"And not once - never - did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention."
A Nevada politician's assertion that Biden's kiss on the back of her head made her feel uncomfortable prompted some Democrats to question whether the 76-year-old is too out of step with his own party to run a successful 2020 presidential campaign.
The episode, recounted by Democrat Lucy Flores, highlighted an aspect of Biden's persona that has been publicly known for years: the affectionate whispers, hugs and shoulder squeezes he has long doled out to women, often on camera and at high-profile public events.
In light of photos circulating of Biden embracing or leaning in toward women during official ceremonies as Vice-President, Biden's team forcefully pushed back on comparisons to them and what Flores' alleged.
"In other words, the familiar characterisations of these two photos that have been uncritically perpetuated, turn out to be very false," Biden spokesman Bill Russo said in a statement.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the women's assertions about Biden are not a reason for him to abandon the idea of running for president.
The California Democrat Said: "I don't think that this disqualifies him from running for president, not at all."
She declined to discuss why she felt that way. Pelosi has been a champion of the #MeToo movement opposing sexual harassment.
Several women who worked for Biden stepped forward to vouch for his character. And Stephanie Carter, the wife of former Defence Secretary Ash Carter, disputed characterisations of her interactions with Biden during her husband's swearing-in ceremony. Pictures of the then Vice-President whispering in Carter's ear and placing his hands on her shoulders ricocheted across the internet at the time.
"The Joe Biden in my picture is a close friend helping someone get through a big day, for which I will always be grateful," Carter wrote in a post on the website Medium.
Nancy Bobo, an Iowa activist who was among Obama's earliest supporters in the state, shares that view. She fears the episode with Flores suggests Democrats may try to tear down their most-qualified candidate.
"I can just see what's coming at him," Bobo said. "And it's going to come at him from the Democrats."
Flores' account of the 2014 incident comes at a crucial moment for Biden. He's been wrestling for months with a final decision on whether to run for president, blowing through several self-imposed deadlines. Advisers are now eyeing an announcement later in April.
Biden still leads most early polls, buoyed by broad name recognition and the goodwill he generated during eight years as President Barack Obama's No. 2. Given his experience and appeal with white working-class voters in Midwestern battleground states, he's also seen by some Democrats as the best-positioned candidate to defeat President Donald Trump.
- AP
