While a SCOTUS candidate is demonized over a high school incident a charge of Dem child molestation gets ignored.

We are now familiar with the tale. A years old charge of sexual assault, with a gauzy story of being attacked leveled by a woman toward the political figure. “100 percent, categorically untrue,” states the candidate. His lawyer continues that ”Claims…are absolutely false and are utterly inconsistent with who he is.”

This time however it is not Brett Kavanaugh responding to an accusation from decades back with few specifics and no official report. This involves US. Rep Tony Cardenas, representing California’s 29th District, who has been accused of molesting a young girl. The charge comes from a 26 year old woman who declares Cardenas drugged her and then assaulted her in 2007.

There are a number of differences with this accusation compared to that Kavanaugh is currently absorbing. The woman in this case is able to provide dates, details, and locations concerning the incident. She also has filed a suit in court, rather than turning to the Washington Post and politicians concerning the incident.

One other difference from the Kavanaugh matter: Democrats are very reserved in their reaction to this accusation. While the Supreme Court nominee has effectively been deemed “guilty” in the court of popular politics, unsurprisingly the Cardenas accusation has not generated the same level of over-concerned outrage. Democrat leadership has shown far more restraint and caution on this matter, and Cardenas is being given the benefit of the doubt.

The woman contends that during a golf outing, when she was 16 years of age, Cardenas handed her some water which she stated had an unusual taste. Soon after she became dizzy, and with fading consciousness Cardenas proceeded to bring her to a hospital. During said trip she says the politician began fondling her sexually.

This reserved reaction from Democrats is hardly due to a desire to find the truth. Rather it is rooted in the fact Cardenas is up for reelection and, were he to step down, his Republican opponent would flip a seat in a contentious mid-term year. With the Democrats eager to make gains in the House every seat is considered a valuable one. While they are crowing about the importance of hearing the concerns of a possible assault victim (regarding Kavanaugh) it becomes convenient to overlook the claims made by another potential victim when a House seat is in the balance.

The party members have been mostly evasive regarding the issue, and there was a primary election to be concerned with, after all, as the story first broke.

For now, Democrats appear to be hedging their bets on whether Cardenas can fight the allegations and survive. A few days before absentee ballots drop in California, neither the DCCC nor the California Democratic Party had a comment on the accusations or whether the party could bear the risk as Cardenas pursues re-election while fighting serious allegations.

Additionally in D.C. there have been no moves to remove Cardenas from held positions. He has been chairing Bold PAC, a diversity-aimed Congressional campaign committee. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in fact were encouraged in May to attend a fundraiser as a show of support for Cardenas. Steny Hoyer also took no steps to remove Cardenas from his role as a House whip. This follows all the other non-movements being made by party leaders.

While an ethics investigation has been filed it is deemed to be a formality; it will not even conduct an investigation until November, after the election. Meanwhile party leaders pay lip service to the severity of the charges, but make no movements. At a news conference Nancy Pelosi declined to answer any direct questions on the matter. Hoyer, while calling the matter “very serious”, said no other moves would be taken. 

This means the loud declarations made about taking assault claims seriously becomes exposed as little more than impotent braying. The lack of action in the Cardenas matter is in blatant contradiction to their stance when a political opponent is the one being charged in a far lesser manner.

It proves that there is at least one similarity in the two cases of alleged sexual assault: When it comes to the accusation of a woman being assaulted the Democrats will always react in the most politically expedient manner.