To the surprise of nobody who’s been around the block a few times in politics, a second woman active in Democratic politics has come forward to accuse former Vice President Joe Biden of inappropriate touching. It seems likely that somebody is trying to drive Biden out of declaring his candidacy, and has an oppo research file of women who took offense at his habit of touching people in public, something that conservatives have been lampooning for many years while the mainstream media ignored it until now.

The second in line is, according to the Hartford Courant:

A Connecticut woman says Joe Biden touched her inappropriately and rubbed noses with her during a 2009 political fundraiser in Greenwich when he was vice president, drawing further scrutiny to the Democrat and his history of unwanted contact with women as he ponders a presidential run "It wasn't sexual, but he did grab me by the head," Amy Lappos told The Courant Monday. "He put his hand around my neck and pulled me in to rub noses with me. When he was pulling me in, I thought he was going to kiss me on the mouth."

It would be very surprising to me if Ms. Lappos is not followed by other women, serially making similar accusations, building a crescendo to incidents that could be seen as more sexual or more sinister.

So, who is behind the campaign? The insightful and prescient Don Surber, who predicted Trump’s 2016 victory when few others did, asks, “Who kneecapped Biden?”

Democrats have known about Biden's improper behavior for decades and were silent about it.



But 32 years after his first run for president, Biden actually has a shot because he was Obama's veep.



Somebody wants Biden out of the race. Hence, Flores told her tale and Matt Drudge linked it.



I am guessing this is the work of the Obamas. They saw Plugs up close for eight years. They know him. They know he is too impulsive to be president, which would stain Obama's legacy. That was why the Obamas supported their arch-enemies, the Clintons, last time.



Michelle has made it plain that she wants a Woman of Color as the nominee. And John Boehner made it clear that Barack does what she wants him to do. ("He's scared to death of his wife. Scared. To. Death.")



Flores was and is connected. Actress Eva Longoria, co-founder of the Latino Victory Project, backed her. The White House did her a favor. Now the Obamas may -- and I am just speculating -- have called their marker.



If I were Biden, I would bow out. This first story was only a warning shot.

The list of suspects is potentially anyone interested in running for the 2020 nomination, of course. But it would have to be someone with sufficient deviousness, resources, media contacts, and skill to pull off a campaign. Michelle Obama certainly could be the puppeteer. But among declared candidates, Kamala Harris tops my list in terms of deviousness, and she clearly has significant financial and organizational support. Bernie Sanders, who currently polls just behind Biden is another old white guy who potentially could pick up support that is not committed to intersectionality (i.e., discrimination against white males).

Feel free to call me obsessive and paranoid, but I have to wonder if the fine hand of Hillary Clinton is not behind this phenomenon. It would be perfectly in character for her. But is she really thinking that she has a chance? Is she willing to make another run?

Hillary has been awfully quiet. But – purely by coincidence? – the Clintons are poised to resume their speaking tour in a week and a half. And the venues will be big, blue cities where enthusiasm for the Clintons has deteriorated slower than elsewhere:

The first phase of the tour was an embarrassing fiasco, with oceans of unsold seats in huge arenas. But the second phase avoids Canadian and Texan cities, and has much lower ticket prices and much smaller venues, so may even attract sell-out crowds. This sets the stage for an argument that Hillary is, as her husband was, the “comeback kid.” Because after enduring so much Trump, America needs a steady hand at the tiller. Michelle Obama was never a senator or a secretary of state.

Biden appeals to traditional Democrats nostalgic for the Clinton and Obama presidencies, a constituency that has been largely overlooked in the media enthusiasm for the new hard left generation of socialism-lovers. Knocking out Biden would be the perfect excuse for Hillary to declare that the nation needs a common sense candidate with experience in the intricacies of the federal government.

I suppose it is a long shot, but my spidey sense tells me that Hillary is crouching in the tall grass ready to spring.