Black lawmakers get Biden's back amid 'segregationist' uproar

[Kahuna7]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/19/joe-biden-segregationist-comments-1370844


Senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus leaped to former Vice President Joe Biden’s defense Wednesday after he touted his bipartisan work with known segregationists as a time of “civility.”

Progressives pounced on the remarks, and two other White House hopefuls criticized the 76-year-old Democratic presidential poll leader over his comments at a fundraiser Tuesday night. But more than a half-dozen CBC members argued that Biden’s remarks were taken out of context and that the former senator’s call for decency is needed now more than ever.


“I worked with Strom Thurmond all my life,” House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest-ranking African American in Congress, said of the infamous segregationist senator. “You don’t have to agree with people to work with them.”

Clyburn is preparing to host his annual fish fry event in South Carolina this weekend, a must-stop on the Democratic presidential circuit. Nearly all of the two-dozen Democratic hopefuls, including Biden, are set to attend.

At the fundraiser in New York, Biden pushed back at liberal critics who say he’s out of touch for thinking he can work with Republicans after the hyper-partisanship of Donald Trump's presidency. Biden recalled his days in the Senate working to find consensus with hard-line segregationists like James O. Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia.

“At least there was some civility,” Biden said of that era. “We got things done. We didn’t agree on much of anything. We got things done.”

[LibFarmer]

1. All Biden said

is that he can work with the worst of them -- and gave examples of the worst.

He didn't say he agreed with them. All the brouhaha is for nothing.

[trev]

2. The problem is

the Republicans are no longer civil.

I, too, long for the days of Bob Dole and Tip O'Neill. But they aren't coming back this time around. Maybe in the future, if we can gain control and change the atmosphere.

[LanternWaste]

3. CBC tries its hand at clearing the water of really fishy chum.

Hopefully, the same people who threw John Lewis under the bus for not endorsing their sacred cow will take a hint from the CBC's playbook and, y'know... begin to focus on the substantive.

[Celerity]

4. this has nothing to do with Sanders, but you knew that

Hopefully, the same people who threw John Lewis under the bus

Naked attempt at muddying the water and trying to paint this as a Berner-based thang in order to scared off any legit vetting and cast it into the no-go zone.




from the OP's article, btw

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) was one of the only CBC members interviewed by POLITICO who took issue with Biden’s comments. Rush said the former vice president should be “more understanding” and “deliberate” as he attempts to be inclusive.

“I would not want to give segregationists the currency to be at the table,” Rush said. “Segregationists at their core are those who believe in white superiority and black inferiority. There can be no compromise with someone in this day and time as someone who would define themselves as a segregationist.”

Rush paused as he walked away and turned back to say: “Did he really say that? Oh lord.”

Fellow CBC member and presidential candidate Cory Booker called on Biden to apologize, taking issue with Biden making light of being called "son" and not "boy" by Eastland.

"You don’t joke about calling black men ‘boys.’" Booker said in a statement. "Men like James O. Eastland used words like that, and the racist policies that accompanied them, to perpetuate white supremacy and strip black Americans of our very humanity."

[R B Garr]

12. Exactly. These trumped up dynamics look very familiar...

[Cha]

5. Mahalo, Kahuna!!

[Kahuna7]

6. Mahalo, Honey!

[Cha]

9. Keep this one Kicked!

[emmaverybo]

7. Thanks for this post. We need all the information, not just some of it.

[Kahuna7]

8. The same people criticizing Biden hold FDR up as the liberal ideal.

FDR was racist.

[Turin_C3PO]

11. So were pretty much all white people of that era.

Doesn’t make it acceptable, of course, but I don’t think it’s fair to single out FDR.

That said, I’m glad the CBC is defending Biden from this ridiculous attack.

[Kahuna7]

13. I'm sorry, but as an AA, FDR doesn't get a pass from me. Why shouldn't

I single out FDR. He's the "liberal" icon. Whites don't get how insulting it can be to have to listen to how great FDR was. He wasn't great for everybody.

[Turin_C3PO]

15. Ok, I understand.

You’re right that his policies often didn’t apply to black people. I think people, including myself, forget that when we think of the New Deal, etc.

[Kahuna7]

16. It's not just the New Deal. Segregation thrived during his term...

even to our soldiers who were segregated while fighting WW2. I don't like to get on a soapbox about FDR because I do understand that was another time. But when Sanders and Warren stand on get on their high horse, like they have never extolled or worked with racists, I do take exception and will point out their hypocrisy.

[Turin_C3PO]

17. Yes, that was terrible.

I heard stories where German POWs were treated better in movie theaters than American black soldiers, made to sit at the back of the theater. Sickening.

[oasis]

10. Clyburn to the rescue. He knows how much is at stake here. nt

[R B Garr]

14. Thanks to Clyburn for the rational thoughts. One is not

responsible for the things that Thurmond or other racists said simply because he worked with them.

[Cha]

18. And, the other Black Lawmakers who have Biden's Back..

Clyburn wasn’t alone in his support of Biden, a longtime friend. In interviews with roughly a dozen CBC members, most defended Biden, who has long relationships with the caucus’ most senior members after a 36-year tenure in the Senate.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he had yet to see Biden’s full remarks from the fundraiser but agreed with his overall sentiment.

“I disagree with the overwhelming items that have come out of the mouth of Donald J. Trump. But we managed to work together with his administration to enact historic criminal justice reform,” Jeffries said.

“I think we here in the House Democratic Caucus have ourselves taken the position that sometimes you have to work with the opposition to the extent they’re in power without compromising your values if you can get things done.”

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/19/joe-biden-segregationist-comments-1370844

[R B Garr]

19. Thanks for that, Cha! It's good to see the common sense

from the CBC.

On another note, It’s good to know not to take Medicare for All seriously since there is a group who says you can’t work with Republicans or you will have your character assaulted.

Thanks for the link!

[Cha]

20. You're Welcome, RB!

[Scurrilous]

21. K&R

[Gothmog]

22. According to Symone Sanders, Biden did not praise a segregationist

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

23. James Clyburn is siding with Joe Biden on this issue

This is very nice to see https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/20/why-joe-biden-is-so-defensive-over-his-remarks-about-segregationists/?utm_term=.ab8bb7949ad8

Biden has powerful Democratic backers on this: The highest-ranking African American member of Congress, House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), told reporters Wednesday he understands where Biden is coming from and that he, too, worked with people such as Strom Thurmond. Other black Democrats in Congress tried to frame Biden’s words in charitable ways.

“I think the sentiment is something that we all know in the legislative body — that you work with people you don’t agree with,” Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.), a co-chairman of Biden’s campaign, said.

The Clyburn comment in particular is helpful to Biden. If there’s one friend in Congress you want to make as a Democratic presidential candidate, it’s probably Clyburn. He rules South Carolina Democratic politics, and South Carolina is the first early voting state with a majority black Democratic primary voters. Biden and his opponents will be campaigning in South Carolina this weekend at Clyburn’s famous fish fry.