Profiles in (not) courage: AOC still backs Biden and says the issue is not "clear cut."

"Questioned on what she wanted to see happen in response to Tara Reade's allegation of a 1993 assault, which Biden has publicly denied, the New York lawmaker noted that Reade herself had not called on Democrats to abandon their support of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee." [Read the full story from The Hill.]

Leaders on the left continue to rally around Joe Biden, no matter how hypocritical it makes them.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was asked straightforward questions about the allegation against Biden this morning -- and gave anything but clear-cut answers. She confirmed she plans to vote for Biden and, in an odd twist, noted that the woman accusing Biden "has never explicitly said, 'don't vote for Joe Biden.'"

AOC had previously opposed the nomination of now-Justice Kavanaugh and, nearly a year later, called for his impeachment.

Cynical political strategy or outrageous, morally indefensible double standard? We know what we think of the issue.

Profiles in (not) courage, continued in a NYT piece: "I believe Tara Reade. I'm voting for Joe Biden anyway."

"Far-left activist Linda Hirshman, author of a book called Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment, wrote in a New York Times op-ed on Wednesday that while she believes the woman who is accusing Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden of rape, she is still voting for Biden because she claims it’s 'worth it.'" [Read the full story from the Daily Wire.]

It doesn't get much clearer than that. You can check out the highlights of this outrageous op-ed on the Daily Wire or read the entire piece on the New York Times website.

Party leaders and politicians haven't made this argument yet. But with the impossible standard that the left created when they cast aside due process and presumption of innocence has left them with two options: embrace hypocrisy and defend Biden or accept the moral outrage and vote for him anyway.

It's an intra-party and intra-movement debate right now. But that will change -- and the stakes will get much higher -- when public attention returns fully to the 2020 presidential election.

But will their base accept it? The Democratic Party has a growing problem with young voters.

"Scarane is one of more than a half-dozen progressive House and Senate challengers — almost all of them millennials — who have said publicly that they believe Reade’s claim that Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 when she worked as his Senate aide or otherwise spoke out in support of her. [...] Their stance also risks exposing a rift between some younger and older Democrats as Biden works to strengthen his position as the Democratic nominee." [Read the full story from POLITICO.]

An under-reported story right now is the generational gap in the Democratic Party that the allegation against Joe Biden has exposed.

Remember (as we shared from The Hill): a new poll found that 26% of Democratic voters and 40% of Democratic voters under 45 think Biden should be replaced as the presidential nominee. Now younger, progressive Democratic candidates have expressed their concern ... and that movement may continue.

It's particularly concerning for Biden as Bernie Sanders has been re-added to the New York primary, and Biden still does not have the confirmed delegates necessary to win on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention.

Watch this issue: voting by mail is still up for debate.

"It remains unclear whether Democrats in Congress will dig in on forcing states to adopt particular election procedures, but there’s good reason to think Republicans would be open to sending money to the states for elections without strings attached. Congress already agreed in the CARES Act to appropriate $400 million for elections." [Read the full story from National Review.]

Primaries this spring were disrupted due to COVID-19, with most affected states either delaying or changing the elections.

Given the specter of a COVID-19 resurgence this fall -- not a certain event, but a possibility that has been in the news -- there's been increased interest in voting by mail (as well as the financial health of the U.S. Postal Service).

This issue may come up in Congress soon, and we'll keep you posted on all the developments.

And, on a final note: as always, we wish for the health and safety of you, your family, and your community at this uncertain time. Stay safe and see you tomorrow!