Joe Biden and Cory Booker have escalated their fight over racism and working with racists
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) are still fighting over remarks Biden made at a fundraiser on Tuesday night and Booker's call for Biden to apologize. Biden had used his working relationship with two hard-line segregationist former Democratic senators, James Eastland and Herman Talmadge, to argue that the Senate used to be more civil and amenable to getting things done with people you disagree with.
On Wednesday evening, Biden told reporters he "could not have disagreed with Jim Eastland more," Eastman "was a segregationist" and "I ran for the United States Senate because I disagreed with the views of the segregationists," and his point had been that "you don't have to agree, you don't have to like the people in terms of their views, but you just simply make the case and you beat them."
When reporters noted that Biden's Democratic rivals were suggesting he had problems talking about race and asked if he would apologize, as Booker requested, Biden responded: "Cory should apologize. He knows better. There's not a racist bone in my body. I've been involved in civil rights my whole career. Period, period, period."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Booker appears to have taken special offense at Biden recalling Tuesday night that Eastland "never called me 'boy,' he always called me 'son.'" He said on CNN Wednesday night that Biden's inability to admit he'd said something wrong and to call for Booker to apologize is "so insulting and so missing the larger point," which is that he needs to be anti-racist, not just not racist.
The first 2020 Democratic presidential debate is June 26, but Booker and Biden are on separate nights.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Duchess of Gloucester: the hard-working royal you've never heard of
Under The Radar Outer royal 'never expected' to do duties but has stepped up to the plate
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Are 'judge shopping' rules a blow to Republicans?
Today's Big Question How the abortion pill case got to the Supreme Court
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Climate change is driving Indian women to choose sterilization
under the radar Faced with losing their jobs, they are making a life-altering decision
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published