Black Lawmakers Have Joe Biden's Back Following Segregationist Comments

[peggysue2]

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus were quick to defend Joe Biden after the uproar over comments claiming Biden had worked with segregationists to 'get things done.' Jim Clyburn was quoted as follows:

“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.”



It appears that a number of CBC members would refute the idea that Biden is the 'most tone deaf politician in American history.'

Which btw would be Donald Trump.

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

[George II]

1. Not surprised. Another much ado about nothing, attempted attack that failed.

[customerserviceguy]

26. After what de Blasio said today

I expect him to beat that drum in his portion of the debate. He needs headlines, and he needs them quickly.

[George II]

29. I didn't see DeBlasio, I forget that he's a candidate. As a New Yorker I have reservations about...

...him even as Mayor.

[customerserviceguy]

32. Many do!

In case anybody missed the story, here it is:

https://ijr.com/bill-de-blasio-biden-segregationists-senate/

One thing that Trump and de Blasio have in common is that they're both NYC attack dogs. They're not Amy Klobuchar's "Minnesota Nice" or Cory Booker's "Love and Unity" or Beto O'Rourke's self-effacement apology tour.

Since de Blasio got some headlines out of his comments, I expect him to go back to that well again and again. There's a fight for the African-American vote, and Joe has most of it at this point. I lived outside of NYC, but within it's media market, and I never even heard of de Blasio when he was running for mayor, until he ran commercials showing his son with a 70's-style Afro saying "If I could vote, I'd vote for Bill de Blasio, even if he wasn't my Dad," while cutting away to a shot of the son and father.

Bill de Blasio's used his family before for election to higher office, I don't doubt he'd do it again.

[JI7]

40. i don't know what de blasio said but if he is attacking Biden that alone would probably help Biden

[elleng]

2. Thanks, peggysue2, and THANKS, James Clyburn!

[peggysue2]

35. You're quite welcome

I was glad to see the immediate support.

[True Blue American]

3. I agree

Am also a little tired of all the attacks on Joe, no matter what he says.

These are Trump tactics and Democrats need to quit dividing.

When James Clynurn stands up fo Joe you know he is right. People who disagree work together all the time to accomplish things. Look at Tip ONeil and Reagan. We need more of that.

[LovingA2andMI]

4. The CBC is NOT a Monolithic Block....

Neither are African-Americans. One can always find some that agree and many, many more that disagree.

[LanternWaste]

5. Thankfully, no one at all (other than yourself) is arguing or implying otherwise.

[Cha]

18. No, but the ones who weighed in have

Biden's Back. And, they know what it's like to find it necessary to work with someone you don't agree with.

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.”

[emmaverybo]

30. Thanks for posting these illuminating comments. nt

[underthematrix]

6. Of course they have his back just like me because they're experts on whiteness

and they get what this is all about. I still love and respect all the other Democratic candidates. I think most are amazing and courageous and smart.

[wyldwolf]

7. And they are correct

Great gobs of gooseshit 'progressives' rival Republicans when it comes to poutrage. Lies, distractions, exaggerations, anything to gain a foothold.

This is the part where they tell African-Americans and lawmakers how they should feel about Biden.

[BlueWI]

9. Objecting to reviving memories of James Eastland isn't poutrage.

Of all senators to pick to demonstrate your commitment to civility, Biden picked the one who was excoriating the idea of racial equality in the midst of multiple political murders of black activists in his own state.

Mr. Clyburn is wrong to defend the statement. Even if we wanted to draw from the book of cliches and say, while we abhor the Senator Eastland's legacy of racism, we are ready to move forward to a unified America, etc etc, this would be an improvement over the cringe worthy remarks. You can like the candidate and encourage more political savviness in how the same point is made.

I wonder how many of us even know what a virulent opponent to black humanity Eastland was. Clyburn obviously does, but from his leadership position, he has reason to act as a surrogate. So be it.

[wyldwolf]

11. Mr. Clyburn is correct to defend the statement

It's a ridiculous proposition to think examples of Democrats working with Republicans - no matter how racist the Republican might have been - should never be spoken of, especially framed in the way Biden did it: People on complete opposite ends of issue can still do the people's work and pass legislation together.

FDR worked with southern racists to get votes for the New Deal.

Patty Murray and Lamar Alexander worked to get Every Student Succeeds Act passed.

Tip O'Neill worked with Ronald Reagan extensively.

History is full of examples of this.

[BlueWI]

13. It's one thing to signal civility and bipartisanship.

It's another thing to use Senator James Eastland and his racist legacy as your example of choice.

And I wouldn't highly recommend Tip O'Neill's work with Ronald Reagan on tax cuts as an example of bipartisanship either - how did that work out?

Lamar Alexander would be a better example. And if I were handling Biden's communication, I would suggest that some greater intentionality in his examples would help his campaign in the longer run.

It was a gaffe - nothing more, nothing less. Digging heels in helps no one.

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. This is much ado about nothing, and Joe Biden's frontrunner status. I predict, like all the other..

faux scandals, this one won't work either. Having been in government for as long as Joe Biden, the black community knows who he is, and most of all, we know where his heart is.

[BlueWI]

14. Not all of the black community supports Biden.

Personally, I am more concerned about policies and staging a winning campaign than where his heart is, if that could even be determined.

[Cha]

16. No, but he has a strong showing with POC.. and

right now he's ahead in South Carolina.

[Tarheel_Dem]

42. Not all of the black community supports any one candidate, but wait till we get to South Carolina.

Personally, I don't much care what you're "concerned about".

[BlueWI]

46. It's all good.

Although if you're a Democrat and not concerned about winning, that would be odd.

Charge on.

[renate]

10. I really don't like the Biden vs. Everyone Else narrative at all

For one thing, there's a good chance he'll be the nominee.

For another, his eight years at Obama's side would make him a damn good president, making the things he's done or said in the past as a senator less germane. (Admittedly, Strom Thurmond is maybe not the best example for him to bring up in this case. He does have a gaffe problem. But it's not helpful to expect perfection from anybody, let alone anybody whose opposite number is Donald Trump.)

I'm sick of the ugliness of politics and I'm sure I wouldn't be alone in being drawn to a party whose members are all part of a team. I love the way that Democrats don't just fall in line like Republicans do, but we literally have to win the next election if we're going to survive as a country; the infighting can start anew once we have a functioning government again.

I'm glad the CBC members dealt with this quickly.

[wyldwolf]

12. I've been on social media too long because I looked for a 'thumbs up' button for your reply.

[Cha]

15. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus were quick to defend Joe Biden

Thank You, Black lawmakers! .. We got your back, too!

Mahalo, Peggysue!

[Peacetrain]

17. Thank you to the CBC caucus.. yes its hard to understand but people had to

move those on the other side of the aisle to get things done.. If you can't move them to get it done.. then you have to work to get them voted out.. with a smile on your face.. Biden is very good at this.. What makes it different now is the internet.. 30 people get together and actually think they represent the rest of the country.. and 2010 redistricting.. God save me all those better than thou types..

[loyalsister]

19. And, Shirley Chisholm visited George Wallace in the hospital after he had been shot

Showing kindness is a good thing. But, politics being what it is, I'm going to trust my own judgement.

[ecstatic]

20. It's a nothing burger for me as well.

Biden isn't a racist. His full comment was edited down to hide the context of what he was saying. I'm getting the feeling that other campaigns are desperately trying to move black voters away from him. These tactics might work on millennial voters, but it's not going to move the more cynical genx+ voters.

[emmaverybo]

31. I'm getting the feeling that the RW is pushing hard to divide us and against the, for now, front

runner. We can expect them to use liberal forums, blogs, comment sections of online news journals, all forms of social media to do this. And YouTube.
It is important to do what you did, Ecstatic, to get the full comment.

[Cha]

21. K!

[Cha]

22. Thank You, James Clyburn, Hakeem Jeffries,

and all the Black lawmakers who have Biden's back

[LibFarmer]

23. David Sirota's attack failed miserably

It was propagated via Charlie Pierce who should retire.

[Cha]

24. Symone tweets out for Joe Biden..

Link to tweet

[peggysue2]

33. Symone Sanders is a very good spokeswoman . . .

for Joe Biden. But look at those comments in her thread! Very nasty.

This is going to be a lo-o-ong primary.

I was glad to see the CBC quickly come to Biden's defense. The pushback is important.

[Cha]

36. Yes, I was so grateful for

the CBC having Biden's Back!

[R B Garr]

38. Another great find, Cha. Symone offered great info/perspective

about Biden’s first campaign.

[Cha]

39. Symone did do!

[Cha]

25. K

[DonaldsRump]

27. Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump

That's (almost) all I have to say at the moment.

Any Democratic candidate is light years ahead of the Orange/Apricot shitwit, and I will support that Democratic candidate who wins the nomination.

All: don't you find it incredible that on the day that Hope Hicks and the White House totally stonewalled the US House of Reps, that this "story" about Biden somehow is the top story. Do you really think it's that important in relation to all the disasters around us?

Before bashing ANY Democratic candidate, please considered whether you/we/all of us are getting played. 2020 is not that far away. While we all have our favorites, there is a greater goal, and we all know the manipulation confronting this election. Please, please, please consider this.

Peace and love,
DonaldsRump

[saidsimplesimon]

28. "black law makers"

I detest separating our party along color lines.

[Cha]

37. They're a caucus.

[peggysue2]

41. Black Lawmakers comes right from the headline

And as Cha mentioned: they're a caucus.

[quickesst]

34. If you disagree with Clyburn....

....not only are you anti-Biden, you are anti-Clyburn. Can't have it both ways. Some people have been wanting Dems to fight fire with fire. Seems some have taken to it like ducks to water. I really don't understand why they think people will believe this crapola, but sadder still that some people do.

[Scurrilous]

43. K&R

[Gothmog]

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

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

45. 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.

[Cha]

47. K!