Father figure?

The Washington Post has assigned a team of nine writers to cover the Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations. Can the Washington Post assign a team of writers to cover Benghazi, the IRS, or any of the dozens of other scandals of the Obama White House?

They interview one of Cosby's many attorneys, Martin Singer, who says:

“The new, never-before-heard claims from women who have come forward in the past two weeks with unsubstantiated, fantastical stories about things they say occurred 30, 40, or even 50 years ago have escalated far past the point of absurdity,” he said. “These brand new claims about alleged decades-old events are becoming increasingly ridiculous, and it is completely illogical that so many people would have said nothing, done nothing, and made no reports to law enforcement or asserted civil claims if they thought they had been assaulted over a span of so many years.

“Lawsuits are filed against people in the public eye every day. There has never been a shortage of lawyers willing to represent people with claims against rich, powerful men, so it makes no sense that not one of these new women who just came forward for the first time now ever asserted a legal claim back at the time they allege they had been sexually assaulted.

During an interview on Friday with Florida Today, Cosby said: “I know people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy doesn’t have to answer to innuendos. People should fact-check. People shouldn’t have to go through that and shouldn’t answer to innuendos.”

The allegations represent a stunning reshaping of Cosby’s legacy. Cosby built his fame on a family-friendly comedic persona. He has lectured black youths about proper behavior. He has been honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom and been lauded for making the largest donation ever by an African American to a historically black college, Spelman College in Atlanta.

Of course, another thing that is different now is the existence of social media, to which some of Cosby's accusers are telling their stories. What of Camille, Cosby's wife? After their son's murder and the revelation of a Bill Cosby affair in Las Vegas, Camille wrote in 1997:

“Bill and I were very young when we married; he was 26, I was 19. We had to mature, we had to learn the definition of unselfish love, and we did. When we committed to each other wholeheartedly years ago, our marriage became healthy and solid. Also, we blossomed as individuals. Our marriage encompasses mutual love, respect, trust and communication. Sound relationships must have positive reciprocity; they can’t be one-sided and strong.”

How many writers were assigned to dig up Barack Obama's history as he ran for President in 2008? The nine reporters on this Cosby story have gone back many decades to interview the women who say Cosby drugged them and raped them. Read more here.