Biden vs. Bernie Begins: Advisers to the Former Veep Think Sanders Camp Behind #MeToo Allegations

By Sister Toldjah | 8:30 PM on April 02, 2019

The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com.

FILE - In this July 25, 2016 file photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Moving beyond “Obamacare,” political activists are looking to ballot questions in a couple of major states as a new election-year front in the nation’s long-running debate over the role of government in health care. California voters will decide whether to limit what drug companies can charge many state programs, while Coloradans will vote on a state version of a “single-payer” government-run health system, similar to what Sanders proposed in his hard-fought but unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

While Joe Biden hasn’t formally entered the 2020 presidential race just yet, he has consistently been ahead for months in most presidential polls on the Democratic candidates, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) trailing in second place.

But the recent allegations from two Democratic women who have accused him of inappropriate touching threaten to derail his chances, and his advisers think the Vermont Senator’s camp is “at least partly” behind it all and stirring the pot.

Axios reports:

Joe Biden advisers believe coverage of allegations of inappropriate behavior is being stoked by rival Democrats — a dynamic that could actually fire up the vice president at a time when others see success as increasingly improbable.

Why it matters: Several around Biden think advisers to Bernie Sanders are at least partly behind the anti-Biden campaign. One prominent backer thinks Biden will run, and “is ready to kill Bernie.”

I got this text last night from a source close to Biden:

“VP directed staff this evening to reach out to supporters and donors with a simple message — full steam ahead.”

Whoever it is fanning the flames behind the scenes got some help today from a pro-Trump super PAC:

The Great America PAC is putting six figures behind a digital ad called “Creepy Joe.” The ads will also run on television if Biden gets into the presidential race, as expected.

The ad features images of children watching an interview between CNN’s Jake Tapper and Nevada state legislator Lucy Flores, a Democrat who accused Biden of inappropriately smelling her hair and kissing the back of her head at a campaign event.

[…]

The Great America PAC ad concludes with text that says: “Our children are watching. What example will we set for them? Vote Trump 2020.” The ad links to a website that will go live soon at “www.StopJoeBiden.com.”

Watch the ad below:

It should be pointed out that Sanders himself is not scandal-free, either. At the beginning of the year, the New York Times reported on allegations made by female former staffers on Sanders’s 2016 campaign of sexual harassment from male staffers. Sanders tweeted this out in response at the time:

To the women on my 2016 campaign who were harassed or mistreated, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for speaking out. I apologize.

We can't just talk about ending sexism and discrimination. It must be a reality in our daily lives. That was clearly not the case in 2016. pic.twitter.com/eJtCAGjHZu

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 10, 2019

The first Democratic debate, hosted by MSNBC and Telemundo, will be held in late June in Miami, FL, so the two will have a chance to exchange verbal jabs face to face over these and other issues then (assuming, of course, Biden enters the race as expected).

Grab the popcorn.

————————–
—Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter—