In the October 7 Ledger column by Mr. Blackstone there are several comments I would like to respond to.

Kamala Harris made critical statements about Joe Biden during the Democratic debates earlier in the political season. Opposition research in each party makes careful notes of those types of remarks and uses them against the candidate of that party later in the campaign. Lindsey Graham, among other conservatives, is on record disparaging Donald Trump before Trump became the Republican candidate and has usually supported the president since 2016. Harris’s comments and “hypocrisy” are typical of many politicians of both parties. After each party nominates the person they want they rally behind that choice. They all need to improve their approach to winning elections.

PBS reported in an in-depth investigation of the sexual assault allegations in the early 1990s against Joe Biden made by a female staffer. The report aired May 15, 2020, on PBS Newshour after the woman went public many years later. The title is, “What 74 Former Biden Staffers Think about Tara Reade’s Allegations.” It is easily accessed online. Sixty-two of the 74 staffers interviewed are women. All reported that behavior was out of character for Biden and there are no official or unofficial records of any accusation. He was alone for long periods of time with many female staffers and no allegations surfaced regarding consensual or nonconsensual relationships. The accusations by the woman were not confirmed.

There was also an unofficial warning system among young, female workers in Congress to avoid being alone with such and such senator or congressman to escape potential sexual harassment; Senators Ted Kennedy (D) and Strom Thurmond (R) among them. Biden’s name was never on that list and he had a reputation of being fair and supportive to women. Biden did make many women uncomfortable by touching them on the shoulder or commenting on the smell of their hair. Most stated it was a lack of social awareness of Biden’s that was never interpreted as a come on or power play. Biden acknowledged that behavior. This letter covers only a small part of a much longer and detailed article. A rhetorical question would be who would you least want your sister, mother, wife or daughter spend time alone with, Biden or Trump?

As for Biden’s positions on topics, he is known to make verbal gaffs and contradictions. That is not an excuse, just a fact for many politicians. The Washington Post keeps tract of lies, distortions and misrepresentations by both presidential candidates and periodically publishes them under Fact Checker. Trump’s far outnumber Biden’s, look it up if you need to.

Thank You,

Steve Oswald,

Thompson Falls