Conservative sites have exploded with a new controversy surrounding Joe Biden who appears to distinguish between true abuse or worrisome signs of abuse and a “garden variety slap across the face.” However, listening to the YouTube clip it is clear that the statement has been cut off.
In the excerpt appearing on National Review, Drudge, and many other sites, Biden is shown ending the final line with the offensive line with the word “face.”
We’ve learned that certain behaviors on the part of an abuser portend much more danger than other behaviors. For example, if an abuser has attempted to strangle his victim, if he has threatened to shoot her, if he has sexually assaulted her, and there’s a number of other signs, about eight others. These are tell-tale signs to say this isn’t your garden-variety slap across the face.
However, when I listen to the tape it sounds like Biden continues the sentence with a “which” that has been cut off in both the transcript and tape. It is curious that these sites can include the lines leading up to the offensive statement, but not the whole statement or what follows. If he did make this statement, he should be condemned. However, such condemnation should only follow a full transcript in fairness to the Vice President.
Does anyone have the full remarks?
Actually, screw the National Review’s apology. This age of “shoot first, ask questions later” journalism when the smear has already been inflicted is pointless. They know this. They know maybe 1/10th will see the correction.
Don’t forget the recent ‘creative editing’ of Hillary Clinton testifying in front of the House Foreign Relations committee on the Benghazi attack.
Partisan sources were happy to repeat this quote: “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest, or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?”
But chose to not include the line that immediately followed: “It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again.”
There is no way that there is a pattern, right? And the typical defense for this behavior has become “The right isn’t the only side that does it!” But, they sure are the side that is using this sleazy tactic the vast majority of the time.
I met a woman who got 6 months in jail for slapping her boyfriend’s face. She didn’t have a criminal record and was a graduate of U of WI, which requires very high grades for admission. She weighed about 100 and said he was over 200 and an ex marine. They were living together. She thought she was being dramatic by slapping him. The neighbors heard arguing so they called the cops. He had to explain the red mark on his face so she was arrested not him. Then she plea bargained to probation. She said that the probation officer required meetings during work hours. She had a good day job and couldn’t explain to her boss that she was on probation so she missed a probation meeting because of a work meeting and was imprisoned for that.
The National Review online has issued an apology to Biden and to its readers. Kudos to them.