Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said former Vice President Joe Biden had a “lack of understanding” for his comments about working with segregationists.
Booker said, “I’ve said my peace. I have a lot of respect for Joe Biden and gratitude towards him and that’s even more of a responsibility that I have to be candid with him, speak truth to power. This is a presidential nominee and to say something —and again, it’s not about working across the aisle. If anything I’ve made that a hallmark of my time in the Senate to get big things done and legislation passed. This is about him evoking a terrible power dynamic that he should a lack of understanding or an insensitivity to. By invoking this idea that he was called son by white segregationists, who, yeah, they see him in them, their son.”
On Biden’s claim that his comments were taken out of context, Booker said, “I didn’t understand that. i listened to the full totality of what he was talking about, and frankly, I heard many, many African-Americans who found the comments hurtful. Look, we make mistakes. We sometimes tread upon issues that maybe we aren’t knowledgeable of. I don’t think the vice president should need this lesson but this was a time for him to be healing and to be helpful, especially at a time that he is looking to bring this party together and lead us in what is the most important election of our lifetime. I was disappointed. I’ve said my peace. We had a very constructive conversation. Again, I have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for the vice president.”
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