I agree with you that its not reflective of the man that he is today, but its important to look at that incident and his current reaction to it in the broad scope of his entire character. I believe that his utter dismissal of it as "hijinks" and making a faux apology actually hurt him more than a 48 year old assault. As you alluded, every politician has skeletons in his or her closet, how they react to them is reflective of their character.