wikipedia:
On June 13, 1967, President Johnson nominated Marshall to the Supreme Court following the retirement of Justice Tom C. Clark, saying that this was "the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place." Marshall was confirmed as an Associate Justice by a Senate vote of 69–11 on August 30, 1967.[20] He was the 96th person to hold the position, and the first African American.
2
@Yojimbo sorry - you’re totally right! I completely wrote that wrong - I meant “only” not “first”, as he would have been the only African American on the Court. It was an historic appointment, however, as (sadly) is the appointment of any non-white or woman.
At the time, Biden worried about losing any African American votes
2
Its saying something that the new leading candidate for the Democratic party nomination for President is being asked to explain himself on his leadership role in advocating for such bad policies in the past. That he refuses to apologize for them, and would rather explain them so as to allow for a sort of revisionist history reveals the arrogance that we see too often in our political "leadership".
9
Anita Hill has been forgotten for 28 years. It was the Republicans who put Clarence Thomas on the SC. Joe Biden's announcement to try to save the country from Trump has percolated a flurry of negativity from the media. Nothing positive. You'd think he'd been hibernating the last ten years. He was Vice President for eight of those, and had a hand in helping us out of the '08 financial crisis created by Republican regulatory incompetence. And now we have Obama characteristically sitting on the sidelines, as he did in 2016 during the Russian collusion. The country does not need this media nitpicking, though I doubt any of it will stick with the voters. The issue of the majority is TRUMP.
4
@Robert L I'm pretty sure the Bernie supporters are swamping all of the comments sections of Biden related article. Bernie sent out and email yesterday trying to paint Biden and in the pocket of corporations. But throughout his Senate career over 70% of his campaign contributions came from individuals and less than 1% from PACs. He has never over the years been a recipient of big money/dark money donations
I would discount most of the comments sections for the time being and just see how the polls go.
2
Professor Hill. We believed you then and agree w you now! I’m with you — and Senator Warren. It’s time to impeach Trump and elect a qualified woman. We ARE ready for new perspectives and new leadership in the WH.
6
@Bonnie This is the path towards four more years of Trump.
If Biden really felt regret, or really wanted to aplogize, why did he wait 30 years and not call her until a couple weeks before announcing his candidacy? He could have called her 10 or 20 years ago, if he really "evolved". It is not believable that he just "evolved" 3 weeks ago. This is a political stunt only, he feels no regret or remorse at all.
8
"Joe Biden Expresses Regret to Anita Hill, but She Says ‘I’m Sorry’ Is Not Enough"
It's been 28 years since that event. I don't doubt that Joe Biden's apology is sincere because he is an honest person.
"“I cannot be satisfied by simply saying, ‘I’m sorry for what happened to you,’” said Ms. Hill, now a professor of social policy, law and women’s studies at Brandeis University. “I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose.”"
I don't understand just how she expects to get that to her satisfaction. If she is talking about society, the facts of Bill Cosby and others in the last couple of years indicates that there has been a substantial change in accepting women's allegations. So just what does she want as proof?
2
As Mr. Biden prepared to announce his bid for the presidency, he needed to check Ms. Hill off his "to do" list. His,"regret for what she endured," non-apology is illustrates the reason I will not support him - even in a general election against Mr. Trump.
I, too, watched the Clarence Thomas hearing. I watched as a composed Ms. Hill told her story calmly to a committee of white men, whose "rubber stamp" hearing was being hijacked by a black woman telling a story they didn't want to hear. She was attacked. She was vilified. Her reputation was impugned. Contemptuous committee members, led by Chairman Senator Biden, tried to reduce her to dust. They treated her not as a witness but as a criminal defendant. Their display was disgusting, intended to silence her and other women. Ms. Hill was alone and went through that ordeal with dignity.
I knew of the men on the committee. I respected them, even those I disagreed with. This hearing was something different. Never before had I cried during a congressional hearing, but I sobbed as I watched Ms. Hill. Also, it was when I fully understood that if they (powerful white men) would try to humiliate her (an accomplished, composed black woman), there would be no limit to what they could do to me or any other black woman.
15
In addition to the devastation to women's liberation efforts Biden enabled by discounting Ms. Hill's claims, there's the advancement of Clarence Thomas, who, along with the other conservatives on the Supreme Court, is succeeding in reverting our country back to the stone age.
5
30 years later: "I'm running for president so I thought I'd apologize to you, as it's the right thing to do. So... we cool?"
9
Of course every Democrat and left leaning independent wants a saint to run for president. But remember, Trump is the Antichrist. We’re not talking lesser of two evils here, although bots and some factions may mischaracterize things.
My dog, even making decisions by wag-o-meter, would make a better president than Trump. A broken clock would be right twice a day.
Let’s see how the campaign plays out. We haven’t had our first debate or cast a single vote. I like most of the field but I’m not ready to vote yet. Of course I want the best candidate, but it’s more important that person can beat Trump and then govern effectively. And no candidate will have priorities that match every voter’s expectations.
It’s the nature of politics that a messy process will ultimately decide the Democratic nominee. Outside and some inside forces (if 2016 is a guide) will try to tarnish the eventual winner and divide the Party. Let’s keep things positive, stick to the issues, and focus all our anger on Trump.
3
@Michael Tyndall Excellent piece. There is an attempt to make it seem as if Joe Biden alone put Clearance Thomas on the Court. Joe Biden alone repealed Glass-Stegall. Joe Biden alone got us into Iraq. As if there were not another 99 senators. Including many, many Democratic ones who were on the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted to repeal Glass-Stegall (including, um, the Democratic President who signed the repeal into law), and many, many other Democrats who voted to invade Iraq.
1
It's a mistake to bring up the Kavanaugh hearings in the context of the Clarence Thomas proceedings. It has become increasingly obvious that the accusations against the then nominee Brett Kavanaugh was nothing more than an attempted political hit job by Democrats desperate to stop another conservative judge from getting on the Supreme Court. The claims of what may or may not have happened at a teen party decades ago not the same as to what Professor Hill says she experienced with Justice Thomas, which were in the realm of professional conduct. That at least had some relevance to the hearings.
I'm sure he is sorry. She gave a painful testimony that was not listened to by the men (what has changed?) on the committee. What has changed? How has Biden changed? But...he really needed to actually meet with Anita Hill.--face to face. The phone call he made is simply not enough. I'm surprised that he (and his people) didn't realize this.
5
I was mid-middle aged when the Thomas/Hill hearings took place. After the Vietnam war and Kent State, it was another nail -- and a big one -- in the coffin of my childish trust in our government. I endured sexual harassment and discrimination and hated it impotently until I grew too old to be considered a legitimate target. At the beginning of the hearing, I naively assumed that Hill's extremely credible testimony would keep Thomas off the SCOTUS. Hope turned to disappointment that turned to anger that turned to furious resolve as Biden and the Senate demonstrated that, in their eyes, Hill's experience was trivial and that it was a forgone conclusion that they would blame her for rocking the men's sexual-supremacy boat.
My image of Biden as a nice, approachable man was forever altered. His campaign-driven attempt to to placate Hill only demonstrates that he even now he really doesn't grasp how discrimination and abuse by men has damaged and even destroyed so many women's lives.
Is it too late for Biden to truly reconcile with Hill? I don't know what form that would take but if he could achieve that, I might be more enthusiastic about having to vote for him in order to beat Trump, which I certainly would do if necessary.
11
@Some old lady--what oh what possibly could Biden do or say that would prompt anita hill to "forgive" him. Not a thing. There is no forgiveness there.
1
I can't read all 2000+ comments here, but I'll bet most comments say the same, and this is Biden is only apologizing in the hopes that Ms. Hill won't work against him in his campaign.
He's "getting it out of the way". Nope. Not for me. He helped put a Republican into office, then he goes around sniffing women to "comfort" them, and now a phony apology.
If he wins the Democratic primary, I'll vote for him in the general, but then I'd vote for a folding chair if it won the Democratic primary.
11
@JL22--so you hate him that much but you'll still vote for him in the presidential election if he gets there? Does the strength of your total partisanship show through to you? You hate him as a person and a candidate but you'll still vote for him before a Republican candidate. I give up. Scotty, beam me up. There is no intelligent life on this planet.
@bored critic, Understand, I'd vote for a folding chair before Trump or a Republican. I will not vote for Biden in the primaries.
So we now have a choice between the Imperfect and the Perfidious.
You'd think in a country with so many talented people, America could do better.
9
As I and others have said consistently, if there is a way to lose the 2020 elections, the Democrats can be trusted to find it.
Tell us Ms Hill, do you really prefer another 4 years of Trump to Joe Biden?
8
All these years later, an apology now that he's running for
President? C'mon Joe.
I've always liked Joe Biden but this is so obvious and truly
manipulative. Goodbye Joe.
6
A hearing that took place decades ago under circumstances that we can no longer fully conjure in our minds. A hearing in which, had Biden taken a different tack, could have been accused as a racist for his role in the "high tech lynching" of an African American nominee based on unsupported accusations. Like Pete Buttigieg has been accused as a racist for firing a black police chief. Like Kamala Harris is accused as a racist for doing her job as a prosecutor. Like Bernie Sanders is a misogynist because he dared to run against Hillary Clinton. Like Amy Klobuchar is a bully because she is tough on her employees. This is all nonsense. We are creating an environment where everyone is guilty of something and only a character like Trump (who thrives on this type of criticism) can survive. This has to stop.
If we are going to point out Biden's flaws, let's point out that he's the Washington insider of Washington insiders. That his family and friends have managed to get very wealthy during his decades of service. That he has failed twice as a Presidential candidate and it's hard to see him doing better at this stage in his life. There are enough real questions about his candidacy beyond whether Anita Hill thinks he has apologized properly.
7
Biden was wrong then, and he is wrong now.
NO TO BIDEN.
7
For the sake of the country it would be nice if everyone could just move on.
2
Biden’s apology was done only to curry favor for the primaries. When the general election comes around Biden will apologize for apologizing
2
Senator Biden had an opportunity to redeem himself during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. He could have referred to his past experience as overseer of the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas debacle and supported the Democrats' position in the Kavanaugh hearing. Is he a Democrat?
5
An abbreviated guide to apologies and their usefulness in various contexts:
"I'm sorry for what you went through." - Great sentiment when expressed to someone who went through an ordeal that you had nothing to do with, e.g., painful physical therapy after a terrible physical injury; chemotherapy, radiation, etc.
"I'm sorry I didn't call the other witnesses who said they could corroborate your story. It is one of the great regrets of my career and I hope I get another chance to do better." - Kind of a niche sentiment, it's very good for when you could have done something to prevent an innocent person from being treated abusively on live television and you feel genuine regret for your behavior."
Biden's inability to take responsibility and speak clearly about is far more disqualifying than his behavior 30 years ago. His mealy-mouthed non-apologies - not "I'm sorry I made anyone feel uncomfortable," but "I'm sorry I didn't understand"; not "I'm sorry I mismanaged the confirmation hearings, one result of which was injury to Anita Hill," but "I'm sorry what Anita Hill went through," - remind me of our current president.
9
Trump will destroy Biden.
Obama gave Biden a proper political exit for time and service as the Vice President. He should just accept it and let the country move forward.
This Democrat wants nothing to do with same old same old thoughts and plans and people.
Thankfully there is time to find the person to beat the liar in charge.
6
Donald Trump gets to ( allegedly) grab women by the genitalia and still be voted into the office of the presidency. Biden apologized ( for his treatment—bad but not quite sexual harassment of Anita Hill ) but it was not good enough. And there was the Democratic staffer who said Biden “made her uncomfortable.”
So Biden has a long record, not limited to policy, for Democrats to pick apart. He wins in the general election against Trump but I don’t know if he can make it out of the Democratic primary.
One thing about the Republicans, though, is that they picked someone who would not usually have made it out of the Republican primary, but they were looking past the primary to the general. In other words, they woke up one day and realized that they were losing presidential elections with their purity tests in their primaries.
Maybe Democrats should take note.
3
Joe Biden's expressions of regret to Ms. Hill would be more believable if he had acknowledged his own decision to allow Thomas to testify ahead of Ms. Hill contrary to his promise to her, his refusal to call other women to testify about Thomas' sexual harassment, and his weak response to the character assassination of Hill by Orrin Hatch and other GOP senators. He needs to admit his own complicity not generalized regret.
217
@Alan Mass Ms Hill would seem more genuine now if she had raised these issues when Mr. Biden was running as Mr. Obama’s Vice President.
5
@Alan Mass
Details aside, Biden voted against Thomas (even though 11 other senator democrats voted yes), and he openly praised Hill for her courage to speak out and said to her that he believed in her. If Biden had only been a committee member not the chair, what he did would have been considered okay even by today's standard. Considering Biden's tendency to find mid-ground and relatively non-Partisan era back then, what he did for testimony procedures as the chair may be understable. I read that in recent years (not months) Biden has repeatedly expressed his regret for not doing more to help Hill for that testimony.
I admired both Hill and Biden for what they have sacrified for and contributed to the country. I really hope that they can reconcile and move past this unfortunate episode for what it was, politics aside.
9
@Alan Mass
I'm ignoring the whole "inappropriate touching" thing. I haven't heard one person say they thought it was a sexual kind of thing. I have heard many people say Biden's personality leads him to unconsciously assume his comforting touching is welcomed by everyone. Given the fact that evidently no one brings him up short on it when they do feel uncomfortable at the time, so far, how would he have learned any different?
Admission of regret and statement of apology is perforce admission of complicity. If one doesn't accept that, then it's likely one won't trust explicit admissions of complicity, either. I'm more interested in looking at things Biden has done in, say, the last 20 years. Do those things indicate whether or not his views have changed in an operational way? Talk is cheap; actions speak louder than words.
4
Joe Biden is undoubtably not a bad guy. He was bought aboard by Obama as the stable old white guy to balance the ticket. They both accomplished very little in two terms. Now Democrats want Joe to be the President. That bus has left the station and his present support shows that in spite of the number of candidates vying for the Democratic nomination the Democrats are a party that is without direction or insight. Hating Trump just isn't enough of a platform.
78
@Tony Francis Unfortunately, under present circumstances, direction, insight, and platform aren't what matter most. Deposing Trump is what matters most, and Biden, for all of his flaws, has got that right.
20
@Tony Francis Obama did accomplish a lot, including trying to bring some decency back to America. Trump's sole goal is to unravel all of that and create a sick, weak, uneducated populace to whom he can dictate his whims. And don't generalize Democrats. Biden doesn't represent all of us.
29
@Tony Francis
Disliking racist, misogyognist Trump is a pretty good starting point. Its as definitive as "Make America Great Again." Details NEVER come into a presidental campaign at this early stage.
19
"Some of Mr. Biden’s former colleagues who served with him said that while he might have erred in the Thomas hearings, his full record needs to be considered rather than only one element of a lengthy career in politics."
The thing is, that 'one element' appointed someone to a position of the highest power where they get to make decisions that affect every American for decades. And they're STILL IN THAT JOB 30+ years later. This isn't a simple matter of a 'bad vote' on a bill, it's a lifelong appointment to the highest court in the land.
10
The idea that Hillary lost because she was an old-school, establishment candidate, is a fantasy purveyed by the activist left. Hillary won by 3 million popular votes, and was deprived of the presidency by Russian interference.
This tired old saw re-surfaces every time Joe Biden’s candidacy is discussed. Democrats need to understand that beating Trump will be an uphill battle. With the economy booming, and the Republicans posed to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to discredit a “socialist“ Democratic candidate, Biden may be the Democrats’ best or only hope.
6
@Ron Cohen
Did Russian interference give the House and Senate to the Republicans too?
Hillary Clinton might have won the electoral college with half a dozen photo ops of her in a hardhat visiting a factory in PA, MI, OH, and/or WI.
2
@Ron Cohen Another tired old saw is the one that claims that Hillary "was deprived of the presidency by Russian interference." There isn't a shred of evidence that proves that. (Likewise re James Comey.)
That said, it's true that Hillary didn't lose because she was "an old-school, establishment candidate"; she lost because she was a lousy candidate who ran a lousy race. If Democrats refuse to accept that lesson, history will repeat itself.
4
@Ron Cohen--
"Hillary won by 3 million popular votes, and was deprived of the presidency by Russian interference."
Is that the Russian interference that leaked email evidence documenting the conspiracy and collusion between HRC and DNC to rig (or meddle or pick any word you like) the primary and ultimately the presidential election by getting Bernie out of the primary? Evidence that wasnt even disputed by HRC/DNC. That interference? Because between the lost emails and then the conspiracy, that's what did it for me with HRC and made me vote against her.
Having watched every moment of the Hill Hearings, it is impossible to forget the disgust at the behavior of the Judiciary Committee and Clarence Thomas. Thomas's claim of a "high tech lynching" was disgusting and misplaced; that is what was done do Attorney Hill.
Looking back over the years, however, what is more shocking, is that Committee, as demonstrated in the Kavanaugh Hearings, is that the Republicans serving on it have no evolvedt. What saddens the most, is that Attorney Hill, cannot seem to move on and focus on the present and highlight this fact: the fact that despite what she taught the nation, certain elected male (and some female officials-Collins, Ernst) still do not understand. One can never really walk in her shoes, but she is also missing an opportunity here to place herself in history and define her moment as an important and significant historical figure.
I believe Biden, acting in those years, was a product of those times. He lives with this regret every day. The words: I regret, to me, is equivalent to saying: I am sorry. Are we going to now parse words? The important question, is whether he was matured, learned and evolved. As a younger man he lacked a certain sensitivity: he operated in a boys' club, where women were rare and few. That has changed.
Attorney Hill is brave and courageous. But, now is the moment to focus on the Republicans stubborn refusal to acknowledge the continued debasement of women. not to look at the past.
7
@Rachel Bird Sorry, but Biden has a 45-year history in politics which should be, and will be, looked at. What Hill is saying is that simply saying "I am sorry" isn't sufficient; Biden needs to accept responsibility for this and many other errors in judgment. If he isn't capable of doing that, he shouldn't be, and won't be, president.
3
I have respect for both Anita Hill and Joe Biden. But I’m also wanting to leave them to themselves, and their past. Concentrating on today’s events where previous standards have been lowered to being unrecognizable, Trump, and our country’s democracy that is being challenged by self dealing faux public officials, are more important. And I want a President who has the vision to lead us out of this mess.
If Joe Biden and Anita Hill can’t come to some agreement to help the country move forward, then we really are in bigger trouble than we realize.
4
I watched the hearings. Thomas was guilty of the behavior Hill described. Biden should also admit he was wrong about allowing Thomas to become a Supreme Court Judge. I like Biden but one of the problems is the lack of vision to address the future not just present situations, as most of the older white men have done. Apologies that are made because someone needs something from the other person seems to be a self serving apology for themselves not for the person harmed. Judge Thomas is still on the court and Hill still has to deal with the results of that shameful Senate hearing. I am tired of our leaders using the excuse of, "it was a different time. I know better now." How about some courage to change when the moment requires it. How about calling Thomas out Now?
5
Biden diminished himself as the head of the Judiciary committee that approved Clarence Thomas as a SCOTUS justice. He may have just been a representative of his time, but it showed him to be a follower of his time, not a leader. This country needs change after the W.Bush years, the Obama go along to get along years, and now the Trump Travesty. Biden is not an agent of change. He has past his prime and his prime was never good enough.
5
There is nothing Biden can say to atone for his past mistakes. That being said, if he wins in the primary, I will vote for him without hesitation, when the alternative is four more years of the Trump Administration.
If you don't like Joe Biden than don't vote for him in the primary. With over half of the Democratic Primary voters being women, including a large number of black women, they will undoubtedly have a say in whether his past transgressions will doom his prospects in 2020.
If this isn't the bottom line, you are tacitly supporting four more years of what we currently have.
5
I am willing to believe Joe Biden is a good man but as someone who watched the Anita Hill hearings I cannot believe he is a good judge of character. Anita Hill gave the most persuasive, transparently honest and sincere testimony I have ever witnessed in impossibly difficult circumstances. I would vote for Biden happily over the Trump but would prefer a candidate who had a stronger moral compass than Uncle Joe demonstrated so many years ago.
21
Joe is a fine guy. He could certainly be a good president. But that hardly makes him unique; there are doubtless thousands of folks out there who could be a good president but who won't have the opportunity. Nobody, including Joe, has any special claim to the job. Who ends up actually getting it from among all those who could have been (only 45 so far in US history) is in large part a matter of random circumstance and luck. And he is loaded with negatives. I think it's time for him to accept that he's a good guy and lots of people like him, but for him it just isn't going to happen.
7
Who can win back large numbers of disaffected working class and middle class voters who felt ignored by liberals? Trump won by attracting these voters in large numbers. Democrats who desire ideological purity over winning will — again — elect Trump. Winning in 2020 also means a Democratic ticket with large coattails that regains a solid senate majority, increases the Democratic majority in the House.
2
I am incensed by those who say Hill should be more "gracious" and accept Biden's apology. It wasn't an apology. Saying I'm sorry for what someone endured is far different from saying I'm sorry for what I did to them. This is a lesson we try to teach kindergartners. Biden's decision to keep the public from hearing from Thomas's other accusers (or even knowing they existed) demands far more than, "Sorry it happened." Women are constantly told to be "gracious," "have a sense of humor," or "don't take it personally." The message remains, "Men's mistreatment of women should not be held against them." Oh, and smile!
36
@ARNP
I agree fully, just also be sure to consider his long positive record supporting women’s rights.
2
She doesn't think his apology is enough, and it's not, as his actions affected not only her life but ours as well. He has to apologize to the whole nation for not stopping Thomas from getting on the Supreme Court! The best way he can do that is retiring from politics, at long last and allowing the real progressives and reform Democrats to carry on. Let him write his memoirs where he can repent and justify his actions all he wants.
12
@Dr. Scotch
What he did instead was becoming, for decades already, a champion for women's rights both in DC and globally.
Biden is one of the most talented politicians out there.
If you make a mistake and you want to continue to cultivate high moral standard, you don't run away, you make sure that you use your best talents to do better in the future.
THAT is what being a "real progressive" means. Not never ever making any mistake, in four decades of public service.
Asking of our most experimented and talented politicians to have never ever made any mistake and to instead just leave politics, is one of the main ways how the progressive movement in this country time and again slows down progress towards full achievement of our ideals.
Having lofty ideals is not enough, to accomplish real progress.
You also have to engage, and to fact-check.
When you ask someone who women's rights organizations call one of their strongest "heroes" today, to step down just because you read an article about ONE mistake made THREE decades ago and in a highly complex context, and you don't even know how at the time everybody saw Thomas as a moderate, certainly not the extremist he has become on the SC, HOW can you call yourself a "progressive" in the first place ... ?
3
@Ana Luisa: He is the pocket of the big corporations and the banks and his so-called "progressivism" is purely for show as his votes for war, banking deregulation, increased prisons, and even today going to the corporate elite and lobbyists for funding -- he is only running to try and derail Sanders and/or Warren, he's a phony corporate Democrat through and through despite his pro-woman views which all Democrats share. It's his entire record I looked at and the handwriting on the wall for Biden is clearly meme, mene, tekel, upharsin.
Joe’s politically timed apology is arrogantly manipulative. But it’s not surprising in light of the recent revelations about his patronizing touchy-feely attention toward females. Just look at the videos of the Anita Hill hearings. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. I admire Ms. Hill for speaking out then, now and always.
We have too much at stake here for Joe’s past to keep us distracted from the work we must do to get rid of evil Trump. Joe has too many issues. Joe is out of step. Furthermore, using Charlottesville as a back drop to his campaign announcement has not gone over well in these parts. He didn’t bother to come here before using us as a campaign prop.
18
Respect to Anita Hill. But what more has to be done? When do you simply move on? Someone apologizes and show regret, if you're a forgiving person, accept and move on. But what more do you want Biden to do!?! That's the joke of the MeToo movement. It robs women of their agency and yet promotes a backlash. Please move on stop playing the victim.
3
“Victim” politics plays right into the hands of Trump demagoguery by which he gleefully rallies his voters who got him elected.
In the past, when a person of character realized they had disgraced their position, they would resign. The ACT of giving up their power was the apology, not the WORDS accompanying it.
Joe Biden does not feel true remorse. If he did, he would be too ashamed to ask for the privilege of the presidency from the nation who watched him destroy a woman for simply voicing her concern over the character of a man about to be appointed to the highest court in the land.
2
Who are you to ask the potential victim to move on? Have you given her any remedies? Have you restored justice for her? Have you lived her life? Have you experienced her hurt?
Thomas, although the metoo movement is not always rational, where have been your serious attempts switched perspective?
Sometimes it makes sense to move on, but Thomas you are in no position to want this from the potential victim. Check yourself.
4
Anyone out there who can, please tell me an important issue that Mr. Biden was on the right side of. Tell me please of one instance of his not going along with the crowd, of his standing up for a principle. He is a go along party Joe-- a don't make waves facilitator. He was a good vice president just because he was devoted to his role of support of Obama, and thus an enabler. But he has too often been an enabler of bad legislation and bad actions.
13
@August Becker
Women's rights.
Healthcare.
Climate change.
All major issues, basically.
That means: he managed to systematically make progress on all those issues, decade after decade.
Compare that to certain progressives, who prefer standing at the sidelines yelling "not enough!" each time those who stand in the mud manage to move one step closer to our finish line, and it becomes quite clear who the REAL progressive is here ...
As Saul Alinsky shows, in a democracy all real, radical, lasting, non-violent, democratic change is step by step change.
In a democracy, a politician HAS to represent "the crowd", remember?
That means that if you or I want a different kind of laws, we FIRST have to convince "the crowd" of why those laws would be better.
Simply blaming politicians of representing those who voted for them is too easy... ;-)
4
@Ana Luisa
With all due respect, the US ranks last among First World countries for healthcare and women’s rights. Seems to me, that Biden’s ability to please a crowd does not equal leadership on the important issues that you named. Those issues are near and dear to me and I deserve a president that can deliver—not pander.
In another post, you mentioned that people were viewing the Hill/Thomas debacle through a lens that has changed over time... and that Thomas was perceived to be a “moderate” back then. That was not true. I watched the hearings AT THAT TIME and knew that based upon his legal history, Thomas was neither competent to be a Supreme Court justice nor was he a “moderate” addition to that august body.
Biden is not a “bad” politician but he is not a leader... just as he demonstrated back then. As the saying goes, all that is necessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing—and thanks to Biden, Thomas has been on the SCOTUS for 30 years impeding any forward movement on the issues of healthcare, women’s rights, and climate change.
We deserve better.
Biden's conducted himself well at the time of the hearing. He quite reasonably tried to get to the truth of the matter and found the issues that she raised irrelevant. I guess man hating feminists expected him to just agree to her point of view. He should've called to apologize as there is nothing for him to apologize for.
2
@Ilya
Nonsense. He acted atrociously at the hearings. Shouldn’t eliminate him from contention, but it’s a stain.
1
If Biden would have run in 2016 he would have carried Pennsylvania and Michigan and he would be President today. But he didn't, and the world has changed and his time has passed. You can't go back, and he shouldn't run now.
8
He waited until he was about to run for president to reach out. Not surprised she's unimpressed.
18
He is the poster boy of everything wrong with the Democratic Party...."I'm Sorry" should be what everyone who Votes for that Party says to those who do Not!
2
"So Joe Biden Expresses Regret to Anita Hill, but She Says ‘I’m Sorry’ Is Not Enough".
Gotta say, get over it Ms. Hill.
5
@Dennis
Your comment shows a deep misunderstanding of what harassment does to women in the workplace, and how damaging Biden's lack of character was to Ms. Hill, and by extension all women, during the Hearings all those years ago.
18
Republican and Trump leaning voters — that we need to win — strongly reject the use of “many years after the fact” accusations that seem to them more timed to discredit white male candidates. They see such victims as being manipulated and used as an disingenuous liberal strategy to knock down viable white male candidates. How will they treatment of Joe Biden by many here change that view and win over voters? Can we really win without them?
Anita Hill's legacy may well be the person who enabled a lying Donald Trump to win a second four year term and enhance his quest for a Trump monarchy!
3
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m willing to give him the chance. And I hope he will step up.”
Where has Anita Hill been for the last two decades?
If she's willing to give him a chance to "distinguish himself" on women's rights issues, why isn't she nor the NYT mentioning the fact that for two decades already, Biden has been, as all women's rights organizations today call him, one of their "strongest heroes", when it comes to advancing women's rights in DC, with LOTS of concrete achievements to be proud of?
Articles like this make me both sad and scared.
If THIS is the level of conversation that even high-quality newspapers like the Times will once again adopt, millions of ordinary citizens won't have access to the truth, cynicism will only go up, and even less than 50% of those eligible to vote will do so in 2020 - which means that the utterly corrupt GOP will win.
If the media want to address Biden's record on women's right issues, they should address the ENTIRE record, rather than from day one focus on ONE event that happened three decades ago, and then let ONE person dominate the conversation, rather than hearing from all sides involved.
Once you do so, you cannot but observe that Biden, just like Obama, would be a PHENOMENALLY good president, when it comes to women's issues.
He'd do the EXACT opposite of the Trump administration, and that is what we need. NOT people who never ever in their entire lives made any mistakes.
10
His record on economic issues has been entirely with Republicans and against the average American at every step. The fact that you completely ignore his economic record to only say he did a few good things for women makes your accusations against the quality of the Times empty.
7
@Ana Luisa
Good points. He didn’t handle the Hill fiasco well—at all—but you are correct that his broad record on women’s rights is sound. Same deal with Al Franken.
If Biden's record is as strong as you say, let the many women's organizations write opinion pieces defending him and extolling his actions. If he truly is a hero to the feminist, those he's aided will come to his aid. And if days go by and we hear nothing, perhaps a quick scan of the dictionary for the meaning of the word "reckoning" is in order.
Why wait until now. That looks very insincere and opportunistic probably because it is so.
10
Anita Hill earned herself a permanent place in history, directly affected Clarence Thomas' reputation, and undoubtedly improved the lives of women all around the country.
How is that not enough?
Is it only enough if Clarence Thomas doesn't get confirmed? Sorry, but that's not how this works.
4
He can't make up now, for what he did back then.
5
Times have changed. He issued an apology. All he can do. She accepts it or not. Move on.
3
Exactly. He defended the status quo and enabled a dishonorable man to rise to the Supreme court. He touched women in ways they found over-familiar and presumptive. He apologized to Anita Hill, after flaying her reputation, setting back the struggle for gender equality, and teaching a generation of young women who watched him on TV that not only will their voices not count as heavily as a man's, but their credibility will be destroyed if they even attempt to seek justice.
Times have changed. Move on.
1
Rufus,
Unfortunately that’s not all that he could do. What contribution did he make to support and protect women? In terms of donations, policy advocacy, etc?
Nope, he saved his speaking engagement incomes on himself and his family, not on the people that he harmed, particularly the family of Anita Hill.
I must be ignorant to be unable to name a policy in his campaign that promotes the equal treatment of women in society. Please educate me on that, Rufus.
@Susan Do some homework. Joe Biden wrote the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. Start there.
The Republicans stick together like a rock. The Democrats are going to eat each other alive, and Trump is going to saunter through the carnage to victory in 2020.
8
You are absolutely correct here. After this sad article and comments, I am resigned to endure another 4 years of incompetency and corruption.
The Democrats might as well go all in on impeachment now. It can't possibly hurt their already dim chances in 2020 with this fracture in the base.
1
The time for politicians who will do what is necessary to get re elected is over. The time is now for government officials who will do the right thing for our country and for our people. Joe Biden has always done what is necessary to get elected. He always caves to political pressure. It ended the hearings with Clarence Thomas because of political pressure. Is voted in favor of things he now regrets because of political pressure. That is his history. That is his method of operation and that is not what we need in our president going forward. Trump has given us the example of a president who will not bow to political pressures and will do that which he believes is the right thing to do. Unfortunately this very positive characteristic is found in a president who lacks any moral integrity. Fortunately there's one candidate who will never bowed to political pressure and has always voted his conscience. #Bernie2020!
5
@Renay Rodriguez
Nominating Sanders will ensue Trump’s victory.
While we wait for the perfect candidate who will sweep the election — let’s hope we get a candidate who also knows how to win. People vote emotions. Trump is a master at appealing to base emotions. And right now, he dominates because he knows how to appeal to fears: white middle class and working class fears of survival. Do Democrats?
Sounds more like she’s the one getting ready for a career in politics.
4
And this is where the DEMS Lose the 2020 election.....in the quest for purity, discarding a man of Biden's gravitas will disenfranchise enough of the needed white-male-over-50 crowd to ensure Trump's continued reign of terror. So SAD that this once great country can not find its way...
9
Ms. Hill is spot on, his apology is not enough and demonstrates a flat learning curve.
6
Most people evolve as the years go by and would never say or do things they said or did 10 or 20 years ago. Joe Biden is a very good man with a great deal of compassion and extended an olive branch in to Ms. Hill in good faith. Since apparently that wasn't enough, just what would she like?
6
Good question. What she (and the rest of us) is going to get is 4 more years of Trump.
2
The many comments regarding Biden and his role in the Thomas hearings as they relate to Ms. Hill raise many issues. There is no denying that both the Thomas and Kavanaugh hearings were a travesty and the public and Senate must learn from them. That point aside, how many politicians with any record have cast votes on issues regarding abortion, gay rights, immigration, criminal sentencing, drug policy, gun rights, military conflicts or any number of issues that are now no longer "mainstream"? Who among us would want to be judged by positions held or actions taken 30yrs ago when they could be considered "mainstream" but are now no longer so? While we encourage, and expect, society to evolve on issues, we often penalize politicians if their positions change over time. Shouldn't we judge someone on who he/she is now, and politicians on where they stand now on important issues if we believe that they are genuinely held? If you believe that any of Biden's prior positions or actions disqualify him from being president and you would prefer a 2nd Trump term, then vote for Trump or a 3rd party candidate. Biden is not perfect, and we should continue to search for the best candidate. However, we should not let "perfect" be the enemy of "acceptable".
4
@Bob Parker
True that "Biden is not perfect," and I DO think his treatment of Anita Hill then and NOW "disqualify him from being president."
How slow on the uptake can a MAN be, iyho, and still be qualified to lead our country out of the depths the Republicans have dragged us to?
5
@Pecan
I respect your opinion, and admit that being a white male in his late 60's I likely have a different set of experiences on which to form my opinions - one of which is NOT bias against women. Single issue voters in the Republican party (e.g., abortion, guns, immigration) were successful in electing Trump and I do believe that Democrats need to exhibit some degree of single issue voting by voting against anyone who is for example: Republican, or votes against gun control, or votes against reproductive choice, etc. If any position that does not support women's rights in your opinion disqualifies a candidate, that is your choice. However, I implore you to actively work for the candidate of your choice in the primaries, and I hope you will support the ultimate Democrat candidate, warts and all. Defeating Trump is "job-one".
@Bob Parker
If Biden (or even the non-Democrat, Old Bernie,) gets the nomination, I will vote for him. Agree that getting the illegitimate "president" out of office is more important than anything else.
"I wish there is something I could have done," says Joe. As others pointed out, there was plenty he could have done. Does he want people to think he is impotent or powerless?
This is not the time for an impotent or ineffective leader. His apology is an abdication of responsibility and failure to express true remorse. Joe Biden could have demonstrated courage and made those hearings a defining moment for fairness if he had A) allowed other witnesses to testify, and b) told his Republican Senate colleagues that they were going over the line. But he wanted to be liked and accepted more than he wanted to maintain boundaries and decency. This has nothing to do with "those times" This has to do with courage and character.
As a teacher, I see this same dynamic in some of my colleagues. They want their students to like them. So they don't set boundaries or maintain standards. And then the students are out of control.
For most of us, there comes a time when we must decide - to stand by our beliefs and take a stand, despite being disliked for it. Or to go with the crowd. Those moments define who we are. We need leaders, now, who will fight for what they believe - who will fight for American Democracy no matter the costs. This is a national moment when we are called to take a stand, when we are called to be courageous no matter the costs.
12
This excuse of that was a different time makes no sense to me. Our underlying, basic, values as a society have remained the same and those include hearing both sides of the story and making sure that witnesses who offered to give their testimony were given a fair chance to be heard. Biden almost seems to suggest that as Chairman his hands were tied and he was helpless. If he could not handle the responsibilities of Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, then how can he be entrusted with the Presidency of this country? Finally, how do we plan to hold people accountable for their actions if we continue to say let the past lie in the past?
5
Whomever the Democratic nominee is, I will vote for him/her unless there is evidence of a serious character flaw or criminal wrongdoing. Dems must stop eating their own because the GOP will do far more damage to women's rights, healthcare etc. in the next 6 years if they win again in 2020. Keep your eyes on the prize, people. The GOP excels in this... and they best us every time, state and federal levels alike.
5
I remember the Anita Hill testimony and interrogation vividly and decided then and there that I could never support Biden. As a white male I viewed the hearings as brutal and nasty, almost beyond belief. To frame them in terms of white men interrogating a black woman or in terms of the me-too movement is a-historical and diminishes what happened and Biden's responsibility. I believe that Biden and others were skittish about the optics of opposing a black nominee for the Supreme Court. Biden's failure was not one of insensitivity towards women but a failure to put fairness and principle ahead of politics.
6
Anita Hill should think twice, lest she help reelect Donald Trump. She certainly won't find any "real change and real accountability and real purpose" there- just more suppression of women and their rights.
2
@Dianne Jackson
How sad it is to STILL read comments blaming Anita Hill for what she "should" do and what she "won't find."
Biden's treatment of her and of ALL the women and girls and boys he's hugged, smelled, stroked, etc. are enough to make anyone see that he's not equipped for the job he'd like to have bestowed upon him.
Perhaps Ms. Hill should focus on why 11 Democratic senators voted to confirm Thomas. There clearly was sufficient evidence that he should not be confirmed based on her testimony, and I doubt that additional corroborating witnesses would have swayed them to change their votes. I’m not defending Mr. Biden, but I think too much is being made of this by Ms. Hill, who wants an “apology” and perhaps another 15 minutes of fame. The Democrats - and I’m registered as one but have voted for candidates across the political spectrum - need to be very careful about who their nominee is because only a few of the declared candidates in my opinion have a realistic chance of winning next year. Biden, Klobuchar and maybe Harris or Booker. The rest of them seem to think that any Democrat will beat Trump, so why not join the group.
2
Stop the lynching, if he was fit to be vice president, he is fit to be president. Enough is enough, and get over it. What else should he do, ask for mercy?
I can't stand these people who come out after twenty years. Go back where you came from, I had it with you just trouble makers.
5
@Templer
Lynching is a word that should be reserved for the actual deed. Biden is simply being questioned about the timing and nature of his apology. He is not being taken out of his home, tortured, and killed for something he did not do. Ms. Hill did not come out after twenty years, Biden brought the subject up, and the press came to her opinion of it. How you can turn Biden into a victim in this situation is truly amazing and totally misses the point.
9
@Templer men vote for men. They barely believe women now and nwvwe didn’t back then.
Why wait until now? If his apology looks insincere and opportunistic it is probably because it can be indeed insincere and opportunistic.
8
Dear NYT,
I'm getting really concerned about the journalistic neutrality and integrity of your paper lately. It seems that every time there is news about Biden, the NYT counters it with front-page articles with clickbaity titles aimed at inflaming progressive outrage. It would be helpful if you included, for example, a link to the hearing and perhaps a summarized transcript so people could actually see what happened and what Biden said. People assume that he acted horribly without having actually watched the tape, and you're feeding into those assumptions with inflammatory titles like this one. Or, make something like this an opinion piece rather than masquerading as objective journalism. This is definitely not the first time this has happened in the NYT, and I've never seen you do this with Sanders. I'm actually pretty close to closing my subscription and moving to WSJ or LAT.
Sincerely, a concerned daily reader.
6
@D And perhaps the good old NYT could analyze its own coverage of the hearings and see how tone deaf they sound, 28 years and lots of social changes later.
3
It’s easy all these years later to have the nuances of today be more important than what the reality was of that specific time and place.
I am sure if all of us could have a do over we would. Maybe we should understand/reevaluate why President Bush even nominated Clarence Thomas in the first place to fill the seat of a icon civil rights king. Was he under intense right wing pressure to put the husband of a conservative rich elite woman on the bench to slow the pace of civil rights?
Everyday when we wake up we have an opportunity to learn from our mistakes and as a country grow and become better people.
Presently we have a dangerous franatic with his minions in the White House. Unfortunately we have had the stupidity of white men , women in the last Supreme Court appointment to make sure like Thomas , Kavanaugh Would be placed on the Supreme Court. This time the issue exposed was sexual assault and being a frat boy drunk. The white men all did the same thing, humiliated the woman with the help of a president and Susan Collins voted for his candidacy. We refuse to learn and realize that sexual assaults, racism ,Jim Crow can no longer rule the day. Despite everything we know people still act in hostile ways to others that may endanger there lives.
Going forward when crimes against humanity in this country happen we need to hold these people accountable ASAP We need to be nimble , understand the issues and mobilize. Nothing else is acceptable.
2
“To this day, I regret I couldn’t give her the kind of hearing she deserved.” Mr. Biden's no-apology apology is exactly what's galling and makes one wary of how he'll handle the responsibilities of the presidency. He couldn't give her the hearing she deserved? On the basis of what expedient, political trade-offs at the time? At the very least, a real honest-to-god apology is owed at this time, acknowledging personal culpability - with no front-loaded "but" attached to it. I've been a Biden supporter but I am now skeptical as to whether he has changed enough.
10
I like Joe Biden, but this call was clearly political and too little/much too late.
Good for Ms. Hill. The time to do the right thing is at the time, not decades later when it suits your political purpose.
I like Joe, and I will look past that episode. But what happened back then was a smear on every member of that panel, including Joe, but not just Joe. That doesn't mean he should be foregiven by Ms. Hill.
10
Professor Hill, I’m sure you’ve done things in your life, perhaps long ago, that you regret. But that makes you human, doesn’t it? Joe Biden has the experience, intelligence and humanity that I look for in a leader. His apology may not “be enough” for you, but it’s more than enough for many voters.
2
@Dan Shannon
By my lights: It’s not enough, and his behavior during the hearings was deplorable. Period. Still, while he’s not Buttigieg, he’s remains in my top five.
2
If Joe Biden was not running for President he would not have called Anita Hill to express regret. So this regret and apology is not genuine. Is not from his heart.
13
One is hard-pressed to understand Anita Hill's angst against Joe Biden. The actual man who sexually assaulted her is serving on the Supreme Court, voted for by at least fifty-one other Senators.
However, Biden's "apology" rings hollow. If he felt any regret, he had almost thirty years to do it, not now that he's running for president.
5
Criminy.....right out of the gate Biden lays a big fat egg!
Does he really think that Americans, let alone Anita Hill are going to buy into that phone call being an sincere apology?
For godssakes, Joe, you've had a decade to make that phone call and you decide to do it on the eve of announcing for the presidency?
Joe Biden will be playing defense for this entire election season. He has decades of baggage (like the Anita Hill mess) with which Trumpist will simply bludgeon him into the ground. He's just not the right candidate. No matter how badly he still wants to be the president.
But...if he emerges as the Democratic candidate, he will have my vote. I will vote against Trump if I have to, though I'd love to vote *for* someone.
7
@Bob Burns
He’s also too old. Way too old. But we need to pick someone who can win, so...?
1
Why cant she forgive after all these years?Her bitterness should be towards Clarence Thomas and former President Bush who nominated an unqualified man to the Supreme Court. Biden has served his country honorably for most of his life.
7
Biden’s “apology” now is clearly suspect, given current context. In the basic meaning of “apology,” the question is really not about his being sorry, but rather an explanation for what he now considers his misdeed. It’s a bit tiring to hear once again about a politician's “evolving” to justify new-found candidacy. The country needs for Trump to go; but that doesn’t mean going back to the old “song-and-dance” routines of pols before him to make things right. Substance is the key.
127
@wak
That's absurd.
ALL women's rights organizations have called Biden one of their strongest "heroes", for years already.
So not only did Biden recognize that at hindsight, in a very complicated situation (= not allowing an African-American male candidate to be taken down by unfounded stereotypes, in a context where finding evidence about them was almost impossible) he did take the wrong decision, for DECADES already, since then, he has been and continues to be a real champion in DC, when it comes to legislation advancing women's rights.
Imho, the only "evolving" needed here is for certain "ordinary citizens" to FINALLY start doing some serious fact-checking before giving in to the overall cynicism - because not only did cynicism never help us move forward, it's precisely cynicism that led to the utterly corrupt GOP to win the 2016 elections in the first place.
Result? Where as a vice-president Biden fought hard to improve women's rights globally, and with success, the Trump administration this week has been the ONLY country to block a UN resolution that called for strengthening international measures to make sure that wartime victims of rape get access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.
So with all respect, but THAT is the DIRECT consequence of attitudes like the one you're describing in your comment here.
Cultivate ignorance and cynicism, as you're doing, and the entire country and world will be worse off.
Substance IS the key indeed.
14
@Eyes Wide Open
Yeah. To then say the exact opposite the next day. And to then have to conclude that both statements were actually deliberate lies.
You can't have a government for the people if it isn't a government by the people. That means that as citizens, we have to engage, rather than hoping for silver bullets and simplistic answers to inevitably complicated questions.
Of course, SOME questions are extremely simple to answer though. Example: show us your tax returns ...
2
@Eyes Wide Open
With all respect, what women's rights organizations do is evaluating legislative decisions that advance women's rights.
You can call that "political reasons", but changing the politics in this country is EXACTLY what women's rights is all about, remember? Not fighting against adultery ...
Apart from that, women's rights organizations indeed also endorse candidates, during an election. It's absurd, however, to imagine that that means that they approve of every single thing a candidate ever did. Instead, they merely state WHO of both candidates will advance women's rights legislation most, when elected.
Biden has a very impressive record, when it comes to real legislative change for women. You can't just dismiss that because of a mistake he made three decades ago.
The only way to make real progress, in a democracy, is to IMPROVE things, rather than cynically rejecting almost everyone just because nobody turns out to be entirely perfect ... (and no, grand-fatherly, asexually touching females is NOT "evidence of inappropriate behavior", even though all men should respect it when certain women don't like any form of asexual physical contact AND let them know when it happens. Here too, we need moral CLARITY, rather than just rejecting almost any move a man might have made ... ).
2
After reading many of the comments here this AM I feel Joe Biden’s convenient apology to Ms. Hill 28 years too late may have just handed the democrats a winning 2020 platform.
All democrat candidates should run on what they would like to do for ALL families, women, children, the environment and climate change, a living wage, health care, voters rights, LGBTQ rights....everyday American concerns.
Women of all colors, races and Socio-economics make up a very large voting block, maybe even larger than men.
Galvanize your rage, VOTE!
Honestly, there is NOTHING the bigot in the whitehouse (OR at mara largo) can use from his policies to defend these positions with.
2 years and he and the republicans are still separating parents from children and sticking them in cages...just ask Kirsten Nielsen, still suppressing our votings rights, making it harder for minorities to vote just read the news.
2
@Manderine
Picture the bigot in a debate where the questions are about the environment, what he and his administration has done to help our planet, or what has his administration done to fix healthcare after promising to deceived beautiful health care for all???
We have video tapes.
And what about those steel and coal jobs?
Now that he has been in charge what has he done that benefits the majority of Americans lives?
Joe Biden would be a terrible Democratic candidate. His opinions have changed with the wind. He once opposed Roe versus Wade, then changed his mind. He was "tough on crime" and helped introduce legislation that made the US the large country with the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world, 14 times as high as Japan. He supported the invasion of Iraq. And the list goes on.
But the reason he will be rejected by Democrats is that he is not liberal enough on feminism. That is, he failed to have the current views of feminists on the Me Too movement, but back in 1991. That is 28 years ago!
And the current views are wrong. One of the reasons that Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election is that she pushed feminism too hard, Gloria Allred was visible in her campaign. Gloria Allred had organized the 60 accusers who had used the pages of the New Yorker to portray Bill Cosby as a sexual predator. That news coverage, with none of the accusers having gone through the legal process (called due process in the constitution), led to a conviction.
The New York Times and New Yorker conveyed the false impression that 60 women could not lie, even if subject to group pressure, that it was OK to elect a district attorney who ran on the platform of achieving a conviction.
The majority was wrong when it believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Now they are wrong to believe Gloria Allred that feminism justifies scuttling due process.
Democracy is dead.
@Jake Wagner
You are mistaken on many points.
3
Bill Cosby had the benefit of money to hire the best attorneys to defend him-I'm confident that ensured his was subject to due process. Cosby was found criminally guilty and civilly liable.
It's pathetic that advocating against sexual assault, unequal pay, discrimination, et al. are viewed, by you, as solely 'feminist' causes; causes which turn voters away. Try imaging these as human rights which are fought for by vocal, unintimidated women.
4
@Jake Wagner
You are right about one thing.
In this country democracy is dying and no one can stop it apparently.
1
While you can criticize Joe Biden for the conduct of the Clarence Thomas hearings, as I watched them I knew he did what he was accused of...let's also call out all of the Senators that voted him in. As I recall Joe Biden voted against his nomination.
Biden was a Democrat presiding over hearings on a Republican nominee. Maybe he didn’t want to be/look partisan. How quaint.
2
"Sorry, is not enough" is a personal thing between Biden and Hill. She did just fine, in the end.
What I'd like to hear from Biden is an apology to the nation for allowing Clarence Thomas to become a Supreme Court Justice! That's what he must apologize for.
6
One of the most fundamental elements of civil society is the ability to accept responsibility for mistakes and misdeeds and to apologize unreservedly. So, to read that Vice President Biden has offered the bare minimum to Professor Hill — and only in service of his presidential bid — is mind boggling. We have to wonder, why is it so hard to take that responsibility for candidate Biden? And in this regard, how is he different from Trump?
2
He's probably sorry Ms. Hill was harmed because of the way he handled the trial, but I'm certain he's more sorry that his actions have caused his career harm. Mr. Biden would make a great Secretary of State; he should take the next 18 months to prepare for that role instead.
2
I doubt that Trump would nominate him for that position.
Biden made a moral and political mistake regarding Anita Hill. But he does not have an "Anita Hill Problem," at least as far as the 2020 election is concerned. Let's think clearly here. If it comes down to Biden versus Trump, someone offended by Biden's history is going to vote for Trump? Biden can defeat Trump. Bernie - maybe not. Let's keep our priorities straight.
3
Give me a break. Are we really going to tear down Biden over this and strengthen the incumbent who is well known as a “champion” of women’s rights? Time to move on and look ahead at the bigger picture. Or accept 4 more years of the same. Go Joe!!
3
Jeez - it's been how many years now? Can't we focus our worry on the fire that's burning down our house?
6
There are many candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. We can find one who, during the entirety of their adulthood, knew it was wrong to use their leadership role to harass, humiliate and try to discredit a woman testifying about the sexual assaults perpetuated upon her by a POTUS nominee.
Trump surely appreciates all this Democratic suicidal connivance in taking out a serious contender to unseat him. Wonder what the theme of his second inaugural will be?
4
If this isn't virtue signaling, I don't know what is.
1
She came off as weak and unsure. She can't blame Joe Biden for that.
2
In addition to Anita Hill, we are all still paying the very heavy price for Biden's refusal to do the right thing and allow Anita Hill to call corroborating witnesses. We have been paying for Biden's lack of leadership in the form of 28 years of Clarence Thomas, the right wing Scalia automaton, on the Supreme Court. Is Biden sorry about that too?
4
In hindsight the Thomas Hearings should have been carried out differently. I do agree that Biden was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He was obviously trying to balance the testimony about Clarence Thomas' improper behaviour with what he and others felt would be viewed as the take down of a black male jurist. In hindsight this was not the correct thing to do.
What Biden's over-all record does show is that he has done a lot to further women and minority rights. That's just a fact. He was also a fine vice president to Obama for 8 year.
If Biden becomes the nominee and progressive democrats sit out the election because they are angry about the Thomas Hearings you will be left with that great defender of women and minority rights, Donald Trump.
4
I'm not going to vote for Joe Biden regardless of Anita Hill. Ms. Hill is one problem in a tapestry of problems with Joe Biden. He is quite frankly the wrong man for the time. He is the opposite of the Dude if you know what I mean. He is very un-Dude like.
You almost get a sense of Clinton déjà vu. This candidacy could possibly have worked at some point but not now. Joe Biden should have stayed out of the race altogether. Democrats better recognize. The man is a walking liability.
2
Thank you Anita Hill!
As much as I support(ed) Joe Biden before I knew what happened to you.
What happened to you was wrong then and is wrong now!
Real change must happen now!
1
I will vote for Biden ONLY if he puts Kamala Harris on the ticket.
That way, he may be partly forgiven for what he did to Anita Hill.
1
Sorry Joe. Too little, too late.
2
In his own eyes, Mr. Biden is always right or-- at worst-- the victim of circumstances. He tried to call other female witnesses but they were reluctant, he states, but this was not true. In point of fact, he let her get trashed. He didn't call her to apologize coincidentally at this moment in time (he has had decades) -- it's damage control for his campaign. It's similar to his touching and kissing of women-- his motives are pure so the behavior is OK. (Most women I know would slap the heck out of some guy who did that.)
Sunny and upbeat he may be, but this is pretty mainstream chauvinism. It is disqualifying. Sunny Joe needs to spend some time reflecting on his misdeeds rather than campaigning.
1
How about Joe Biden listen and act on Ms. Hill’s request to make Women’s Rights front and center to his campaign. It crosses all platforms. Economic equality, healthcare, criminal justice, political equality, educational opportunity, ....... Racism and white male entitlement is at the base of much of our historical foundation, it is systemic. Truth and reconciliation before reparations is a beginning. None of these events happen in a vacuum. Joe, invite Ms. Hill to hit the trail with you hold town halls with her, use your mutual experience to seek a path forward. Give her a voice in your campaign.
1
I like Joe but agree that he has much to answer for, especially with Anita Hill. (It is often forgotten that he eventually voted against Clarence Thomas and that the Republicans would have voted for Thomas under any circumstances.) Let's listen to Biden and all of the others before we make up our minds. It is no excuse but let's remember that we ALL are products of our time. Some of the young people here who refuse to even consider Biden because of his inappropriate feelings and actions decades ago may come to find some years down the road that they were guilty of the crime of ageism when they were younger because it was common to demean older people at that time. We all are mixtures of good and bad behavior and our lives should be measured and balanced by assessing all we have done.
Biden is going to answer for what his role was when Obama knew the Russians were hacking us and did nothing out of fear of political repercussions. It's bad enough that Biden paved the way for Kavanaugh but did he also pave the way for Trump?
Why reach out to her through an intermediary. He has enough resources to reach out to her directly. Request a face to face meeting.
Also, I believe Mr Biden should have done this during his vice presidency. That was 8 years long. There opportunities that should be availed. He had 8 years to reflect upon his entire public career, he could have asked one of his staffers to compile everything so he could analyze it because one never knows when they might be running for the office of the presidency.
Mr Biden should recuse himself for this race. He would simply be tarnishing whatever respect he might have.
5
Why did he bother to apologize before she asked for one? This is what bothers me about Biden. He just doesn’t know how to navigate today’s political world. Would he be a good President? Yes, certainly better than the one we have now. But he just so clumsy in public that it worries me that he’ll do a Hillary on the campaign trail and give us Trump for four more years. And, while we’re at it, why wouldn’t you want an endorsement from President Obama’s? Joe, I’m sorry to say this, but I think your ship sailed five years ago.
2
US women's rights organizations literally call Biden one of their strongest "heroes" because of having made fighting for women's rights a centerpiece of his achievements in DC - and despite his mistake 3 decades ago with Anita Hill.
At the same time, the current administration was this week the only one to force the UN to water down a resolution that would strengthen the world's response to using rape in wars.
As Human Rights Watch wrote:
"Even after a compromise was reached – one that omitted the language around sexual and reproductive health, but referenced a previous resolution that does – the US doubled down and refused to accept any language that recognized that victims of rape in war should have access to sexual and reproductive health services. The Trump administration believes this implies access to abortion. The resolution was ultimately adopted without any language on access, a victory for the Trump administration and a major blow to the global women’s rights movement."
It's too easy to judge a man for what he did three decades ago alone. Biden has shown that his high moral standards made him understand his mistake during the Hill hearings, and much more importantly, learn from it and become a women's champion.
Trump not only did much worse thirty years ago, his administration is now leading the world in REDUCING women's rights, including basic things such as access to sexual and reproductive HC for war rape victims.
THAT is what we should be talking about.
2
Biden doesn't know it - but he is closer to Trump and Bush II then to any of the other Dem's candidates and even a Romney.
Chickening out in 2016, for whatever reasons, in addition to all his other baggage is also not a great idea.
I think he just wants a bit of that adoration of running and giving speeches, collecting money from senior citizens and some unions for his campaign, and then gracefully bowing out sometimes in March 2020.
People all over the world want anti-establishment. That some pretend to be that and lie about who they really are to get elected (45), mobster establishment, does not make that less so.
Warren, Biden, Bernie. All should take a bow and give us not Coke light but a real alternative to the orange monster.
1
If Republican logic holds, a "me top" from Anita Hill is Biden's secret weapon.
Republican's will now have to consider him AT LEAST Trump's equal, and possibly more attractive, given that Hill is the the source of their greatest derision.
Mr. Biden: Repair the nation and promise to appoint her to the SCOTUS as the ultimate act of ownership and contrition.
1
The only person I want to be President of the United States less than Biden, is Trump (well, and the rest of Trump's ilk too).
1
Where I come from : if you don’t take my apology than I am done with you. It takes a big person to offer an apology and a small person to decline it.
3
I would like to know why the supposedly liberal mainstream media talked about nothing but the hug-gate when that came out and now non stop coverage about an apology phone call. Move on to bigger things!
Forget the trending on Twitter.
Focus instead on one's expressed regret for one's own sins, present and past. If the one "offended" rejects the regret, move on. The burden of judgment then lies with them.
How appropriate the photo chosen for this NYT article that Ms.Hil has her arms folded and, smile-less, is standing next to a brick wall. Her personal trending of forgiveness is far from uplifting.
1
While we grill the candidates for mistakes and blemishes, let us not forget that the current US president, who wants to be that for four more years, is getting away with so many serious transgressions that we have lost count and hope for justice.
1
It will still be a “hold my nose vote” if Biden is the nominee based on this incident and his attachment to the money side of Washington. My vote is always cast with our judicial system in mind. No more Kavanaughs please! I’ll be gone before the “originalists” SCJs so replacement for Ginsburg and any liberal judges of age needs to be in Democratic hands. Press On Regardless.
2
This should not be the lead headline - it is not the most important news today. Stop churning controversy - it's bad for all of our healths. He said she said is news, but don't lead the public to believe this is what we should be most concerned about.
1
Shouldnt Ms Hill be focussing her anger at the individual who presumably actually harassed her - Clarence Thomas - who has been sitting in the Supreme Court for decades now routinely joining "fellow conservative" judges in imposing morality on sinful females?
2
The problem for me is not so much that Biden & others failed at the hearing. It’s that the history & testimony are out there and Thomas is still a Supreme Court justice.
7
Sad stunt, sad response.
Why don’t the Democrats just campaign for Trump, they’re doing a great job helping him out so far.
11
Too little and too late. Most definitely! But I read these comments and sadly realize we probably better prepare ourselves for another four years of Trump as we Democrats continue to demand candidates whose pasts without any stain from their past.
3
@Mary Wilson
Too little ... ?
Although ALL women's rights organizations call Biden one of their strongest "heroes" today, because of his record on women's rights in DC, somehow an article that omits these crucial facts and only quotes Hill asking "real change" is enough to make you imagine that since that sad event 3 decades ago, he did "too little"... ?
Preparing ourselves to get rid of Trump only means one thing: getting our facts right, rather than blindly believing all the negativity that once again the media will mainly focus on.
In the meanwhile, Trump this week has been the only president in the world forcing the UN to drop a resolution that wanted to strengthen the access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for war victims of rape. Women's organizations called it a "major blow for women's rights globally".
THAT indeed is what happens when non GOP voters can't get their facts right and get brainwashed by the media's 24/7 negativity cycle.
I'm not claiming that the Times is cultivating rampant cynicism (THE main cause of the results of the 2016 elections) deliberately. But sticking to the old notion of being a "critical journalist" by systematically focusing on the negative is no longer doing society any good in the era of 24/7 fake news.
Now, we need to go back to Kantian notions of criticism, which mean showing the very foundations of reality as it is, INCLUDING all the positive ones.
Maybe for profit media can't do this, but WE as citizens definitely CAN.
1
If Biden is the Democratic Party Candidate for POTUS. I will not vote for him. I will vote for the Green party Candidate instead.
The Democratic National Committee is preparing to make the same mistake that they made in 2016 and ram the nomination of a so-called "moderate" neoliberal candidate down out throats because they are throughly in the thrall of Wall Street and the corporations.
This strategy is nothing but GOP light. Look at Biden's record this is not a progressive candidate who will lead the cause of reform of medical care insurance and drug policy nor will he end this nation's endless foreign war that is warping out military and damaging our military personnel. Witness the prevalence of PTSD and the aberrations like the current Navy Seal scandal.
Given his legislative history We cannot count on Biden to not go along to get along and that is not what we need in a POTUS.
4
@Richard From Massachusetts
In real life, Biden has been the ONLY vice-president who managed to make us achieve a huge leap forward, when it comes to universal healthcare.
And looking at his legislative history means recognizing, as all women's rights organizations today do, that Biden has been one of their strongest heroes.
In the meanwhile, Trump just blocked a UN resolution that would increase access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for women in war zones who were victims of rape.
Voting for a Green candidate in 2020 means ACTIVELY supporting the achievements of the Trump administration and turning both this country and the world into an anti-progressive direction.
You can do so if you want, but PLEASE in that case stop claiming that you're a progressive.
1
@Richard From Massachusetts
And if you vote for a Green Party candidate, you will be voting for Mr. Trump. Is that what you want?
The next American election will be critical for the whole planet, not just your corner of it. Think long and hard before you sign us all over to the depredations of the GOP and their dinosaurian policies.
@LauraF
I don't agree with your premise that voting for the Green Party Candidate in the face of a Biden nomination by the Democratic Party is tantamount to voting for Trump.
I am not a member of the Democratic Party I am an independent. Part of what is wrong with this country is the idea that there are only two viable political parties and that a third party vote is a wasted vote.
The incumbent political party duopoly is fully in the hands of the plutocrats on Wall Street. A vote for either Joe Biden or Donald Trump is a vote for the status quo in the USA which is Oligopoly.
Apparently only apologized when thinking it would benefit him politically. As the saying goes ‘a day late and a dollar short.’
5
“I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose.”
What does this even mean? What could Biden (or anyone) do to satisfy this request? There's no winning here...only decades long grudges that can apparently no longer be discussed or resolved.
2
I certainly like the comments of Ms. Barbara Boxer. She sounds like a great lady and a great polititian.
Typical famous-person apology: "I'm sorry for how you feel." This does not take responsibility for his part in making her feel that way or, more specifically, for "what she endured." Being a good vice president to Mr. Obama (as someone in these comments stated) does not make him a champion for gender equality or sensitive to the unique and almost universal experiences of women and women of color. Furthermore, Biden's jocularity around his current controversy demonstrates a disturbing inability to respect other people's feelings (whether or not we understand or agree with them) and take responsibility for his actions.
4
Joe stop apologizing to Hill and start "Making America Really Great" by getting Trump out. We learn from our past but reliving the past bogs down the future. Even after you did apologize, thinking you were doing right, apparently Hill says "nope, still not enough for me." Forget Hill because I and other Americans want to move on. I don't care about hurting her feelings-you know how many times I and others have been hurt in our life-times, and we don't demand a re-do.
1
I respect both Anita Hill and Joe Biden. If these two people of integrity and good will cannot find a way forward together, who can?
97
@Judy A typical blame the victim when the perpetrator will not admit their crimes response.
11
Why would Anita Hill ever have any obligation to move forward with Joe Biden? Why would an apology excuse his actions at a time when he showed his true colors?
7
@Judy--because there is no forgiveness in the democratic heart. There is no belief that someone can evolve, change their mind or opinions about things past. So they are guilty forever.
Unless you're a real prisoner, in a prison. Then you should be forgiven and released.
3
The Hill/Thomas hearings are etched in my memory. I suffered with Professor Hill. But times have changed and the attitudes of 30 years ago are quite a far cry of those of today. If the so-called progressive Democrats, especially us women, don’t stop finding fault with everyone of their candidates that come down the road, we will be in the grip of the Republican Party tyranny for years to come. I am deeply disappointed with Professor Hill’s need for revenge at this point in our nation’s history. We need a strong, supportive message right now, not a negative one. The Republicans won’t have to do a thing to win because the way the Democratic Party is behaving it will lose the election on their own. Oh Please Grow Up Dems.
1
I find it infuriating that many people act like this was a "different time" and people weren't aware of this happening. Well, I was outraged then and I'm outraged now. Senator Biden's behavior wasn't benign or neglectful, it was deliberate and this story makes that crystal clear. I have been a Democrat all my life, and will work hard for the party nominee in 2020 whoever it is, but I think we can do so much better than Joe Biden. Too old and way too much baggage. I stood with Anita Hill then, and I still do. Believe women!
3
Joe, listen and learn. Make it real, or else forget about it.
Biden needs to do better on this one. His defensiveness about this whole issue has already hurt him. He needs to build on his initial response, which was to say he will listen and learn.
Anita Hill is absolutely right, and he should start by listening and learning from her. He should actually meet with her and listen to every word she says. She is a brilliant woman, who was badly mistreated, including by Biden himself.
And let's not forget that the whole fiasco resulted in the confirmation of one of the worst Justices of all time, Clarence Thomas. His presence is a constant reminder of the failure of the Senate Judiciary committee to vet him properly and to protect our nation. He is a partisan to the core, and now he is part of a conservative majority that will do real damage.
Yes, it was a different time, and Biden was more concerned about race than gender, but come on. Apologizing all these years later just before you announce your candidacy? Of course it comes across as inadequate and insincere, especially when there is no depth to it.
2
Biden reminds me of the male obstetrician who replaced the female midwife I was expecting to be my caregiver throughout my pregnancy until she left the practice with no notification to me. "There, there" was his patronizing attitude to me. "I will take good care of you." No. We each need NOT to rely on a daddy to take care of our planet. We need someone who has more forceful ideas, isn't patronizing, and isn't tangled into the webi of money that is our democracy. Several other candidates fit this profile much better than Biden. Though as an older uncle Biden might be fine.
Everyone is sorry after the damage is done. And apologies must be public.
A chairman of the senate judiciary committee is someone who should have the maturity and wherewithal to understand his purpose in a judiciary hearing and make good judgments so s/he would not need to be sorry later for those judgments.
This telephone call was no apology. A highly calculated move to manipulate a woman and women in general another time so he could continue with his agenda.
The most appropriate thing to do would have been to go on the record in a televised speech and discussed everything, especially the significant things that people remember - Anita Hill being near the top, he has done in his public life and reflect upon it with the maturity that has come with age, the white hair on his head.
3
So, Biden is responsible for Kavanaugh, but not McConnell, Trump, Grassley, etc. I know it's tough. Black Americans especially have been asked time and again to postpone, to wait, to slow down. told that the time is not yet ripe. Dr. King addressed this in his Notes From a Birmingham jail.
With the number of candidates the Democrats have, there is a likelihood of great bitterness at the end of the primary process on the part of supporters whose candidates were not successful and of people whose primary issues were not addressed sufficiently. I have been somewhat encouraged by remarks of AOC and even Congresswoman Omar though I think she has made ill-considered remarks as well. It is important to keep in mind that many of the newly elected House Democrats came from Red states. Gaining a majority in the House was only the first step and it could be lost. The Democrats must keep the House, win the presidency, and achieve a majority in the Senate for the nation to make progress.
I am very disappointed in Anita Hill's comments. As a teenager, I listened to the Clarence Thomas proceedings everyday on the radio. Of course I was disgusted by the outcome, which affects us to this day with Clarence Thomas still a member of the supreme court. However, in order to defeat Trump, Democrats, both men and women, have to coalesce behind a candidate. There is too much division among Democrats. Republican women are solidly in support of President Trump. They are completely unwavering in their commitment to vote for Trump. Democrats are very naïve and mistaken if they think they can persuade any meaningful number of Republican women to change their mind. I hope that is loud and clear. If we Democrats don't come together there will be 4 more years of Trump without a doubt.
1
The Democrats have to keep their eye on the ball following the rules as the game is currently played: win the electoral college and win back the Senate. We have to keep our eyes on the common good which all of the current Dem candidates embrace to a greater or lesser extent. Democrats should consider that it may be unwise to be calling any of the current candidates "unelectable" when they might have to eat their words later if the candidate gets the nomination.
For what it's worth, in terms of energy, brains, and judgment, Elizabeth Warren is probably on top. I'm not saying she's "electable," but in comparison to the others, she sounds the sharpest. With the aid of a Democratic Congress, she could remake this country along more egalitarian lines given her economic knowledge and outlook.
The truth is, Joe Biden is as weak a candidate as Hillary Clinton was in 2016, and if Democrats are going to defeat Trump, they need a strong candidate who inspires voters with something other than nostalgia. Biden is weak because of the multiple ways he has tried to demonstrate his conservative bona fides, his treatment of Anita Hill among them, and because of his two failed campaigns in 1988 and 2008.
Democrats can do better, and with nineteen other candidates out there, I am confident they will.
6
This is not going to be on the hit list of many, or maybe in a different sense it will, but given the current political situation, I really could care less about 30 years ago and would rather focus on the current desperate state of our country. Joe Biden is the best possible candidate, having knowledge and experience and a broad inclusionary, (eschewing the identity and divisive politics of his "rivals") ,vision of the future.
1
It’s not just the damage done to Anita Hill and the rejection of her legitimate claim of harassment. It’s the decades long fallout from Thomas’ arch conservative judicial rulings.
Discrimination compounds.
Which means Biden is no different from Trump when it comes to his views and treatment of a women.
Time for a new generation.
2
Joe Biden, you must be kidding. Only someone with a name synonymous with insincerity and arrogance, throw in an utter lack of shame, would remotely consider such a stunt, at the outset of a silly campaign promising more empty, pathetic nonsense.
7
@Edwin
Spot on, Edwin. Joe Biden likes to play the role of the valiant, happy warrior; but in reality he falls so far short
of the mark, he goes from being an already pathetic figure to becoming an utterly bathetic imitation of a
true and principled man.
1
@Edwin-
Gee, the description you give sound like the picture of a winning candidate-"a name synonymous with insincerity and arrogance"? Check. "An utter lack of shame"? Check. "A campaign promising empty, pathetic nonsense"? Check. Throw in a history of misogyny and sexual misbehavior, and you've got a winner.
It worked great for Trump. No reason it can't work for Biden.
Biden recently said after the groping/hair sniffing became an issue "I don't regret anything I've ever done" so he can't apologize. His ego is too well defended, kind of like YouKnowWho. They're perfect just as they are.
When a man or woman says that they have no regrets about anything and they're 77 years old, that speaks volumes. Biden wasn't mature enough 30 years ago and he still isn't.
So much for being 'old enough to know better'. Age is just a number.
11
@Yellow Girl
Most eloquently said! Age really IS just a number when
one gains no useful knowledge or becomes more mature as one gets older!
1
During the Anita Hill hearings I was in a different country and too young to be interested in American politics. But I watched Dr. Ford’s testimony and as opposed as I was to Judge Kavanaugh, I still had to conclude that I did not believe her. I looked up the Anita Hill hearings recently and the situation was very different. There was no question of false memory. I think Prof. Hill spoke the truth. But I still don’t understand what Biden could or should have done differently. That was not a court hearing. No woman should have the presumption of truthfulness just because she is a woman. Biden apologized for whatever insensitivity he had shown 30 years ago. Can we just move on? He is not my favorite among the Democratic candidates but neither is he at the bottom. Let’s stop re-litigating the past and listen to his program for the future. If I like it, I’ll vote for him, Anita Hill or not. And I am a woman and a feminist.
2
And Biden doesn't see how ridiculous he was by phoning Anita Hill.
12
Anita- Asking more than an honest apology is selfish. But you got your own article in the New York Times. Even worse, this is a just another story that cannibalizes a Democratic candidate. Keep up the good work team, you're going to give Trump the presidency again with so many ridiculous articles that give Trump the attention and the fuel he needs to power forward...again.
13
It is not Ms Hills’ actions that are hurting Joe Biden. It’s Joe Bidens’ actions that are hurting Joe Biden.
3
@Kyle There are 20 candidates, Kyle. And stop blaming the victim. we've had enough of that too.
2
@Kyle
"you got your own article in the New York Times"
And a nice photo showing the martyr with arms folded, still defiant and holding a grudge after nearly three decades. Ladies and gentlemen: Anita Hill, the face of the New Democratic Party.
So the candidate with the most name recognition and who has achieved the highest office of any candidate announces for president and the following morning the NYT headline is not about the announcement but about Anita Hill? It appears you do not like Joe Biden.
8
Your first sentence says it all. This is a phony apology. It’s a day late, and a dollar short. It’s political calculus and it’s insincere.
Thanks, but no.
16
Biden was a weak Chair at that time and should apologize for his failings in leadership to all Americans. Those failings led to Clarence Thomas on the bench for life and 30 yrs. later when nothing had changed for courageous women Blasey Ford is not taken seriously and Brett Kavanaugh is now on the bench for life. Two men - Thomas and Kavanaugh will also vote against the best interests of women.
15
My thoughts exactly.
To all you Bernie and Biden loving senior citizens, here is one of the truly good ones of your generation, David Attenborough:
'Outrage is justified'
David Attenborough backs school climate strikers. Broadcaster says older generations have done terrible things and should listen to young.
But Bernie and Joe, stubborn and egotistical, only think they can fix our ills.
Tulsi2020
3
Biden has apologized. Time to give us his vision for change and move on.
6
@Marco Man
He has NOT apologized, and his regret is 28 years late.
2
Well that was not an apology at all...he did not take personal responsibility for his own actions....so no "apology" was offered at all. I will never vote for Joe Biden under any circumstances...he is not the candidate that these times need.....he should retire w/ dignity and support the Gem candidate that the people want not the corporate DNC....Biden is the choice of Wall St, not the choice of the real grass roots people. NO Joe Biden......say that money, use it more productively, invest in small businesses or education scholarships but please don't run. He has no real platform and no ideas.
3
"She said she would like sexual harassment and gender violence to be elevated as issues during the Democratic presidential primary, and wants to hear what all of the candidates — including Mr. Biden — will do about it."
How is it possible that the NYT merely quotes her, without doing some research and answering the question for her, with proven facts?
Even the Huffington Post, which is already writing big headlines that say "Biden Bad", admits the following in its article about Hill:
"Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), the first African American member of Congress from the state, endorsed Biden on Thursday. She said she took him at his word that he wished he could have done things differently back in 1991 and said she wanted voters to give him a chance to earn their vote.
“What I have seen over the course of the years, and as a result of that hearing, [is that he] has been introspective about it, has tried to actually dedicate his life to ensuring that issues like domestic violence, equal pay, issues even regarding the representation on the Judiciary Committee, are at the forefront,” she told HuffPost on Thursday.
Indeed, since those hearings, Biden has gained widespread respect from women’s rights organizations ― many of whom opposed him during the Thomas confirmation battle. During his time as vice president, he made fighting sexual assault against women a centerpiece of his agenda."
A CENTERPIECE. How much more "change" does Hill want ... ?
5
A day late. A dime shy.
4
Just to make things interesting, Biden should defy Hill, double down and choose as a running mate Al Franken.
5
The worst wording possible, I'm afraid: "I'm sorry for what you went through" is absolutely not the same as "I'm sorry I said the things I said--please forgive me." Good grief, Joe Biden!
http://www.thecriticalmom.blogspot.com
5
Now do a front page story about the 23 women who trump is accused of sexually assaulting, including the case of "Jane Doe" the 13 year old he was accused of raping.
11
Look at how Biden handled the Kavanaugh hearing. Some mealy-mouthed "Hearing should be postponed to carefully look at....blah, blah, blah." Said only because he had the Hill albatross around his neck. He said, decades later, "I believed Her. I really did." But did he ever say, in no uncertain terms, that he believed Dr. Ford? No. Did he ever express disgust over the digesting and overt William-Barr-like Ford/Kavanaugh hearing, totally handled to protect Kavanaugh? No. His 2008 campaign manager said that, "Things have changed since (the Hill/Thomas hearings). Guess what, Ms. Solis. They haven't changed in the least. Dr. Ford was just as brutalized as Anita Hill; Kavanaugh was just as protected as Thomas by Republicans and weak Democrats; The perjuring, sexual harasser Thomas is on the Supreme Court, and the perjuring, sexual assaulting Trump...I mean, Kavanaugh is on the Supreme Court. Nothing has changed. And that is an indictment.
7
The time for privileged white men , the likes of Trump, Pence and McConnell is over. We women are no longer going to put up with ridiculous sexism and harassment from men, nor lower salaries. No more condescending remarks.
Anita Hill is a brave hero who came forward and was scorned and ridiculed. In the meantime, the sexual harasser sits on the Supreme Court and they just put another one on! Kavanaugh! Decades later and we are still dealing with the same damaging ill treatment of women.
Sorry Joe.
6
@Carla
Eloquently said, Carla. I happen to be a man, and I want you to know that decent men agree with you and don't
condone and won't tolerate any of the evils too many of
my gender have perpetrated against women from the
beginning of time!
2
Joe Biden ought to be expressing regret to Clarence Thomas for turning the confirmation hearings into a high-tech lynching. Anita Hill ought to apologize to Thomas for being a loyal aide who never complained to the recently divorced Thomas and then mendaciously slandered him on national tv on bogus charges she never saw fit to complain about while she was climbing the occupational ladder. The circumstances are eerily similar to the Kavanaugh hearings last year in which a woman suddenly remembered in psychoanalysis being sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh when she was a teenager.
Biden entered the race yesterday with a sickening, race-baiting, divisive and mendacious characterization of the Charlottesville incident, which is just as pathetically false as the Russia Collusion Delusion. He feigned outrage over Trump's assertion-- made while trying to calm the passions (which is a president's job)-- that "there were good people on both sides." More proof that Democrats do not have a single compelling issue to run on and will repeat any scurrilous lie. Trump handled the Charlottesville situation with integrity. It was clear the original protest against the desecration of Lee's statue was planned by "good people" and that they were infiltrated by white supremacists. It is also true that the good people on the left, the counter-protesters, were infiltrated by AntiFa types with clubs who blocked the entrance to the park and beat on the protestors who had a permit to use the park.
4
Joe Biden should not only apologize to Anita Hill, but to all Americans. It was his unwillingness to take a stand and provide leadership that allowed that degenerate Clarence Thomas to be on the SJC all these years. I hate Mitch McConnell and what he did, but he provided the leadership to stop an Obama appointment he didn’t like
7
How about the regret the country has endured w Clarence Thomas on the bench for 28 years?
15
The comfort Joe Biden enjoyed as part of the white male status quo was already anachronistic in 1991. His failure to call witnesses and conduct a fair hearing abrogated rules of law as old as the US Constitution. The damage he inflicted by enabling the misogynist dolt who is Clarence Thomas to mount the Supreme Court bench will last far into the future, affecting all Americans.
So how is it that Joe Biden believes one phone call to Anita Hill will address the multivalent wrongs of his actions? All it does is prove that he’s still missing the point, almost 30 years down the road.
9
@Amy L
Bingo, Amy L, and I'm a man who is just as disappointed and just as angry at weak Joe Biden now as I was 28 years ago when his failure of conscience and dismal failure of leadership as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee led to the catastrophic confirmation of Clarence Thomas, one of the most dull witted and unqualified ultra right-wing reactionaries in
American history to ever reach the Supreme Court.
2
As a 69 year old white male I have witnessed a relative sea-change in social norms, particularly with respect to gender issues, over the past 50 years. While there is a great deal yet to be done the progress thus far should not be dismissed on the basis that it is 'not enough'. Ms. Hills case in particular was a watershed moment in 'consciousness' for many, myself included.
The good-ole-boys still exist albeit in smaller numbers. I don't believe Biden is among them. Joe could meet this head on by meeting privately with Ms. Hill and one or more others for an extended conversation followed by a sincere joint statement affirming the conversation's content and Joes commitments going forward. Without something to diffuse this it will be an endless distraction from all of the candidates and from issues that desperately need airtime and print space.
2
We are all too critical in evaluating each candidate and essentially dismissing him or her . We are forgetting the alternative and that will be the four more years of Trumpian rule. I had seen how the Sanders followers were whining and moaning on the election day. I was living in a rural town in PA, I didn't see the Democrats an enthusiastic support of Hilary. She lost PA by a very thin margin. Any vote not cast for her, really made sure that Trump will win. If we obsess over Ms Hill, Pete's handling of the police chief or Kamala's policy as attorney general , and so on, then we must buckle up for Mr Trump for four more years.
1
She was right back then. She’s right now. Time we listened to her.
4
Professor Hill and Clarence Thomas, and in a different way and to a different degree Senator Biden all suffered as a result of Justice Thomas's confirmation hearings. Many people including Professor Hill seem to near revel in opportunities afforded them to regurgitate every painful moment of those hearings. I am sorry that Sen. Biden's apology is not enough for Professor Hill. Since we are not a nation that requires seppuku of those who might feel compelled to redeem themselves of dishonor, I think she should get on about her life rather than wait for anything more.
2
"That it erupted so quickly, with his campaign only hours old, suggests that Mr. Biden’s treatment of Ms. Hill will echo throughout his campaign unless he can find a way to convincingly put it to rest."
What this article shows is that, just like with Hillary, the media in general once again are perfectly ready to mainly focus on ONE negative thing, systematically ignoring the other 99% of what a candidate stands for and has proven to have accomplished.
What the last presidential election has shown is that if the media decide to do so, and if the Corrupt Party has an actor who adores negativity and thrives in it, then that candidate will win the elections.
Personally, I'm still waiting for an apology from the main media (including the Times) for having constantly focused on Hillary's emails, at a time when the battle was about the very soul of this country.
Not only did that apology never come, everything indicates that they didn't learn anything either.
The only way to fight Fox News' massive fake news' machine, is to STOP the media's tendency to focus on the negative and spectacular, not to ignore those things, but to spend MUCH more time on REAL vetting of candidates.
Real vetting of Biden, when it comes to women's rights, means giving a list of ALL that he's done on this topic, rather than focusing on ONE single event alone.
If the media refuse to do so, cynicism will only increase, among ordinary citizens. Whereas indeed, "truth matters" ...
2
Time to move on. Until a "perfect woman" can step up as a presidential candidate, you can either have Trump for another four years or stop whining about another human candidate running as candidate.
She who has never sin, should cast the first stone against Biden.
Otherwise, Trump will be the new norm.
7
This is a dilemma. On one hand you have a man who was Vice President to our first Black President and on the other, that same someone who is by many, vilified for his handling of Anita Hill's part in the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings during his appointment. All of the non-Biden people mentioned are African American.
If one is to believe Pres. Barak Obama's word, as I am, Joe Biden is valued, treasured and fully capable public servant who would be a fine president.
And, I believe every word Anita Hill has ever said. Female or make aside, she was the first person I ever remember to break that grip on that sanctimonious process of Supreme Court Judge confirmation-ing. She had enormous courage. Still does I bet.
But, I do believe also in my heart a funny truth about this world is that for most people, and I mean most, time and events are the great evolver of themselves.
One thing is for certain, Joe would make a far far better U.S. President than a Donald Trump could've ever dreamed of being.
Now, is he the best person running to get that human disaster out of our most important public office?
3
Shouldn’t Anita Hill be calling for Clarence Thomas’ apology? He’s on the Supreme Court! And he did exactly what Ms. Hill accused him of. Let’s keep our eye on the prize.
6
Did Trump ever apologize to any of the woman he molested after claiming he was entitled to due to his celebrity status (..."because when you're a celebrity, you can get away with it."
Did Trump apologize to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford after making fun of her testimony?
Has Trump ever apologized to his current wife for cheating on her while she was pregnant.
Did Trump apologize to any of the women who marched in Washington DC the day after his bizarre inauguration speech.
I did wince when Biden became the 20th candidate becaues I remembered specifically what happened to Anita Hill - who was a witness and should never have been put on trial. I undersand this because I saw it happen again when Dr. Blasey Ford was treated the same way by the Republican party members after she'd given legitimate, credible testimony and Kavanaugh threw a fit about HIS status and entitlements.
So, when if it comes down to a choice between Biden and Trump, take three guesses who I'll vote for.
And who Anita Hill in all likelihood will also vote for.
Case closed. There is no debate here. Not at all.
1
I will vote for any Democrat who is nominated. But I really hope it isn't Joe Biden.
6
For many reasons, Biden is a terrible candidate. But, if you read the comments here, you have to conclude that he is anything but a "safe" candidate to beat Trump.
1
Hill condemns Biden for"the harm he caused other victims of sexual violence and gender violence" as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee 28 years ago.
What is the condemnation based on?
1.He failed to call other women to testify who might have said something of questionable significance.
2. He "set the stage" for "the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh" who was accused by a woman of acting inappropriately nearly 40 years ago without any corroboration.
Beware of progressive Democrats lacking a sense of fairness and quick to condemn others.
3
Biden vs. Trump: Both are wealthy older white males. Both have a habit of saying rather poorly worded things in public and then taking them back. Both have problems with inappropriately fondling and otherwise mistreating women--Trump is shameless about this, while Biden apologizes but ineffectively. Biden has a sense of shame, while Trump does not (but who does this help?). Trump, while evidently corrupt, claims his mission is to empty the Washington DC swamp, of which Biden been a part of the landscape FOREVER, and has become attached to plenty of moneyed interests. Bottom line: Trump wins.
1
I have a certain amount of sympathy for Ms. Hill. I did at the time as I listened to the Thomas hearings. But it's been almost 30 years now. It's not a reason to prevent Joe Biden from helping our nation, which is in dire need of his experience and perspective.
4
Just an observation:
Biden tries to smooth over his defense of Clarence Thomas and attack of his accuser.
Trump’s defense of Kavanaugh and attack of his accuser is barely a blip on today’s radar.
The focus is now on Biden.
Democrats worry this could derail Biden.
Republicans express no concern about re-election. In 2016 “locker room talk” was the excuse and did not derail Trump’s election. It amazed me the rationale I heard from women voting for Trump. That is likely to remain unchanged.
How does this all play out in 2020?
The bar is so low for Trump that his supporters have become numb to everything Trump.
Biden, on the other hand, will be atoning for his past and scrutinized to prove he is a worthy opponent.
Rather odd, don’t you think?
1
@ArtM, kind of like a repeat of 2016 except without all of the misogyny.
Deprived of full legal inquiry into Justice C. Hill's conduct, some gut reactions:
>A. Hill “I’m willing to give him the chance. And I hope he will step up.”
Magnanimous, given what may well have happened to A. Hill those many years ago, as yet, of course, unsubstantiated by due process.
>Justice Thomas has denied any inappropriate behavior.
Open to suspicion of simply denying an old, but still real difficulty for him personally, and professionally.
Now he sits on SCOTUS, and may believe this position lends to his assertions a certain gravitas. How many of the rest of us subscribe to his belief? Let him claim to be "son of god", and i would not be inclined me to believe him, without due process.
>A. Hill: "like sexual harassment and gender violence to be elevated as issues during the Democratic presidential primary"
Entirely admirable, but what likelihood has this of happening, given the nature of both sides of the electorate, the primary concerns of each?
The US of A, beleaguered by a vast range of social problems, none of which are being attended to by the current administration, mired as it is in its own self-defense.
"Sexual harassment and gender violence" are, unfortunately, unlikely to be listed among the foremost, even by Democrats, I suspect. This tells us much about the how issues of economic inequality and general social well-being have forced attention away from issues tied to gender and ethnicity; they are deemed secondary, it seems.
Thank you, Anita Hill!
1
“Biden’s chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee during the Thomas nomination reflected his sense of institutionalism a lot more than any sense of feminism.”
This is what we call ‘institutional betrayal,’
Protecting wrongdoers and silencing right-doers.
This type of institutional allegiance has infused poor ethics and perverted values into our society.
Shift from institutional allegiance to principles driven with ethics and morality.
1
I suspect that there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to remove the scars that have festered in this poor women to turn her into an icon of sexual harassment all of her adult life.
On the other hand, this pales in comparison to Trump, and NYT must not take their eye off the ball.
Be VERY careful how you cover Biden about such things. Make absolutely certain you put at least as much emphasis on all of the good things he’s done for ALL Americans (not just women) during the decades that have ensued after that infamous hearing.
There is a reason that Biden has become such a solid “for the people” Democrat since those days. Surely hid dedication to public service to enact protective legislation for the disadvantaged serves as significant atonement.
We all bleed when we’re cut, so don’t vilify Biden for the mistake he made with this one individual. Let’s put this into proper perspective, people, and allow Biden to move forward and get that Embarrassment-In-Chief out of there
3
Please people, he is running for president of all the people. Not president of just PC identity politics people. The very fact that he has taken positions that were, shall we say, middle of the road, in the past appeals to me. And the goals: get Trump out , get him out, and thrice, Trump out. Give Biden breathing room, he can do it! No other Dem can.
4
Anita Hill was horribly treated, but for the sake of the Democrats- we must defeat Trump- I wish she were more forgiving. She was ahead of her time, he was stuck then. but he has clearly grown and changed.
2
No doubt a good portion of the posters here weren't even sentient at the time of the hearings. It was lose-lose all around. And while the times have indeed changed, what hasn't changed is the propensity for Democrats to pillory any judge or politician who doesn't reflexively embrace liberal positions. That is the real lesson of the Thomas, Bork, and Kavanaugh hearings.
1
@LTJ, agreed. The optics of derailing the appointment of the US's first black justice on the Supreme Court would have resulted in a backlash orders of magnitude greater than what we are seeing now. There really was no way to get out of that situation without some damage.
Thank you for your service Mr. Biden, but the biggest service you can do now is to step aside and let a new generation of leaders have their chance to lead. Your intentions may be good, but your instincts have failed you time and time again.
It’s not enough to recognize the clear and present danger of Trump; you must also acknowledge the GOP has become an even bigger danger - and that the Democratic Party must change to meet that threat.
There are other threats as well; capitalism must be saved from itself - corporations are now writing our laws. Climate change is an existential threat. Authoritarian regimes are ascendant around the world. “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”
The policies you supported over your long and honorable career belong to another era; the leadership of the party has become too comfortable and too beholden to Big Money - and too afraid of confrontation.
Thank you Mr. Biden, but no thanks.
2
IMO Mr Biden is too old and too old school to be our president. There many more accomplished people in the mix.
1
This article states, "Some say Mr. Biden was more sensitive to the fact that Justice Thomas was African-American than to issues of gender..." This is very likely true. The NY Times has published articles about racism in the women's suffrage movement, whose success we celebrate in NYS this year and nationally, in 2020. In fact, suffragists put women's suffrage on hold in order to focus human rights efforts on abolition of slavery. Once slavery was abolished, effort was directed more toward gaining freed males the vote. Women waited once more.
That's correct, an I'm sorry to Anita Hill is not enough. Nor would a blanket apology to all the victims of sexual and gender abuse. An "I'm sorry for what happened to you" doesn't include any acknowledgement of Biden's personal responsibility.
Recognition that Joe Biden and the conduct of his Senate committee, despite his personal nay vote, helped put Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court. With that precedent, he has also assisted in Kavanaugh's elevation to that same body. Which has endangered women's rights to self determination. Joe Biden has a lot to answer for that an apology doesn't cover.
2
I watched the hearings and found Biden's behavior reprehensible. I am in his generation and don't buy the "but times are different now" argument. It is completely legitimate to assess him on the basis of what he did then. It was 1991 for goodness sake, not 1891!
All the comments suggesting that "rejecting Biden gives us Trump" are nonsense. There are wonderful choices among the Democratic candidates (all 500 of them!).
There are many reasons I put Biden low on my list, but his cowardly failure to support women in 1991 is a major one.
And, as any normal human would do, I will enthusiastically vote for him if the choice is Biden or Trump. One of them didn't adequately support a vulnerable woman who was the object of harassment. The other is a serial harasser. That's an easy choice.
1
Hey, I'll enthusiastically support Joe if he becomes the nominee (I'll enthusiastically support Donald Duck if HE became the nominee), but his statement to Ms. Hill was kind of a "I'm sorry if I offended anyone with my actions," no?
Looking back on past decades, there is an awful lot of unfairness towards women and blacks that are painful to watch. Clips from the Anita Hill testimony are painful to watch since she was and is such a credible and brilliant person that was really mistreated by the old boy network. Biden does not look good in that particular moment.
I am truly not excited about him as the visionary that will be able to sway the public to come to the polls above Trump-and a lot of Trump supporters hated with a passion the Obama administration. He does have an advantage that he has not branded himself as a socialist style progressive. The progressives out progressiving each other should stop-they are going to scare people away from the polls. The DNC should strategize with all the candidates so they don't get off track with stuff like jailed felons voting before finishing their time. Why waste valuable national stage time on such fringy issues? Republicans are warming up to restoring voting after jail so why not focus on accelerating that to win over hearts ? Swing voters are not going to sign up for someone who is that out of touch with their voters. Biden could be a winner, but Sanders or Warren have a visionary quality that could be made down to earth enough to sway hearts if they stay out of hyper left territory.
I’m a Democrat. And I say to my fellow Democrats you are going to help elect the craven monster who sits in the White House. AGAIN. Do you know why? Because you can’t see the bigger picture which Joe Biden so eloquently and passionately drew in his opening speech declaring his candidacy. Go on. Feel better. Do your identity policing. Stroke those egos in the name of WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHO DESERVES TO BE HEARD. Never mind that our country will be devoured and changed forever if Trump wins again. By all means don’t elect someone who could win us the White House and address problems that of course need to be solved. Keep spouting off about injustices. But don’t you dare shed a tear when Trump takes his second oath of office.
2
By all means, let's give Trump the best chance at reelection because people keep applying today's standards to events that happened over 30 years ago. Jeez..
3
@Midwest Josh, exactly. This is a man who has been a public servant for almost 50 years. Of course there will be blemishes. But at least we know who he is - a progressive, blue collar man at heart with integrity who acknowledges his own mistakes and, most importantly, LEARNS from them. His Democratic competitors, by comparison, are blank slates that we really do not know very well or achieved relatively little compared to Biden. As imperfect as Biden may be, the devil you know is better than...
2
Biden is only running to help Trump get re-elected. He might get some more pr for a book deal.
2
We need to save our country - and Joe Biden is the candidate who can win against our current presidential disaster. I see him as a good man - and i'm disappointed Prof. Hill does not appreciate the moment we are in in the U.S.A. For the greater good she should forgive past grievances. Biden was indeed between a rock and a hard place back then. We need him to be the contenter in 2020. Go Joe!
I was once in an abusive relationship with someone who couldn’t apologize—for anything. I often heard things like, “I’m sorry you felt hurt by [fill in the blank].”
“I’m sorry for what happened to you” adequately fills in the blank, Mr. Biden.
If you really want to apologize, why don’t you apologize to the whole country for the cascade of events you, personally, caused: Justice Clarence Thomas, President George W. Bush, and then Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
If Biden ends up being the nominee fair and square, then let’s back him all the way. But if the DNC puts their thumb on the scale for Biden’s candidacy the way they did HRC’s last time, I predict a repeat performance in the 2020 general election.
2
He's way too old to change his stripes, he's much too smart to ask for forgiveness for a long career with some bad decisions throughout, and his ego too large to avoid the thrill of a campaign that provides him with so much media attention.
Minutes after the Thomas/Hill hearing was over I read ‘Anita is telling the truth’ scrawled in caulk on the sidewalk in front of our house. The fact of this spontaneous and swift act of defense and defiance has stayed with me and has encouraged me to speak truth to power and thus recapture my own! For shame Joe Biden for attempting to brush aside this ugly history and your full participation in it.
3
What’s more important here, folks? Salving the wounds of Anita Hill or removing the worst President in American history? Ms. Hill got a raw deal and we got an absolutely unqualified Supreme Court Justice. But now, the fate of the country is at stake and someone has to explain to me how taking down Joe Biden and keeping Donald Trump in office is going to make things better for women.
4
Reggie Jackson struck out more times than any other major league baseball player in the history of the game. He also had a lot of important and impressive hits and home runs.
Having some strikeouts is part of any long career, public or private.
2
THIS needs to be repeated:
"Joe Biden ought to stop apologizing for the past and give us a compelling vision of the future."
Biden, if you ran in 2016 you'd be President now and we wouldn't be in the mess we're in. I'd accept your apology for that.
6
Exactly. When have we heard our current fearless leader even mention the word sorry. Omg Biden isn’t perfect but he’s a lot better way better than the alternative. How much is enough. It is sad that professor hill went through that process. What’s sadder is we need to have dialogues and make things right. Read brene brown or hug each other. Somethings got to change. We can’t keep on hating
@Moehoward
His son just died from brain cancer, remember?
The fact that in such trying times, he decided to care for himself and his family first, and allow them all to grieve properly, actually increases my respect for him.
You can't be a good person and lead with clarity, (com)passion and equanimity if you don't take care of your own soul first - as the current president is constantly illustrating.
And of course, Fox News, reality tv actor and racist Trump, and the Russian intervention in the 2016 would all have taken place anyhow, so nothing guarantees that a candidate with more "charisma" would have been able to beat such a war machine - and then we're not even talking yet about the fact that being Obama's successor, as a Democrat, would always have been extremely tough ...
To Anita Hill - grow up and let bygones be bygones. Biden has apologized and she should accept it and move on. Don’t make this out to be an issue such that it divides the Democratic Party and destroys the best hope for removing Trump.
9
@PK No one should accept a bogus, insincere apology that comes 30 years later and coincidentally, I'm sure, at the start of a presidential campaign. He's mistreating her yet again, and again for his own interests.
7
@PK
When has the Democratic Party ever been united?
If Biden is your best hope for removing Trump you might as well give up now. Grow up, indeed.
1
So... Uncle Joe waits 28 years to call and say he's sorry? He had 28 years to not just call, but to actually do something. I like you, Joe, I really do, but I'm afraid your time has passed. If only you had run last time around, instead of 'that woman' who still won't go away. ~~~sigh~~~~
3
@Disembodied Internet Voice
What makes you believe that he "waited"?
People who know him have already said that he's been taking this seriously for years and years already.
And he even went beyond merely apologizing, for years already, making women's rights the "centerpiece" (as the first African-American female Rep. from Delaware just reminded us) of his engagement in Congress and as a VP.
1
@Ana Luisa
Yes, that's why things have improved so much for women in the last 28 years.
Why don't female supporters of Anita Hill take out their anger on the Republicans who smeared her during the hearings, voted to confirm Clarence Thomas, and are never mentioned by Anita Hill as those who ruined her life?
Why can't Anita Hill get over this horrible time in her life and stop blaming Biden for her ongoing anger instead of making Clarence Thomas and the Republican Senators the ones responsible for her anguish?
Democrats must stop eating their own.
13
Why does it matter? Biden is way too old and nobody really wants him to be president. Just another Trump.
1
@Mimi .. I believe that Anita Hill IS over it, but she was asked what she thought .. so she answered the question.
1
I really hope it doesn't come down to Trump vs. Biden in 2020, but if that's what happens I will hold my nose and still vote (D) because so much is at stake: climate change, Supreme Court, etc.
6
Believe what you wish, but remember that at the time we were seeing a "he said, she said" event. No one, including Joe Biden, had any real basis to determine who was truthful.
9
@David
Except there were more women who’d experienced similar behavior from Thomas.
Biden allowed the belittling of a witness. And failed to let other witnesses be called.
3
@David But he also blocked other witnesses from testifying; he is the one who made it into a she said he said.
3
@David .. Perhaps if he'd called the other 3 female witnesses that were waiting in the wings?
1
Damage is done.
We are still reaping the consequences of what was done to Anita Hill in the form of a Supreme Court Judge who stands in judgement now.
An apology doesn’t undo Judge Clarence Thomas appointment.
13
An apology? Oh, please...
Ms Hill was merely the first of several attempts by Democrats to take down conservative Republicans through unprovable accusations, as most recently seen in the kangaroo court Dems and the MSM put Brett Kavanaugh through.
Democrats don’t care one bit about the harassment and predatory behavior of boorish (and worse) men towards women.
If they did, the predatory Bill Clinton would never have been elected twice, he would not be lauded for decades, and 65 million Democrats would not have voted for his amazingly enabling and excusing wife.
4
I do not care. Our democracy is under attack from within, I have made many sacrifices for this nation as have others ,living and dead. She can just get over it for now, after we are safe, I will listen.
11
Anita Hill is more qualified to run for president than Joe Biden. Moral clarity goes a long way.
9
Fine Ms. Hill, remind me your plan for change is to sit out there and hold ‘I am still not satisfied’ card? Why are you yourself not driving the change that you seek?!
9
I wish that USA voters would come to understand that Republicans campaign like God and govern like Satan when they are in power, and they will always deceive and confuse voters to stay in power.
There had never been a time in this country as there is now to explain that fact to the country.
6
I'm sorry about Anita Hill's ordeal and understand her anger. However this is not about her. This is about our country and electing a highly qualified, experienced and honorable person for the job. Nothing that Joe Baden has ever said or done comes even close to the despicable and repulsive words and deeds that we have allowed to take place currently in our Executive branch. Joe Baden is a flawed person. He has made mistakes. He has also had the courage to admit them and learn from them. It would do us good if we learn to forgive and move on. Joe Baden deserves that and so does our country. He has my vote.
8
@Katherine
This is a Primary. He will go down. We have far better candidates to pick from. He will not be the nominee.
2
The Anita Hill matter and the touching issue will cause Biden to run a very scripted campaign and that approach did not work for Hillary against the President. You can already see sights that he is running behind a media operation, controlling his statements, instead of in front of it.
3
@Isle, obviously you don't know the first thing about Biden. He is notorious for not sticking to the script.
1
Anita Hill had her allegations heard and Clarence Thomas was seated where he still sits today. While her truthfulness was not questionable her motivation in coming forward was. I was always troubled that in her testimony of Thomas's improper behavior she continued to seek his reference for jobs she was interviewing for. Your a terrible man Clarence but that reference may just help me climb the ladder professionally.
4
@James mcCowan
I doubt that you are a lawyer, and certainly not a woman lawyer of color in the 1980s, as Ms. Hill was, and I was. I wrote the Judiciary Committee back then about exactly this attack on her credibility. When Ms. Hill worked for Clarence Thomas at the EEOC I believe it was either her first job, or close to her first job. Getting another job even now, and even more back then, required good references from your past employer. She had to stay on his good side in order not to be blackballed out of the legal profession. Maybe that's something you never had to do being male, and probably one of a privileged background.
This is a tough one. I have no objection to Prof. Hill's response as reported by the New York Times.I was appalled and ashamed for the treatment of Anita Hill by Joe Biden, twenty eight years ago, and it is true, there is no defending it. Any apology will come up short. The damage is too deep. But the NYTimes kneecapping Joe Biden on the day of his announcement? Just like you kneecapped Hillary Clinton on her campaign "emails", and Bernie Sanders for that matter? It is, in its own right, unforgivable. How could you possible - intentionally - give ammunition to a demagogue? It's just wrong, and it is not, wishful thinking notwithstanding, "News."
4
Another case of circular firing squad for the Democrats. Meanwhile Republicans keep silent on most egregious conduct of the president. When will we all learn? And when will NYT stop doing hit jobs on mostly Democratic candidates like they did with Hillary’s emails? We haven’t learnt anything from last election.
8
Scores of millions of us were opposed to Thomas then and have been sorry then and since for that vote. But Biden should not be held hostage when the Republican enablers then and now who oppose all Ms. Hill and others would be delighted to see their rampage through justice continue. Thomas was a lightning rod for the black-no-matter-what nominators who knew he would do their bidding just as he had done at EEOC and short stint on a bench.
I have long sympathized with Ms. Hill and other since who have been minimized by the white males passing judgment, but with what and who now passes for a president rewarding all that endorse what Ms. Hill opposes, she should think that the sincere apology from Biden (he did vote against Thomas) is more acceptable than more of the same.
7
That's cool, because he's not sorry.
2
@ES
The only thing Trump is sorry about is that he got caught on that Axis Hollywood bus describing how his celebrity status entitles him to molest women whenever he wants.
If I'm going to end up having to choose between Biden and Trump, then I'll take Biden over that filth-driven psycho Trump any day of the week.
Biden expressed his regrets and Hill needs to move on. The only “apology” that’s due, in my opinion, is to the United States for facilitating Thomas’s assent to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, there is a misogynist in the White House who apologizes for nothing. It would appear that Hill and the #MeToo-ers who had their shoulders innocently touched by the good-hearted man (who isn’t Weinstein, Rose et.al.) who could remove said misogynist are doing their level best to keep that from happening.
3
He calls her *NOW*. ?
He’s off to a sloppy start already.
The only thing this dead head is sorry about is that his treatment of Anita Hill May harm his campaign.
Usual forked tongue politician. He clueless. He’s the most uninspiring candidate out there. He’s like an ex wife.
7
A little more than half a century ago, I was in 5th grade in politically progressive San Francisco. Dianne Feinstein's stellar political career was just beginning. My 5th grade teacher at Alamo El., Mrs. H., was probably in her 60s. Her nerves were shot. She terrorized out class of about 30 generally well-behaved, productive kids almost daily. Her teaching routine involved a great deal of laying on of hands, primarily, though not always, for purposes of discipline. I found that year of school extremely stressful because of how often she would raise her voice to a shriek. There was a particular boy she mostly picked on. He was white & really tried to be polite around her. I remember the scenes vividly, because on 1 occasion she throttled him with both hands around his neck & physically lifted him off the ground, shaking him while shrieking into his face. He was a big, sturdy kid, but when she put him down his face was pale & his neck vivid red. None of us kids said a word about this to anyone; I am sure the sounds of her shrieks & verbal insults rang through the halls & must have been audible to other classrooms.
Today we understand such behavior in a teacher is intolerable. Back then it was 'teaching.'
The #MeToo movement, that has done much good, has distorted the picture about abusive, bullying, unwelcome touching. Victims can be kids & perhaps more kids are victims than anyone knows. (Boy Scout scandal now out.)
Some women also act improperly.
Biden apologized. Enough
1
Did any of the other members of that hearing apologize?
6
..., who is more gullible; democratic voters or Joe Biden?
“Treason is merely a question of arranging dates.”
(Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord)
Funny: I see no comments from anyone here tearing Biden down for "feeling entitled to be president", which was a relentless refrain when Hillary Clinton ran. A woman cannot be elected president in this country, as a Democrat. We saw the brutal sexism Hillary had to put up with from both Republicans and Democrats. (I do think Nikki Haley could win, because Republicans would vote for a realty TV, carnival barker con man, mentally deranged, pathological liar, serial sexual assaulter, defrauder of thousands...wait, they did....over a Democrat). But Democrats won't, also ironically. We need a woman in the veep position first, for this country to "adjust". Best ticket would be Buttigieg (yes, this country would elect a gay man over a woman)/Harris or Warren...and then, after eight years of Buttigieg, that woman would move on into the US Presidency. Don't blow it, Democrats.
7
@Virginia
Why don't you reverse the ticket? It should be Warren, Harris or Klobuchar at the top of the ticket, and Buttigieg as VP so he can get a little more experience at being anything.
@Angela. Angela, I said why in my comment. A woman cannot win the presidency in this country. and Trump with his misogyny and the Americans that love it? Forget it. But you know what Trump can't do? He can't attack Buttigieg over being gay. Sexism is rampant on both sides of the aisle, but Americans are not tolerant of overt racism and homophobia any longer. That would only help Buttigieg with suburban women. (and we know how awful women are to women!?). the thing about Buttigieg is that he is calm, rational, and authentic, and it is authenticity that Trump can't counter. trump would not be able to move Buttigieg, and that is why Buttigieg is the only one who can defeat Trump. Buttigieg is the only one who would cause Trump to cave in on himself.
There is a difference, in more than words, between:
“I apologize/ I am sorry, “ whatever the tone of voice, facial expression and body language, and,
“ I ask you to forgive me...”
The former empowers the violated and acknowledges that s/he ID empowered and entitled to make a judgement and decision, and whatever else...The latter leaves the “power,” in our toxic WE-THEY daily, violating culture, which enables personal unaccountability, with the violator!
In addition, no words, whatever their acculturated meaning(s), can ever adequately represent what they were created to mean. Express. Describe. Question. Answer. Etc. Just as no map can adequately BE what it graphically represents.
Words of contrition and acts of contrition are not equivalent. In what way(s) has the apologizing-violator “Fail(ed) better” since THEN?
2
Just to put a point on it: Clarence Thomas now (silently) occupies a seat on the SCOTUS because of a hearing that was patently unfair and dismissed Hill's allegations, according to the man who led the hearing.... As a result of this, and a repeat performance that got Kavanaugh a seat, we now how 2 of 9 justices who have had credible allegations of sexual misconduct made against them on the court. And they will likely soon hear case(s) related to women's right to choose....
12
I am with Anita Jill. I will not vote for Joe Biden either.
6
@Betsy Kalau I regret having misspelled Anita Hill's name.
I so agree with her, Anita Hill that is; I also will not vote for Joe Biden.
Biden’s attempt to make amends now shows the changing of the times. His apology is long overdue. What should bother us more is that Clarence Thomas has never apologized for his. Why haven’t people called for his resignation?
3
Whether this Supreme Court Justice resigns, or not, may be less important for menschlich behavior, civility, mutual trust and respect, as well as mutual help between kin, friends and strangers, when and if needed, than the toxic state of ever present resignation to toxic complacency and complicity of harmful words and deeds which violate limbs, lives and psyches by so many. All around us! By our continuing to be resigned by the active and passive complicit. By silence about willful blindness about what IS, should never be. By willful deafness to the experienced unnecessary existential pains of so many! By the willful ignorance about the mixing of facts, fictions and fantasies by enabled, endless numbers, of personally unaccountable policymakers. Of all parties. At all levels. Everywhere.
HE can’t be forced to resign! What will stimulate each of US to BE less resigned to our enabled WE-THEY daily culture?
This seems like an ends-justify-the-means attempt to make the Times' number-one story on the day Joe Biden announces his candidacy be Anita Hill.
It's a bit like when journalists ask Trump if it would be crossing a red line if Mueller investigates your finances" leading Trump to say yes and so Mueller doesn't investigate his finances.
What makes any apology satisfying is your own willingness to forgive.
"I'm sorry" isn't all Biden has offered. He voted against Clarence Thomas—something eleven of his fellow Democrats did not do. He wrote and passed the Violence Against Women Act which, among other things, dramatically improved how we treat victims of sexual violence.
That mention of Biden's genuine public expressions of platonic affection and support gets conflated with the serial sexual harassment Anita Hill testified to—which itself is a totally different league from Christine Blasey-Ford's feeling that she might inadvertently be killed during a drunken attempted gang-rape—is starting to feel like a failure of journalism as much as anything else.
I'm as frustrated as anyone that Thomas, and particularly Brett Kavanaugh, are on the Supreme Court. But the primary factor is moderates, progressives and apoliticals alike who can't be bothered to see the Supreme Court as a motivating factor in getting out to vote for any Democratic presidential candidate regardless of how imperfect they're made to seem or may actually be, when the Republican and their every nominee are worse.
8
Here is what he could do .
The Anita Hill hearings shocked me to find so many members of the Legislative Branch appearing as unethical buffoons willing to publicly destroy a brave woman obviously telling the truth and so unconcerned with their behavior and appearance .
What Biden should do is something the Democrats are guilty of . He should boldly denounce and reject the acceptance of Donald Trump's sexual degrading of women as shown by the shocking video of him professing it's OK to kiss women you don't know and grab them by the pussycat if you have money and power , and loudly proclaim and attack the racism and decisiveness that Trump and the Republicans are happy to divide our Country with .
This is what the Democrats should be doing to get rid of Trump and what he represents and I am sure Anita Hill and all good and moral people would welcome him .
1
Good for her!
3
A vivid memory, among many of those hearings: I remember how silent Ted Kennedy was as Professor Hill provided her testimony. It was no secret why Kennedy did not speak up: his record with women was well documented and what Hill recounted about Thomas’s harassment of her was uncomfortably familiar to him. The tableau of white men looking on with disbelief as Hill told the truth about Thomas is as tragically comic as how cowed they were by Thomas’s charge of “electronic lynching.” Thomas was as well prepared for his rebuttal against a woman telling the truth about him as Kavanaugh was decades later. Each man was rewarded with a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court.
9
This upcoming election will be one of the most important in the history of this country. Fox News and other more conservative news outlets are sure where they stand and give them credit for this fact. Where does NYT stand? If the country does not have a viable candidate to stand against the President, brace for another four years. Of course, it is important to reflect the news but this article dredges up in detail the past from 28 years ago. How to knock a candidate before he has even started his campaign...
I watched in detail the Anita Hill interviews, and I was sure that she was not given a fair hearing and many were at fault for the failures in the process. However, when the process was repeated a year or so ago and another woman's reputation was put on the line, the same errors were made. This country still has a long way to go in terms of women's rights and the Anita Hill hearings did not 'set the stage' for this.
4
What Joe did was definitely wrong by any measure but even Joe who is one of the most "Genuine" of our political leaders is political. The political calculation of the time was to support a black nominee to the court vs. let the Anita Hill story fully unfold. Ironically hindsight being 20/20 this was not only a horrible approach in deference to Anita Hill but we also put one of the worst justices in history on the Supreme Court. Since then Joe has had 28 years to prove that he is a huge supporter on the issues women care most about. While I would prefer either Kamala, Corey or Mayor Pete I would wholeheartedly support Joe. Joe can heal the nation and bring in a great diverse, younger team of cabinet members to promote progressive programs.
4
Twenty-eight years ago I watched the testimony of Anita Hill. I believed Professor Hill. I tried to watch the testimony of Dr. Ford and just couldn’t stomach watching the same thing play out all over again. I believed Dr. Ford. Both times the Judiciary Committee did not allow the many other women who were willing to testify come forth. Clarence Thomas is a below average Supreme Court justice. Kavanaugh is an arrogant showboat cover-up for Trump Supreme Court Justice. In both cases our country has not been served well by letting these nominations happen and particularly in the way they happen.
11
Hmmm.... "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."
A clear and concise statement of precisely why Mr. Biden should leave the scene, concede to the younger generation's better awareness, and consider himself lucky. As I lifelong democrat I tell you for the first time I will not vote for Mr. Biden under any circumstances. He's a phony. a vote for him is a vote rooted in wishful thinking, not clear thought about what the country needs.
4
Everyone can see this for what it is. If he wasn't another Presidential wannabee he would never have made "the gesture". And it backfired.
Looking back 28 years, it was a media spectacle right on par with Kavanaugh last year. Call it a circus or whatever you want, it as very poorly orchestrated and handled for the world to see.
But you can't change the past. The best thing Biden could do is simply drop the matter., quit discussing it, and take no further questions on it.
There are much bigger issues to worry about now.
1
I will NEVER forget how Anita Hill was abused in those hearings all those years ago. I was a young lawyer then, and Biden did NOTHING to restrain the vile, venomous attacks of Orrin Hatch, Alan Simpson and Arlen Specter. Clarence Thomas had the nerve to complain about being lynched when in fact it was Professor Hill who was lynched. Biden's abject failure as Committee Chairman to provide a fair and safe hearing for her is exceeded only by his hypocrisy now of providing a "non-apology" apology because he is being forced to in order to further his Presidential ambitions. As for those who say in these comments that it's more important to beat Trump, there are many other articulate, accomplished Democratic candidates besides Biden. With Warren, Booker, Klobuchar, Gillibrand, Buttigieg and many others to choose from, we don't have to hold our nose and vote for Grandpa Joe. He shouldn't be running, and I hope he will soon be out of the race as he was the last 2 times he ran.
9
How much are we supposed to forget and forgive about Joe Biden? It might be easier if he just went away.
7
To seek forgiveness, to apologize,to show contrition, to atone....is not well understood nor internalized in both gut and behavior. I’ve witnessed many failed attempts in the context of therapy sessions. So many end up doubling down or feel the shallow conviction that "I’m sorry " is sufficient. So many fault the wounded for not "moving on." Frankly, our religious institutions have not helped as they fail to sufficiently counter the stereotype of what it means to ask for forgiveness. It is not an easy process, though the jimmy swaggerts of the world want to prove otherwise.
5
I love the way all the political reporters christened a guy who cannot raise money and has more baggage than Harvey Weinstein "almost an instant front-runner".
Word to the NYT and the author of this piece- nobody has voted yet, nobody has debated yet, few other than political junkies are even paying attention. Cool your "Front Runner" jets. Use of that term was very detrimental to the Sanders Campaign in 2016 and polling showed he was the better candidate against Trump or any other Republican- even before Iowa.
Biden may be a favorite with people in Manhattan, the Hamptons, and Westchester, but not so much where it will count on election day. He is a corporate Democrat with a long history of stuff that will make him unattractive to Progressives, most women, working people, minorities and those saddled with college debt. He was the Senator from Wall Street before Wall Street Barbie (Hillary Clinton) and looked out for the corporate interests so important to Delaware. Compared to his record, the "Lunchpail Joe" act looks as phony as a $3 Bill.
Let's see if he can raise enough contributions to qualify for the debates. If he cannot, his campaign will be over before he can plagiarize another speech from RFK, JFK or Neil Kinnock.
9
Thanks Bernie.
What I'm waiting for is Clarence Thomas to call with an apology. Oh wait - he doesn't have to worry about being re-elected.
15
@Nancy And, he's not running for president, which is what this is about
2
@Jim
Yes, running for president IS what it’s all about. And do you think Biden would have called, after 28 years, if he wasn’t running for president?
1
Biden is all that is wrong with the ruling class here in the United States of America.
He shares that well-known sense of entitlement which is part and parcel of what the Democratic Party has represented for nearly 50 years.
His 36 years as a senator and his back-slapping good old boy persona, so evident when he sought to destroy Anita Hill's testimony, is as visible today as it was back then.
He represents the self-serving, the all for one and one for all circle the wagons mentality which is the heart and soul of the Democratic Party, a mentality which has prevented real identifiable change in government these last 50 years.
Sure he's supported bills which purported to ease the economic burden on the middle-class and poor, but as proven with his support of Obamacare, the benefit accrued to Big Business, especially Big Insurance and Big Pharma, the real power in America, the power which controls our entire government, including Biden and his like-minded associates in Congress.
Biden, by foolishly entering the race, has presented the Party of Trump with a wedge which they will use to great effect throughout the campaign.
But of course we all know that Biden is deeply insensitive, as was Clinton, and all things Clinton before him, and that decades-long entitlement belief, which destroyed the Democrats, giving us the Trump abomination, just has to try again to assert itself.
We the People are hyper-alert now; we see Sanders as the future, and Biden and his ilk as dodos.
5
He was so sorry, he waited 28 years to tell her.
18
According to Nate Silver “roughly half of voters in the Democratic primary identify as moderate or conservative, which could be a plus in a field where many candidates are running to the left.”
Apparently that half of the Democratic party doesn’t read the NYT. ; )
3
Only the fact that Trump will be the republican nominee would I vote for Biden. Heck, I'd vote for anyone over Trump.
5
@scott k. I would vote a rotting pile of...anything over Trump.
2
Biden inflicted a grievous injury not only on Anita Hill, but on the entire body politic of the US by enabling an odious regressive like Thomas to sit on the SC. The damage done by Thomas's votes in the last 25 years has set mankind back by a century.
So Biden owes an apology not just to Anita Hill, but to all of us. However there is no meaningful way in which he could right this wrong. The only way Biden could expiate for his actions would be to drop out of the public eye altogether and tape his mouth shut for ever.
11
I have to admit that’s my biggest regret with this, Thomas has been such a disaster for so many years. His whole career has been to get back at liberals, and his Tea Party wife is a real nut job. As right wing as Scalia was, he was intellectual and thoughtful. This guy is neither, just an automatic vote for the regressive side.
5
The predator is always wrong but the victim can enable and co depend on them.
What I mean by that is that pre 1980, Anita Hill really had no recourse. This type of harassment was de facto legal.
Everything changed post 1980, countless women achieved equality and end of harassment in the workplace. I saw many in the large corporation I worked for.
In fact if you were a man in my corporation and accused of harassment you were guilty regardless of any evidence. The female accuser became the judge, jury and executioner.
This woman is a lawyer. Why did she wait yrs. to bring this up only after Thomas was nominated for SCOTUS?
Even more guilty are the me too hypocrites of today. After a few brave women confronted the predator Weinstein, everybody else jumped on, they knew the gravy train ended.
What I mean by that was the roles/money stopped for women and men who protected him like M. Streep. The hypocrite Hillary played the what happened lie even thought she and other female celebrities knew Weinstein was a predator but said nothing because he was contributing to feminist orgs. Worse were the women who started sexual activity.
You don't hear anything re this from the Neo feminists or their media mouthpiece the NY Times.
This type of co depending/enabling behavior hurts everybody including women and helps elect an ego. maniac demagogue like Trump.
2
@Paul
Dude, you haven't been paying attention....
1
@cat-thank you for your reply. If by paying attention you mean honoring the pioneers for women's equality in the 1980s and calling out the Neo feminists today who want 50%+ of everything whether they are willing to earn it, even want it or are forced to take it, complain yrs later when the promotions and money stop, accept money from known predators because they support your cause of start the sexual activity and condemning today' man for five million yrs. of existence then I am paying attention.
1
The democrats have the knack for dredging up the past and shining a spotlight on it. I can't wait to see how Mr. Biden responds when he is asked about reparations for slavery and other backwards-looking issues.
1
I did wince when Biden became the 20th nominee.
However, if it does come down to a choice between Biden and Trump - who by the way bragged about how his celebrity status entitled him to sexually molest women and is a heinous pig - guess who I'm going to choose for President.
7
Let's see. I think most of us had forgotten any Democrats played any role in the Anita Hill fiasco, until Joe Biden brought it up. Anita Hill's demand is simply radical and arrogant. But in a sense she's right; an apology at this point will never cut it. And I'm wondering what kind of a mushworm would have offered one. It's like apologizing for taking America from the Indians; it can't be undone and apologies are both irrelevant and excessively liberal and mushy.
And, after seeing him arrogantly sniffing women's hair to make them submit to him, I could never vote for Joe Biden. It's not about feminism, it's about boundaries and arrogance.
3
@Dora Smith "arrogantly sniffing women's hair to make them submit to him"--what in the wide world are you talking about? This is the kind of nonsense that needs to be roundly criticized yet we seem to be embracing it. #MeToo is going to turn into #TrumpEight".
5
There is no reason to put the word erotomania in quotations in the article in order to pretend it's a made-up thing. It's real, all right. Erotomania is a rare disorder in which an individual has a delusional belief that a person of higher social status falls in love and makes amorous advances towards him/her. Little is known about the background, classification, treatment, or outcome of individuals with this disorder. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11788912
The phrase that should be in quotations is "taken responsibility".
1
The memory of all those male faces judging a woman with such scorn and mockery has stayed with me all these years. I felt Ms.Hill's pain personally. My own experience confronting my husband's family a few years before was still fresh in my mind. They looked at me with distain - as if I was making things up, exaggerating for attention, or just unworldly, while knowing all too well that I was 100% right, but who would believe me? That sense of being right while being judged wrong by a superior male was all too familiar. Joe Biden showed his true colors. I can never vote for him. Period.
6
Joe Biden first pandered to unions in Pittsburgh and then retreated to a Comcast fundraiser with his real constituents. Perfect & typical encapsulation of the Democratic party. The most hated company in America makes a new friend in Joe Biden. And just like in 2016, the majority of voters will stay home on election day.
4
This is disqualifying for Joe Biden, so far as I'm concerned.
6
Biden for President? Not on my watch.
6
@Dina Krain Unfortunately your watch counts for less than one vote out of 360-odd million, thanks to the electoral college.
2
@Jim Anderson
She and I will be joined by many woman.
We need a candidate without so many drawbacks.
1
No one is getting elected in this country this election without the enthusiastic support of women.
It is important to remember that at the time many people in the black community saw Anita Hill as a feminist pawn in the take down of a black man. Thomas called the proceedings a high-tech lynching with all the historical and emotional baggage that the term brings.
This was a time on the doorstep of the hyper-partisanship that we see today. This was also a time when people still understood the Senate as a kind of sacred space where pornography ought not be discussed.
In short, Biden was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He allowed testimony from witnesses who supported Hill into the record, but he was under pressure to bring the public testimony to an end.
In this age of #MeToo, it is easy to forget the nuances of the time. Joe Biden ought to stop apologizing for the past and give us a compelling vision of the future. Many older African-American people will support him because he was a good vice president to Barack Obama.
264
@Valerie Elverton Dixon
"it is easy to forget the nuances of the time"
And it's hard to have a future when your political party is busy relitigating every grievance from the past two centuries. Anita Hill isn't the only one.
29
Thank you for this. Anita Hill was courageous in offering her testimony which then Senator Biden allowed to be provided on national television. An important moment in Women's History. But perhaps also an important moment in African American History. Biden may have wanted to avoid trading in sexual stereotypes of African American men directed at a nominee who then appeared to be a distinguished African American jurist who dared to break with African American political orthodoxy. Who knew that Clarence Thomas would become the conservative ideological silent sphinx of the Supreme Court bench. @Valerie Elverton Dixon
20
@Valerie Elverton Dixon
Good Morning Valerie,
Older African american here.
The only time I've ever had cable was during these hearings.
I remember them well.
Ms. Hill gave several potential reasons for Joe Biden's Behavior.
One that she did not offer, protecting the old boy's club.
I believed Anita Hill then and I believe her now. Even Republican family members believed that she spoke the truth.
I will not vote for Joe.
49
Biden says he wishes he could have done something to help Professor Hill at the hearing. Since he was the a Chairman of the Committee I’m sure he could have. But he didn’t. Instead, he caused egregious harm to Professor Hill and to all women by his conduct of perhaps the most unfair and disgraceful hearing in the history of Congress. His apology will never be enough to make us forget what he did. Women should say “sorry” to Biden, sorry that we won’t be able to support you.
243
@Kim Greene
I won’t vote for him.
But I refuse to apologize for that. It’s my right!
15
@TheraP. Good point! I totally agree.
3
@Benjamin Russo You’re right. The Kavanaugh show runs a close second. But at least none of the Senators waived around a copy of “The Exorcist” at the recent debacle.
6
My first priority is a Democratic candidate who can win. Policies? Gender? Sexual orientation? None of that matters. What matters is that the candidate can unify farmers, inner city voters, men, women, suburban voters, rural residents, the progressive left, the moderate middle, conservatives and crossover voters TO WIN. I believe Biden MIGHT be that candidate. Time will tell.
3
Jane,
Hard to figure out what was going on back then. Really. Not for those of us who were paying attention. And we still are.
3
"was grilled in excruciatingly graphic detail by an all-white, all-male Judiciary Committee led by Mr. Biden, then a senator from Delaware."
Which is what the committee was supposed to do.
They chose not to believe Anita Hill.
At this point it's all political drama on the part of Hill and Biden.
1
While disconcerting, the issue of Mr. Biden's conduct during the hearings should not be allowed to command our attention, as e-mail madness did during Hillary Clinton's campaign for president.
As a youth, I was exposed to the behavior of sexual predators who happened to be members of my extended family. Some of us were damaged in ways that have lasted more than sixty years. I know what predators sound like, look like, and how terrifying the effects are. Joe Biden is no predator. His was, and is, man caught up in the culture of the times. I know at first hand how difficult that experience can be, and how costly both reticence and speaking out can be.
Anita Hill is right to speak her mind. She was wronged, and she is equipped to help us understand both systematic and personal shortcomings in these matters. She is among those whose abilities can help us understand the problems clearly, and address them effectively.
Again, while these are not minor issues at the level of societal values, we need understand the difference between a good man with minor flaws - Joe Biden - and a bad man with major problems who, with help, will destroy the country that so many have dedicated and sacrificed their lives to defend.
8
This is unfortunately a fake apology simply motivated by his intent to run.
This alone shows he is not the right person.
3
Biden will not be the Democratic nominee.
5
Saying you're sorry is not enough any more, so that means there is no forgiveness, and that is bad for everyone on every side, everywhere.
1
She was put on trial and the other women who were available to provide testimony regarding Clarence Thomas' abusive behavior toward them weren't called on to testify. I too am having trouble forgiving him for this.
I'm fine with him running because his campaign commercial has already provoked Trump to make a fool of himself. And I'll vote for Biden if he becomes a candidate due to the fact that Trump is what we are up against.
But to be honest, I'm hoping for Kamala Harris as President and Mayor Mike as the VP, which would explicitly demonstrate the contrast between opposing parties -- soundness of reason, real bravery, and genuine concern for our country on our side, as opposed to a corrupt venal birther and his doting lap dog vying for the title of most bigoted televangelist in America.
3
We all predicted the circular firing squad but hoped that maybe, just maybe, we’d see a pattern break. One can only hope. But holy cow, this was fast. Yes it’s Biden’s own doing, yes it seems insincere, but this is a political battle and we Democrats are playing a game of moral oneupmanship. With ourselves! The opponent is a Trump, not our own people.
5
Enough - Sure Biden was leading the hearings, but he wasn't the only Dem involved. The Republicans approached it as a team effort. (And I thought the Dems were pretty lame in going after Kavanaugh.)
I am behind Ms. Hill one hundred percent. As a young female lawyer in the 70's and 80's, I am well acquainted with the demonstrations of male privilege that allowed men to sexually banter, insinuate, and taunt women.
Biden had an opportunity to start an honest reconciliation discussion and education for men that we need if we are to truly change attitudes and behaviors. Unfortunately, Biden's approach is a soft pedal of a serious issue in an effort to simply get beyond it.
3
I am a democrat and I will not vote for Biden.We need a generational change ( yes, as scary as the word is to American ears, we need a revolution ) We need not only to win the Presidency, but to win the Senate, elect sane, rational, ethical, candidates who work for citizens and not their special and own interests. We need an FDR type of force and Biden's record is not inspiring for enormous challenges we face; to many past 'mistakes', from Iraq war, to Anita Hill, to deregulating banks; an establishment candidate of last century with insipid bi partisan policies that lead us nowhere. Millennials, new blood, new ideas, new faces, that is what we need.
4
Sorry has more than one definition. One is an expression of sympathy. Another is an expression of apology. Biden has offered the the first, but has yet to offer the second. He needs to apologize.
No one who participated in those proceedings deserves forgiveness. Full stop.
2
I'm afraid his shipped has sailed.......sad that all the money he will spend on a campaign (as well as all the other candidates) couldn't be channeled to help impoverished Americans instead.
1
Hey Guess what? no one needs anyone’s permission to Run For President, Anita Hill nor any single person should get to decide if another person is allowed to run, (Barring any contrivances of The law ) I never abdicated my right to decide who I want to run for President to Anita Hill,The American people get to decide,
While I don’t support Biden for many reasons and sympathize with Ms Hill’s right not to be satisfied with Mr Biden’s apology, I have to wonder why this is an Issue now? Mr Biden stood twice for V.P without nary a word from Ms Hill, It makes the cynic in me wonder what’s changed
@Ray L, I suspect Ms. Hill has taken the temperature of the current political climate and she is just trying to lionize her image as the patron saint of victimhood.
"It did not go how he had hoped."
Neither will his campaign.
If he "got it," he wouldn't have waited until this campaign to reach out to Ms. Hill, and his actions would have extended beyond an "I'm sorry," to actions aimed at showing the travesty of how Ms. Hill had been treated at the Thomas confirmation hearing.
I recognize Biden is a man of his era. But that era is gone.
The time is now.
4
People need to forgive. We all make mistakes. This thing about Anita Hill happened many years ago when times were different than they are now. And it wasn't just Biden that contributed to the Anita Hill story.
Whatever Biden did, it will never compare to what trump is doing.
Many of the candidates that are running for president do not stand a change to win the nomination and if they did (like trump did in 2016) they proabaly could not win the election.
It looks like trump will win the election again because the Democrats like before are so divided that they will not be able to win.
And the Biden situation is the prime example.
1
Why is it all about Biden - no one mentions George H W Bush nominated Thomas & he was confirmed by Republicans. Biden voted against him in committee & on the floor.
12
The Democrats still have standards and principles, and so they anguish and fight over how to enforce them as cultural mores evolve.
The Republicans are unburdened by such concerns, having abandoned all standards and principles on the altar of Trumpism in 2016, in exchange for bigotries, resentments, power and a billionaires’ tax cut.
4
@Cecilia Cilli Of course he did...after he denied Hill's witnesses to testify. It was as calculated as his apology 30 years later and coinciding with his jumping into the presidential race.
1
@Cecilia Cilli News for you: George H. W. Bush is not running for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
2
There are reasons Joe Biden has never successful as a presidential candidate. I fully understand his appeal now as we live through the current mess. Sane. Nice guy.
But really. This apology is rather conveniently timed. Never thought to apologize during the decades since he did such a horrible job of running those hearings. This is not just an apology to Hill...it does need to be made to every woman.
He is not Trump and that is appealing, but his bumbling had real consequences, something he has not acknowledged until now...when he wants our votes. I am sure some aide told him to get out in front of this issue. The emphasis in on "handling it," getting past it. Like the guy who sends some flowers and is sure all will be forgotten.
18
Great points. I totally agree
The idea of Joe Biden running for President seems like a bad joke. It’s a vanity run. It’s not “his turn”, and he is not going to save us from Trump. The Clarence Thomas nomination hearings were not about Anita Hill, they were about Thomas. As a US citizen, Hill tried to warn Biden that the nominee had a character unfit for the Supreme Court; in response, Biden failed to call other witnesses, directed the spotlight on Hill, and turned the proceedings into a joke. Biden’s lack of leadership is not Anita Hill’s fault. Let’s remember that she has moved on. This article tells us that Joe is the one who called Hill. Joe is the one who notified the press of his own “apology”. It’s hard to understand how someone could read this and come up with the conclusion that Hill is an “attention seeker” who needs to get “over it”. Biden is the one who’s looking to the past, and is insisting, very publicly, on continuing his service, when there are at least a few other candidates who have energy, experience, fresh ideas, and strong leadership skills.
20
Give Joe a break.
Still hard to figure out exactly what was going on back then.
2
@Jane
Gosh, for those of us watching the hearing at the time, it was easy to see what was going on.
It was appalling. It was outrageous.
Anita Hill was victimized twice!
4
@Jane No, it isn't. Thomas sexually harassed Hill; she had witnesses and Biden went along with Republicans and kept them from testifying (sound familiar? See: hearings: Brett Kavanaugh); Thomas perjured himself (sound familiar? See, Kavanaugh, Brett)...and two perjurious, sexual harassers are now sitting on the Supreme Court of the United States, along with a corrupt US President and corrupt Attorney General. Trump and republicans are rapidly turning this country into a banana republic.
1
What’s at stake here is bigger than Joe Biden and bigger than the White House. It’s about allowing the Supreme Court to include judges who demonstrate a clear disregard for the rights of women as equal to men. We now have two out of nine whose judgment was both demonstrably flawed and who will nevertheless judge us all. It is utterly unacceptable.
15
@Thinking
And 2 out of 6 males. That’s a third of the males on the Court!
2
Note to the identity police: When you coerce everyone into following your rules, you get behavior like this. Why not leave people alone to settle their own differences?
1
Mea Culpa! Only now that Joe's running for office is he sorry. Smacks of political opportunism to me. Does he really think we don't see through his true motive?
8
@MRH
"Does he really think we don't see through his true motive?"
Precisely what he not only thinks, but sincerely believes.
Typical of a self-serving narcissist.
This attitude is what the Democratic Party is all about, the party of self-serving opportunists who, in my opinion, represent nearly the same ideals as the party of Trump.
The Power and the Money, they see nothing else.
Sanders, not Trump, is their recurring nightmare.
1
Joe Biden treated Anita Hill deplorably in the hearing, as did all the other white men sitting there in judgement on her - rather than on the truth. Joe Biden rushed the hearing in order to please his buddies, those other old white men.
That's not the kind of service to truth, or the kind of moral character, I expect in a president. My vote will go to someone who when faced with a tough situation, makes the morally right decision. My vote will also go to someone who recognizes that after all these years - centuries! - it's time to end this white male privilege that denies women's rights, and readily denies even truth in order to maintain that good ol' boy cameraderie.
Joe is a nice guy. But I want to vote for a person who isn't just "nice" - but far more important than that, is courageous and good.
19
Thirty years ago this country had a different culture and Joe Biden, like EVERYONE else was a part of it. Since then much of the country has evolved. Quite frankly, I don't care if Ms. Hill still has animus toward Biden or anyone else involved in those hearings. People forget that Biden voted against Clarence Thomas's nomination and attempts at punishing him now because he has baggage and made some poor choices just like the rest of us does not move the nation forward and remove the threat to democracy and the rule of law Donald Trump now and for the last two years has presented. Infighting within the democratic party will simply hand Trump the 2020 election. Ms. Hill's position or opinion at this moment in time is meaningless. Who really cares at this point? Joe Biden is not an immediate threat to America, but Trump is. Get over it.
4
@Robert Westwind it's not just a single vote; he was the committee chair and therefore, was responsible for the outcome of the committee. It is reasonable to consider past leadership for evaluating him for the ultimate leadership post
2
@Robert Westwind
You are wrong! My husband reported sexual harassment and abuse. He wasn’t part of it. But he, like Anita Hill, suffered for the Truth!
1
Only took him 30 years...and no doubt running for president. What he did in that hearing was as unforgivable as what Grassley, et al, did in the Kavanaugh hearing...including allowing perjurious judges get onto the US Supreme Court. I was disappointed when Obama picked him for VP, and while I'd vote for him over Trump, I cannot support him in the primary because of what he did in the Hill/Thomas hearing. It was appalling.
7
So, what else could Biden possibly do at this point? What’s done is done. I believe Biden’s overall behavior through the years outweighs the errors he has committed. To search for an impeccable candidate who has never done anything wrong and regrettable is an exercise in futility.
2
@Lou Candell. I hope you're not one of the many commenters here I've seen note that "Hillary was a flawed candidate"...as if 1) we've only had unflawed candidates until her; 2) Trump's flaws were far, far fewer than hers, or he was not a flawed candidate. I've seen Biden capitulate too many times to really bad behavior by Republicans, including the Anita Hill hearings, to believe he would ever really fight for the actual changes we need in this country.
5
@Virginia
They are all flawed - like every other human being. It’s a question of degree.
@Lou Candell Well, that is interesting, because I have never heard the "flawed candidate" as an excuse for losing for any other presidential candidate, let alone one who won the popular vote...let alone one who ran against the most flawed, unfit, psycho candidate. Question of degree? Please. A Wellesley College graduate, partner in a law firm, First Lady, Secretary of State...has a great degree of flaws than Donald Trump? George W. Bush? Her husband? No, sorry, the "flawed candidate", esp. opposite 'Donald Trump is a grotesque example of misogyny. Her flaw was being female.
I learned in 2016 to NOT believe the "polls" in terms of who is the front runner. I do not believe it is currently Biden. I am looking forward to the debates this summer when we are likely to have a more accurate sense of who is getting the nomination.
5
@jen
I agree. He’s only the currently best known.
But obviously many of us ‘know’ him best from the Hill/Thomas hearings. And it doesn’t favor him.
2
right jen and whoever is the front runner at the start is rarely the one who gets the nomination
Uh oh, Uncle Joe, you've got a problem.
I can't believe that you called Ms. Hill without either checking it out beforehand to determine that she would accept your "apology" or making darn sure during the phone call that she was going to accept what you were saying.
But she doesn't accept your "apology". That's worse than if you hadn't called at all. Now it's true that there are a lot of low-information voters out there and maybe they'll believe that you actually apologized and will look no further.
But right now you're looking very vulnerable.
Plus President Obama apparently didn't want you to run in 2016.
I'm thinking it's time for all Biden supporters to take a good look at Mayor Pete.
8
@Jack Toner
Hear! Hear!
On one side, we have Trump's outrageous and provocative tweets getting the headlines almost everyday.
On the other side we have liberal journalists savaging Democratic Presidential candidates, sometimes going back decades to do it, because they do not meet their purist gold standard.
What a farce.
Trump certainly relishes this pattern because it sows chaos and confusion, Trumps favorite things.
10
@Babel
This is a News Report. Not a political act.
Democrats eat their young. Now they are eating their old. Ms. Hill was obviously aware that her treatment of Biden's apology would be politicized. Her cause, the cause of equality for women in this country, will certainly be enhanced by four more years of Trump.
7
It is apparent that no apology is accepted for what it is --- an apology. We see it time after time. There was no real need for Biden to get on his knees, except for the ugly political atmosphere that has turned DC into a clown-show. He did his job at the Hill hearing, about as well as anyone else could. And Hill gained fame and fortune from those hearings.
4
I remember the hearings in October 1991. Was it a Saturday she testified? I recall listening as I drove to Shenandoah NP to take in the autumn scenery.
Reading the comments here, I am struck by how much time has passed--28 years, but many readers who are old enough to remember how poorly Anita Hill was treated by both sides.
I wonder those readers who were not yet born or were not old enough to have awareness of this event think of these many comments from those of us who recall after all of these years.
It was another time and place, but are the lessons that Biden learned relevant to our times? I am not sure if Joe gets it after all of these years. This is Anita Hill's message.
7
@Sendero Caribe
I believe it was the Saturday hearing that was cancelled.
This is two people, Mr Thomas and Ms Hill, not acting like adults over two decades ago, and a third adult, Mr Biden, having to apologize for publicly pointing that out once. Bizarro world in Democrat land. Not that Trump land is better.... Spare us the insipid politics.
5
@mainliner. I could not agree more. I think it's time to Media gets off all of this side-stepping before they end up putting Trump back in the white house again. This is gone on long enough. There's only one person that was responsible back then and that's Clarence Thomas. No one else. The media needs to quit making a big deal out of it
2
@mainliner
Anita Hill was a poised and careful speaker. She was the Adult in the room.
Thomas made a spectacle of himself.
1
Excess baggage for Biden and dooms his hopes and would provide fodder for the likes of the playground bully Trump, especially if there are any more skeletons in his closet. Big mistake to support him.
5
Forgiveness is one thing. I wish the former Vice president well in his life and wish he would back out, so his legacy with serving with 44 would last. However forgiveness is not the same as confidence he can make lasting change in America's patriarchy.
3
Perhaps the future of this country is most important right now. That was a long time ago and I'm sure Biden has had and taken many opportunities to show regret for his action back then and I'm equally sure he learned from it. I would never choose Trump.
1
@Gail Soangenberg
Sigh... This discussion isn't about Trump v. Biden. I'm sure many if not all of the posters decrying Biden's insincere apology would vote for Biden over Trump - it really goes without saying. The discussion here is about Biden versus 19 other possible Democratic primary candidates.
3
If voters want to defeat DJT then a vote for a pragmatic Candidate needs to win the Democratic nomination
One who can get votes in the Midwest and Heartland! I believe this is Joe Biden
I don’t see any other candidate able to beat Trump!
This country can’t afford another Trump term in office
1
Once again Anita Hill has spoken the truth. Thank you Anita Hill for once again having the courage to tell people like Biden that what was done to you and all of those who have suffered sexual abuse and assault that it wasn’t all right then, it’s not all right now, and yes there is something all of us can do, especially when it’s happening to a friend, a colleague, in a group, or in public...speak up and tell the offender it’s NOT ALRIGHT and STOP IT.!
7
The men circled the wagon. Again. And the did so because so many more of them had done so much worse than then Judge Thomas. Biden knew that then and knows that now. He should not run. Just like Clinton should not have run. How many women has Joe offended with his behavior do the Republican have waiting in the wings for poor old Joe?
3
For what Republicans do and cheer among themselves they fault Democrats. For what is distasteful and disqualifying among Democrats is reason to vote for a Republican candidate among Trump's GOP.
Hypocrisy is so ingrained in Republicans that double-think is a way of life.
2
Anita Hill, you do not need to even consider supporting Joe Biden for president. He has had his day, and we have had enough of him.
8
I’m really surprised and disappointed he never called her before now. On a personal level it’s lame. On a political level it is incomprehensible. This says something deeply bad about Binden’s judgement.
8
It also says he's already desperate.
I am a lifelong Democrat. I will never vote for Joe Biden. We need a person with integrity, not a good-ol'-boy opportunist. Anita Hill will go down in history for her courage, Biden will be remembered as a misogynist, along with all the Republicans who put Kavanaugh on the bench and made a cynical spectacle of those hearings.
6
Having read through this futher information, it seems Joe Biden was more culpable in getting it wrong. However, I still think it is important to remember the time this happened, and if we insist on picking over every past failures of human beings, especially in public life there are few of us who could pass. This leaves the field open to the worst kind of shameless "Don't cares" for appaling behaviour and their supporters we are now experiencing - and I don't just mean on your side of the Pond.
1
Far more so than his inept if not callous handling of Anita Hill is the fact that he was complicit in seating a man on the nation's highest court who had not displayed a shred of evidence that he deserved to be there. Nearly thirty years later his record on the bench only serves to underscores that.
6
As a young professional, married woman I had little doubt Ms. Hill was telling the truth, based on my own experiences with men in the workplace. In our current culture, with a president who bragged about sexual assault, it’s hard to convey how deeply shocking public testimony was that involved pubic hairs and Coke cans. I was riveted, and deeply disappointed, by the hearings, as were many. But I wonder if calling additional witnesses would have changed the eventual outcome. And I also wonder why this is the focus now. Biden ran and was elected VP twice without this outcry and hand-wringing. Times change, people change, positions of power change. Let it go.
5
Yes, I'd much rather have Trump re-elected than this man who was wrong 28 years ago. I'm as pure as the driven snow.
2
@Rodgerlodger
We’re talking about a Primary here.
Biden will go down in the Primary. Wait and See.
We have plenty of candidates without Biden’s Baggage.
1
Nothing has changed. Not with Joe. Not with Kavanaugh. Good luck to Hill in trying to make a difference. Even if she knocks Joe off the throne, it doesn’t begin to scrape the GOP off our shoes.
3
I recognize Anita Hill's pain and courage from that time. I supported her in what she said about Clarence Thomas. But if we don't show some flexibility and forgiveness among ourselves, we're doomed. I take Biden's call to Hill at face value and I'm disappointed in Anita Hill's response.
My name is "Auwin Dargin" and I am the former writer of my home town’s local newspaper. I wrote for that newspaper for about 10 years talking about places around the world that were newsworthy – for better or worse.
4
Joe Biden will obviously not become the next president, but I believe his campaign will become a great tabula rasa, on which we all can write down some unabating American values: Fellowship, Equality, Volunteerism, Progress and Change. This is needed, because Trump, the clean coal lover of people on both sides, have done a pretty good job at replacing those values with his own brand of 'Nastyism'. I always thought honesty, not lies, mattered to Americans? And don't be so sure that the current trend, in the western world, a small part of the world, of asking someone for permission before giving a hug, is nothing more than a symptom of a looming disease that hit our times. Go on hugging people left and right, Biden.
Anyone who doesn't agree with this can take a hike. See, was not that simple.
1
Get over Anita .... the man has sincerely apologised. For heavens sake do you want him to crawl?
1
It would have been better if he had 1) actually taken responsibility for his role in her treatment, and 2) not waited to say something until it was politically unavoidable.
7
There is actually something much more substantive and meaningful that Biden could do to make amends. He could publicly and energetically call for the senate to impeach both Thomas and Kavanaugh.
8
Wouldn’t THAT be a dream come true???
1
@David on what legal grounds?
1
Regrettably Ms. Hill is another of the many angry attention seeking victims who remain in a 28 year old time warp of anger and rage. She may elect to live in her past, I do not. Neither does Joe Biden. The future, our future, belongs to those who embrace human values like introspection and redemption. I read the hundreds of Times Reader comments and all I can say is...well read what wrote above....
1
@Renaud
When did she seek attention? She’s not running.
Biden is running and Biden blew it!
Look I'm a woman and I can appreciate what Anita Hill went through back then because I'm old enough to have lived through it. But it's time to set it aside. That was a long time ago and Views were very different than and it wasn't all Biden. Clarence Thomas himself is to blame and no one else. And no amount of finger-pointing can ever ever take the responsibility out of Clarence Thomas's hands alone. It's time to move on and do what is best for this country. And what is not absolutely not good for this country is another term with Trump as president. So set that aside and forget it. Joe Biden appears to be our best chance. It's time to move on
3
This article unmasks the theater of public political apologies. Real apologies are about opening the door to reconciliation. The vulnerability to be able to extend and apology and in receiving an apology it is necessary for a rift to heal. Character works both ways. Political apologies, both the demand for one and the extension of one are empty almost by definition precisely because they are done in public in the context of the pursuit of power.
2
YES! Well said indeed!
I won't be voting for Joe Biden in the primaries. It is politically expedient for him to try to re-write the Anita Hill story due to the change in public attitude. The true test of a person's mettle is what they do in the moment, not 28 years later.
In addition, for my values, he has been on the shaky side of some issues (e.g. in bed with the credit card companies). He looks a lot like an establishment candidate to me, bringing to the table similar qualities that hurt Hilary with many voters, and arguably delivered the presidency to Trump.
It's time for a change.
4
@Sheila Cooper
In the moment Joe Biden wrote the Violence Against Women act, and got it passed. In the moment Biden voted against Clarence Thomas when eleven of his Democratic colleagues voted for.
But a late apology Trumps all?
2
@J T
His non-apology is on par with his poor handling of the hearing with regard to Anita Hill, being pilloried in public, as well as refusing other witnesses an opportunity to testify - making it look like a he-said, she-said, when it was really a number of women accusing the same man of similar behavior.
I remember listening to those sessions on the radio during long car trips. I distinctly remember thinking what is this guy doing, he isn't serious is he?
3
A lot of women posting here are claiming to be never-Bidenites. Does this mean, were it to become Biden vs. Trump, they would join the line of women waiting to have their you-know-whats grabbed?
I doubt it. These threats, in my opinion, are just a lot of hot air. And lordy lordy, political climate change has definitely overheated the American landscape.
4
@jr
It means Biden will get way fewer votes from females in the primaries. He’ll never make it through the primaries.
We have plenty of better candidates.
won't vote for him (but I'm from NJ don't matter)
Sorry, Joe...
A day late and a dollar short.
12
Where was Jill Biden on this, I wonder? I can't believe she didn't believe and support Dr. Hill. As a 30-something professional woman at the time, I did, without hesitation.
6
@JKF in NYCf
And I’ve wondered how she could tolerate his handsy behavior toward other women, which to me is disrespectful of her.
Who is paying Anita to force Joe Biden out of the race? Hmm. That trial as 28 years ago and she is attacking the wrong person. Didn't Trumpie boy meet with Clarence Thomas' wife a few weeks back? I didn't hear of any outrage from her about Trump. This apology scam is to keep Mr. Biden out of the race. Nice try Anita. Go home Anita and heal some more..
11
Hill is not a politician. There is no reason to believe she will do anything for money. But Joe will. Go away Joe.
4
Biden has no common sense.
5
Joe Biden is a typical politician, he say whatever he things the listeners/voters want him to say!
I do not trust Biden at all!
7
I'm aghast that adults are still THIS BAD at apologizing. An apology is not just using the words "I'm sorry"--it's using language that shows you are responsible for how a person feels or what happened to them.
90% of you know how to apologize and use weasel words because you don't believe you did anything wrong. Guess what: We're not stupid.
7
Way too little. Way too late.
14
To claim Mr. Biden did his best under those circumstances is rather a lenient a conclusion. One ought not forget the grave injustices and grief committed against Ms. Hill who offered compelling evidence of being victimized, while Justice Thomas, clearly a sexual predator ,was exonerated and allowed to be nominated. Mr. Biden may have some lusterous credentials to embelish his career, still recent accusation from several women against him ought not be ignored. However strong the desire to defeat Trump, there are a number of qualified contenders among Democrats who may be just as capable of defeating Trump if not better than blemished Mr. Biden.
5
Biden would seal the deal for Trump's reelection. Biden's speech yesterday placed him firmly in the Clinton era woefully out of date.
6
Applying today's “Woke” value system to Biden’s behavior decades ago is an error. I doubt many readers regard their past behavior with anything near the same level of scrutiny or outrage. “But I didn’t Chair a hearing that affected the lives of...” Perhaps not. But that’s also the point. You did something else and had little or no understanding of its ramifications. Unlike Joe, you may have never even considered it at all to this day. Unless we judge politicians on the fullness of their records, make allowances for errors, and accept sincere apologies, our self-righteousness will tear us apart.
10
@Orange Nightmare
Nonsense. Plenty of us understood entirely at the time how reprehensible his behavior was.
Between militant women and extreme identity politics the Democrats are burying themselves. The candidates with the best policies--Sanders and Warren are too old. The most experienced Biden is too old. The other women running may end up as VP candidates at best. They can be neutralised by Trump choosing Nikki Haley as VP. Diversity for its own sake may not be a winner. Inexperienced well -intentioned charismatic youth may be tempting but to what end? A decent middle of the roader with a radical edge may be hard to find......
6
If he wants to move past this, he should stop saying he's sorry for "what she endured" and start saying he's sorry for what he put her through.
14
@JKF in NYC
Two weeks ago we heard it didn't matter what his intentions were, why doesn't Joe Biden "get it" that he needs to acknowledge what some women he was platonically affectionate with in brief public moments perceived they had endured.
Now he puts the focus on the true humiliation this woman endured—mostly at the hands of Republicans like Orrin Hatch and Arlen Specter (which is the point of a committee hearing, to hear testimony and let all the members say their piece and ask their questions, benighted as they may be)—and you're saying he needs to talk about his intentions.
I don't disagree that it would be illuminating to revisit this with more light than heat and some context such as that I mention, in light of the progress Democrats have made in the past three decades, but let's recognize that part of what's wrong with this picture is our expectations, not just his actions and statements.
1
Joe, go home. Like Bernie, your time is past. You’re too old. I’m a Democrat and for sure you would not have my vote. Time for some fresh blood. Someone that causes excitement. That gives us hope again. Not too far left. Someone who can beat Trump. I’m thinking BOOT EDGE EDGE.
6
Biden effectively shut the other complainants up - by not allowing them to speak, ending the hearing many of us expected to see.
Now he probably wishes he could shut up Anita Hill, who rightfully calls him on his failure to truly apologize.
But she’s getting the “last word” now. And rightfully so, say I. It’s time for women to stand up, not be shut up.
Thank you, Anita Hill!
11
Ms Hill has a point... Where is the apology to the American people? Joe Biden gave us Clarence Thomas. And yes, in a way he helped to give us Brett Kavenaugh. Which means he gave us a judiciary that is hard to believe in but is easy to be ashamed of. And I am certainly ashamed of what our country did to Ms Hill and to Dr. Blasey Ford.
Will I vote for Joe Biden? Probably not. I didn't vote for Hillary Clinton either. The Democratic Party needs to wake up and step outside of its institutionalized box of real politk and status quo. They do not automatically win my vote just because the opponent is horrible.
6
No Joe, you gotta go ! Aside from the permanent damage done to Anita Hill and your inappropriate caressing and whispering to women, we don't need another white guy as President. The only white guy I would accept is Bernie. This country needs change that a woman can bring.
10
Have things really changed in politics from back then to now? It doesn’t look like it. One thing that former VP Biden has excelled in, is working productively (compromising) accross the isle in that political soup between democrats and republicans. That’s how politics gets done! It’s dirty, it’s awful and—at present—there doesn’t appear to be a better way around it!
To get what you want, you have to give way to things others want. Sometimes you have no problem with it and other times it makes you cringe what you have to agree to.
Ms. Hill was allegedly harassed and Ms. Ford was allegedly raped and the back room political wheels kept turning. Is it good ol’ boy politics or is that just how humans work? Don’t just place the blame on white men because I’ve seen injustice from all sides.
Is Joe Biden now nature enough to be a noble president? I think so. Am I going to vote for him? No. I already have someone else in mind. He’s not a perfect fit either, but that’s okay.
Biden says “To this day, I regret I couldn’t give her the kind of hearing she deserved.” But the the word "couldn't" should be "refused to." Biden wrote the script for the Kavanaugh hearing. To vote for Biden I would have to do so by swallowing a mouthful of bile.
6
The treatment Ms. Hill received was reprehensible and now Biden apologizes after how many years? Because he’s really sorry or because he’s running for President. Sorry Joe, you seem like a nice person but you have owed Ms. Hill an apology for years - too little, too late.
5
Anita Hill graciously rejected Joe Biden’s apology. It is only after he announced his run for the highest office that his conscience bothered him?; too little, too late. Thanks Miss Hill for preserving your dignity.
15
“What she endured”
Not
“What I did”
8
During the Anita Hill debacle, Biden was more afraid of offending the black man than the (happened to be black) woman. And then Thomas pulled the race card anyway, and shut down all discussion.
Biden is an institutionalist, has been his entire career. He will never go out on a limb to stand up on principle, and that's partly why people like him. Even his forthright support of gay marriage during the Obama administration was due to a careful reading of the political tea leaves and an understanding that that issue's time had come.
It's sad to think that this kind of self-serving incrementalism may, in fact,
represent the best that Dems can hope for in our deeply-compromised democracy.
5
Joe Biden is an incurably clueless glad-handing politician. And please don’t blame it on the acceptable norms of his generation - I’m a 76 year old white male and I’ve been shaking my head in disbelief at his boorish antics for longer than I can remember. In that respect alone, he’s too much like Trump and hopefully we can do much better.
6
This headline is extremely misleading and should be revised.
Joe Biden never said "I'm sorry."
He said "I'm sorry for what she endured."
Synonyms: "I'm sorry you feel that way." "I'm sorry you took it that way." "I'm sorry you're upset." Or any other line which shifts the onus onto the offended party and not on the wrongdoer. These are very, very different from an actual, genuine, "I"m sorry" apology.
No wonder Anita Hill thinks this is not enough. I do too.
10