I wish Lucy Flores had gone public in 2016.

[lapucelle]

Lucy Flores had contemporaneous knowledge of the pervasive predatory culture, discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence rampant at a campaign she was working on. She could have helped to end those disgusting practices in real time by standing up and speaking out. Lucy Flores chose silence rather than advocacy for those victims.

It is certainly a shame that Ms Flores suffered from an episode of unwanted touching some five years ago, and her choice to go public about her uncomfortable feelings is the course she has decided to follow, as is her right. However, perhaps she should speak to the other women hugged by Joe Biden about their perspectives before she mischaracterizes their perceptions of those public encounters.

The real time to speak for other victims was in 2016. Hopefully the victims asked Flores not to speak out publically about the abuse. It would have been disgusting to look the other way in the interest of protecting the political ambitions of any candidate.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that Ms Flores chose to continue to work on a campaign characterized by a pervasive predatory culture despite the fact that she knew co-workers were being repeatedly victimized.

Lucy Flores needs to more fully discuss the allegations, what she knew and when she knew it, and clarify exactly why the victims' claims were not addressed in real time. Hopefully a journalist will ask Ms Flores for a fuller account of what happened in secret in 2016 as we continue to examine the public behavior of the former vice president.

[NurseJackie]

1. That's an interesting observation. Thanks for this post.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that Ms Flores chose to continue to work on a campaign characterized by a pervasive predatory culture despite the fact that she knew co-workers were being repeatedly victimized.

That's an interesting observation. Thanks for this post.

[lapucelle]

3. I wonder why no journalist has pointed this out.

It's extremely troubling.

[Wellstone ruled]

32. We do not have Jornalist

here in Las Vegas. First,three out of four TV Stations are owned by Sinclair,and the Fourth does not do News,just Vegas Infotainment topics and their so called Political Expert is a Rethug Hack.

And the Major Newspaper is owned by Adelson,which surprises me because they love to whack anything with Harry Reids finger prints on it.

First thing,Lucy was not Harry Reid's choice in NV 4,that was Ruben K and we know how that turned out. Lot's of injured Ego's after Ruben blew that up. The Sanders Campaign has left some real scared players locally. And this last cycle the pros were brought in to assure Steve Horsford captured NV 4. So did Ego's get stepped on once again. Harry Reid ran the show and now Nevada is a Blue State.

[melman]

34. "I wonder why no journalist has pointed this out"

Because it's unbelievably ugly to try to discredit Flores this way? Just a guess.

[Cha]

35. Flores' own friend, Cristobal Alex, discredited her

Link to tweet

".. that what she remembered did not match my recollection or what was in the photos.."

He felt "sucker punched and surprised that their private conversation was included and worse.. it misrepresented me".

Imagine if Cristobal Alex had not spoken up?

[lapucelle]

37. Asking nuanced questions of public figures who have voluntarily gone on the record

is not discrediting them.

[SweetieD]

2. Dont blame her. Biden is on tape doing the same thing to other women and girls. It is creepy

and inappropriate. Everyone knew but know one apparently cares. He is able to somehow manage to control himself so that he is not grabbing and rubbing men on the shoulders and chest and kissing them on the head. So he is not just doing it because he can't control himself. He does it intentionally.

It is wrong. And the only reason I think people want us to get over it is because the people on the recieving end are women and girls and should get over it. If he was kissing and rubbing men or boys that same deference would not be there.

[lapucelle]

7. Its good that Flores stood up for herself, but what about the victims she was aware of

on the campaign she worked on in 2016?

Flores knew about the pervasive predatory culture, the discrimination, and the allegations of abuse, harassment, and violence in real time, yet she continued to work on that campaign. Who does that? Why didn't she resign in protest?

[Demsrule86]

57. Planner says it never happened.

[handmade34]

28. Joe Biden hugs

and physically comforts men, women and children alike... there are plenty of photos out there... for some it may be creepy, for some it is a welcoming gesture...

a woman/girl should never "just get over it" if they are uncomfortable, and it is important that they let the person who is making them uncomfortable know... it seems Flores wants to speak unnecessarily for others that may not have anything to say... I assume Joe Biden is an easily approachable man and I woud think Flores could have discussed this with him and until I hear from a number of women who have been sexually harrassed by Biden... I call foul

[sheshe2]

52. So now he rubs women on the chest?

When did that happen.

He is able to somehow manage to control himself so that he is not grabbing and rubbing men on the shoulders and chest and kissing them on the head.

Another question. This picture, she is stroking his shoulder. Is this appropriate or inappropriate touching? Is it okay for her to touch him like that?

?width=540&height=&fit=bounds&auto=webp

[lapucelle]

53. When/where is that picture from? N/T

[sheshe2]

54. Here.

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/29/who-lucy-flores-who-has-accused-joe-biden-sexual-harassment/3318306002/

Vice President Joe Biden takes a selfie with Nevada Lt. Governor Democratic candidate Lucy Flores during a rally in support of Nevada Democrats at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Joint UA Local 525 in Las Vegas Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Sun, L.E. Baskow) (Photo: L.E. Baskow, AP)

[Demsrule86]

58. Planner said Flores lied and what you say is a right wing meme.

[mcar]

4. I agree

[BlueFlorida]

5. Precisely this

The time to come forward was when the #metoo movement was in full swing with Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby and others in the spotlight.

Holding the episode as reserve ammo and releasing it when Biden was killing Bernie in every poll is what makes it suspicious to many people.

Your point that Ms. Flores continued to work in a campaign where sexual harassment was rampant and far more egregious than "hands on the shoulder-fleeting kiss on the head" type is what makes it important that she follow this:

Lucy Flores needs to more fully discuss the allegations, what she knew and when she knew it, and clarify exactly why the victims' claims were not addressed in real time. Hopefully a journalist will ask Ms Flores for a fuller account of what happened in secret in 2016 as we continue to examine the public behavior of the former vice president.

[OilemFirchen]

9. "There are much more eloquent, intelligent and intellectually stimulating candidates."

Are you a spin doctor as well?

[lapucelle]

17. Isn't spin like this a violation of medical ethics that a doctor ("M.D.!) would avoid?

[lapucelle]

10. Wow...is it ethical for physicians to diagnose patients they've never met?

We went through this crap with the nominee in 2016. I'd prefer not to go through it again.

Welcome to DU, Dr. Jll.

Have a donut on your way out.

[sheshe2]

39. pax tibi

They have passed away.

[lapucelle]

40. I hope Dr. Jll had time to finish her donut.

[sheshe2]

41. I don't think so.......

[namahage]

11. Pseudobulbar effect as it pertains to Biden?

Sounds interesting. Fire up the ol’ Google and...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2945034/posts?page=2

Welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay, “doc.”

[OilemFirchen]

13. ...

[highplainsdem]

14. Thanks for the link, and the light it sheds on the post you're replying to.

I hate seeing old RW smears against Democratic candidates pop up on DU.

[Hekate]

22. Sheesh

[highplainsdem]

12. I'm sorry, but in this post you are trying to suggest that Biden is brain-damaged, and there's

absolutely no indication of that.

He's physically demonstrative when he's offering reassurance and support and affection. I wish more people could be.

He laughs in debates? I've been on student debate teams, and believe me, there are times when it's easy to laugh...though in a debate tournament you'll usually lose points for laughing. Biden didn't lose points laughing in political debates.

And no, he is not too old -- let alone too brain-damaged -- to be president.

[lapucelle]

15. Dr. Jll...

assures us that she is a doctor ("M.D."!) qualified to make a long distance diagnosis concerning what she calls

uncle Joe's Predelictions

Isn't this "diagnosis" a freeper/right wing/disinformation bot talking point?

No responsible physician engages in the speculative and dubious practice of long distance diagnosis of a complete stranger.

[highplainsdem]

18. I agree completely with your diagnosis of a very strange post.

[namahage]

20. Looks like the good doctor

Is not in at the moment:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=274100

[lapucelle]

24. I should have given her the whole box of donuts.

Oh well....

[spooky3]

44. You know, we used to be more generous. We gave them pizzas.

Tombstone pizzas, to be exact.

[lapucelle]

45. Like this?

[sheshe2]

62. Like this

Tombstone 4 meat. 280 calories.

[namahage]

63. Or this...

One "classic" for the doc registered in 2011 (who posted 5 of their 6 posts in the last 90 days) coming right up!

[sheshe2]

64. ...

[lapucelle]

66. Time to bookmark...

[lapucelle]

65. ...

oh that's good!

[Gothmog]

8. This combined with fact that she is a board member of Our Revolutiom matter

This lady waited to make this claim

[George II]

16. I'm betting that unless she's pressed on the 2016 campaign, she never mentions it. Plus...

....based on her "performance" today on Jake Tapper's show, I wouldn't be surprised if she never appears on television again to discuss this.

[lapucelle]

21. Journalists need to ask Flores why she remained silent

and continued to work for a candidate when she had contemporaneous knowledge of a predatory culture, discrimination, abuse, harassment, and sexual violence.

Why did those victims take a back seat to her career and her candidate;s ambitions?

[IluvPitties]

19. Touchy feely people are not a threat to society.

I suspect that Biden is one of them, with everyone. There are people like that out there, and you might not like it, but they exist and most of them mean well. It's a matter of letting them know your preference in a respectful and friendly way, and that's it. If they don't stop, then you have a case.

[lapucelle]

23. My problem is with the silence of insiders in 2016 concerning the campaign

characterized by a predatory culture, discrimination, harassment, abuse, and sexual violence. Why were careers and political ambitions more important than the victims?

Why didn't anybody take a principled stand?

[George II]

42. Following that up, that candidate said in January that "steps will be taken" to prevent...

...such a culture to exist this campaign, but we haven't seen anything substantive that was/will be done in regard to that. Was it just words?

[lapucelle]

43. Hopefully, BS will face more questions concerning the toxic predatory culture

of his last campaign.

Biden should curb his effusive public persona in the future. I am, however, more concerned about cultures of predation and the enabling of abuse, discrimination, and sexual violence on campaigns past and going forward.

[sheshe2]

61. Christine Blasey Ford

She was a brave woman that took the principled stand, not for herself, she stood for all women and paid the price. Flores is on record for saying she did it for politics because Biden is about to announce a run.

[lapucelle]

67. Flores is furiously backpedaling at this point.

She had the opportunity to take a principled stand in 2016. It's not too late.

[handmade34]

29. you have the first

reasonable post concerning this issue... thank you!

one reason I quit teaching is because of the "do not touch" rule that exists in schools... kids need hugs sometimes and I will continue when I think someone needs one

[Hekate]

25. This is going to be a long, ugly campaign, isn't it? Thanks to all you in this thread...

...for the background on Ms Flores and for vetting the now-departed freeper.

Regardless of age, Joe rocks. He genuinely likes people, and he's not afraid to call out bullshit?

[sheshe2]

26. Agreed.

[Eric J in MN]

27. Every former Bernie 2016 staffer

...who has discussed sexual harassment said that it's a problem for campaigns in general, not one campaign.

[lapucelle]

38. There is only one campaign I know of that has faced charges of a pervasive predatory culture

and sexual violence.

[Me.]

30. She Said She Brought It Up Because Biden Is Thinking Of Running For Pres.

But he was thinking of it in 2016, so why now? I truly do hope her concern is real and not because she is aligned with a potential competitor of Biden's. I also have to say, that while he's not my fave candidate, I don't think this should put him out of the running. However, this story seems to be building and may do just that.

[lapucelle]

31. Why didn't Flores bring up what she witnessed in 2016 on the BS campaign

when she learned that he was running again? This sounds (at the very least) like an extremely troubling double standard.

Allegations of a toxic, pervasive predation, discrimination, harassment, abuse, and sexual violence sound more serious and campaign-culture driven than unwanted public touching.

Why did Flores continue to work on the BS campaign once she learned of the victimization of workers and the subsequent cover ups? Flores knew as it was happening. Did the silence enable, empower, and embolden the abusers? Did it prolong the problem?

[Me.]

33. Quite

We're in murky waters here...don't want to disbelieve a victim....but as many are saying...why now?...Is there an agenda?

[Cha]

46. Check this out..

Link to tweet

[Cha]

36. Yes, why didn't Flores go Public

with that campaign's pervasive sexual harassment complaints? She most certainly does need to discuss this that was covered up.

Only now when there's political hay to be made against the opponent of the person she supports.

Flores' own friend, Cristobal Alex, discredited her as someone who "misrepresents"..

Link to tweet

".. that what she remembered did not match my recollection or what was in the photos.."

He felt "sucker punched and surprised that their private conversation was included and worse.. it misrepresented me".

Imagine if Cristobal Alex had not spoken up?

Mahalo for your OP, lapucelle

[Demsrule86]

47. The organizer says Flores is lying. She has photographic evidence.

A lie in 16 would still be a lie. I hope the Sanders. campaign pays a price for what is clearly ratfucking. Sirota should go.

[dalton99a]

49. +1. Sirota plays dirty

He has lifelong experience

[Demsrule86]

60. Yes he does. It won't work.

[lapucelle]

55. I'm talking about the complaints Flores was aware of on the campaign she was working for in 2016.

Those complaints include a pervasive predatory culture, discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence.

Lucy Flores was contemporaneously aware of the abuse allegations. She continued to work for the campaign anyway.

https://www.npr.org/2019/01/03/681815362/bernie-sanders-responds-to-allegations-of-sexism-and-harassment-on-2016-campaign

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/us/politics/bernie-sanders-campaign-sexism.html

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/30/bernie-sanders-campaign-harassment-1077014

https://medium.com/@mashamendieta/be-your-own-hero-because-bernie-is-not-it-c4add2e08029

[Demsrule86]

56. Heard that. I guess a touch on the shoulder is awful but violent

Sexual harrassment is ok...after all she said we shouldn't blame Bernie as other campaigns do it too...kid you not.

[Gothmog]

48. This lady also accused danders campaign of offensive conduct

Link to tweet

?s=20

[ehrnst]

50. Good points. (nt)

[bitterross]

51. I've been wonder the same thing.

It would seem that she had ample opportunity to bring this up before now. I was afraid to post the question here because I was sure I'd get piled onto for asking the question.

[SHRED]

59. Only Bernie can touch her I guess?

[Gothmog]

68. I have yet to see an explanation as to why she did not go public earlier