Why Did Joe Biden Praise a Segregationist?

[babylonsister]

June 19, 2019
5:37PM ET
Why Did Joe Biden Praise a Segregationist?
2020 rivals slam the vice president, who called for political “civility” by invoking his relationship with a Mississippi senator who once called to “abolish the Negro race”
By Tim Dickinson


At a fundraiser on Tuesday night, Joe Biden was lamenting the decline of comity in America’s political culture when his remarks took a dark detour.

The former vice president voiced nostalgia for his ability to partner with Southern segregationist Democrats back when he joined the Senate in the 1970s. “At least there was some civility,” Biden said. “We didn’t agree on much of anything. We got things done. We got it finished.”

For Biden, the remarks seemed intended to build on the narrative he’s framed for himself as an old-school politician, versed in bipartisanship, who knows how to make Washington work. Decrying the current state of affairs in the Beltway, Biden added: “Today you look at the other side and you’re the enemy. Not the opposition, the enemy. We don’t talk to each other anymore.”

But in his remarks — delivered on the eve of Juneteenth, the day that marks the bitter end of slavery in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation — Biden voiced fondness for one colleague in particular, James Eastland, a Mississippi senator with a despicable legacy of racial hatred and incitement who was also a mentor to Biden in his early days in Washington. “I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland,” Biden told the assembled donors. “He never called me ‘boy,’ he always called me ‘son.’”

Biden’s remarks have drawn swift rebukes from 2020 challengers, including New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio — both of whom have insisted Biden needs to apologize.

Eastland was a giant in the Senate and an avatar of the darkest racism of the Civil Rights-era South. He was a plantation owner who championed white supremacy in language that now shocks the conscience. During the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycotts of the mid-1950s, Eastland appeared at a rally of the White Citizens Council to deliver remarks that stopped just short of a call for racial genocide. As memorialized by the historian Robert Caro, Eastland said:

In every stage of the bus boycott we have been oppressed and degraded because of black, slimy, juicy, unbearably stinking niggers … African flesh-eaters. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to abolish the Negro race, proper methods should be used. Among these are guns, bows and arrows, slingshots and knives… All whites are created equal with certain rights, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of dead niggers.

more...

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/why-did-biden-praise-racist-senator-booker-deblasio-850220/

[mcar]

1. He did not praise a segregationist

This is a terribly misleading headline.

[mtnsnake]

10. What on earth would you call it then? A back door compliment?

[mcar]

25. No, that would be praise

Look, I agree that his comment was ill spoken. However, many Democratic senators, include Sen Booker and Sen. Warren, have spoken about how they have worked with R Senators (Sessions and Grassley) to get things done.

That was Biden's point. He made it badly.

I see on this board on a daily basis supporters of certain candidates telling us what candidate A, B, or C really meant. I also see a lot of hair on fire OPs that do not show the full context of a candidates comment. I'm taking all that into consideration here.

[mtnsnake]

30. Okay, but even your favorite candidate, Kamala Harris, blasted him for it

when she said, "I have a great deal of respect for Vice President Biden," Harris told reporters outside the Capitol. "But to coddle the reputations of segregationists, of people who, if they had their way, I would literally not be standing here as a member of the United States Senate is … misinformed and it's wrong."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/kamala-harris-blasts-joe-biden-for-praising-work-with-segregationists-if-they-had-their-way-i-would-literally-not-be-standing-here

[emmaverybo]

26. That's really the answer. People are arguing over something he did not do. NT

[Jarqui]

29. +1

[AJT]

58. +1000

[ooky]

59. Yep. Intended to divide us.

He messed up his statement, but he didn't praise anyone.

[UniteFightBack]

2. Self Delete. nt

[emulatorloo]

3. He didn't praise a segregationist. Misleading headline, and an amazingly bad hot take from RS

Consider Self deleting. I seriously doubt you really want to be associated with this dishonest hyperbolic nonsense.

[Sneederbunk]

4. +1

[jaysunb]

5. +1. n/t

[True Blue American]

53. There are 4 with the same thing this morning.

I consider it a pile on.

[emulatorloo]

56. Yup.

[ecstatic]

6. Where's the praise?

Seeing the comment in it's full context makes it clear that Eastland was one of the people who he didn't agree with "on much of anything." I also don't see the fondness that the author injected into the moment. The comment about being called "son" was snark, not fondness.

Also, will we get to see/hear the audio/video/transcript of other candidate's fundraisers?

[LovingA2andMI]

7. Ask Joe....

Doubt if you would get an answer as he told Cory Booker he needed to apologize to HIM (Biden) for what he (Biden) said out of his mouth....so....and....that's ...that.

[guillaumeb]

8. Recommended. And not misleading.

From the excerpt:

But in his remarks — delivered on the eve of Juneteenth, the day that marks the bitter end of slavery in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation — Biden voiced fondness for one colleague in particular, James Eastland, a Mississippi senator with a despicable legacy of racial hatred and incitement who was also a mentor to Biden in his early days in Washington. “I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland,” Biden told the assembled donors. “He never called me ‘boy,’ he always called me ‘son.’”

Biden was fond of Eastland.

[mr_liberal]

17. He never called me 'boy,' BUT he always called me 'son.' That's what he meant.

He meant he didn't put me down with something as bad as boy, but he did put me down by calling me, a grown man that's a senator, "son". But he still worked with him because thats what you have to do.

[customerserviceguy]

34. I agree with you

and the life span of this doesn't go beyond the first debate, but Joe has to vet these comments to very trusted members of his staff before he lets loose with them. They can be misinterpreted and taken out of context way too easily.

[emmaverybo]

37. Exactly what he meant. And frankly I think the people misinterpreting and leaving out the full

comment know what he meant. Some folks post anti-Biden anything they can latch on to practically for a living. Certainly as a raison d’etre for being here, rather than to promote common Dem cause,
make honest criticism, or stump for a particular candidate.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. He didn't praise a segregationist.

He was trying to explain that the atmosphere in the Senate in those days was civil enough that he was able to work with a senator with whom he strongly disagreed - and for whom he did not, in fact, express "fondness." It's a very misleading article.

[mtnsnake]

11. He most certainly did praise a segregationist who was one of the most racist senators ever.

Read if for yourself:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48696124

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. What did he say that was praise?

[mtnsnake]

21. Here:

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/19/joe-biden-segregationist-senators-1370223

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. Sorry, I can't find any praise.

He said one of them was "one of the meanest guys I ever met," and the other one called him "son" instead of "boy" (which I took as a bit of sarcasm, since Biden in those days was one of the youngest members of the Senate). I didn't see where he said they were nice guys or decent people or good friends. He said he was able to work with them on a civil footing despite intense disagreements. If that's praise it's pretty faint.

[uponit7771]

46. That's not praise

[empedocles]

12. Biden's point was that civility and reaching across the aisle, helps get

things done.

LBJ's monumental work [medicare, Medicaid, civil righs etc.] could not have been done without Southern support.

[Polly Hennessey]

61. This is true.

In order to achieve monumental legislation reaching across the aisle is a necessity. It is called compromise. Where is it written that one must agree with or even like the person one works with in order to achieve a goal. Becoming amusing how much outlandish stretching is going on with those who do not like Joe. Trust me Joe can handle all of you and walk away with a smile on his face.

[empedocles]

64. Agreed. My term is 'pragmatism'.

Trying to get first, to a position, where we can really get things done.

[Voltaire2]

68. How'd that work for Obama?

It didn’t. Did Biden sleep in from 2008-2016?

He seems divorced from reality on this issue. It is a serious wtf.

[Celerity]

65. Eastland's a horrid example of someone to work with, because he worked with Eastland on anti-busing

He (Biden) was certainly happy to have the racist Eastland's help and support on a repugnant (repugnant to me) stance and legislation (anti-busing).

At least one of Biden's spokespeople (Anita Dunn on MSNBC yesterday) is compounding it by claiming Biden always fought against Eastland on anything that was controversial in terms of civil rights and race-related issues. That is simply not true. Dunn obviously either never saw, or is wilfully ignoring this:

http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2019/images/04/11/biden.eastland.letter.4.pdf



http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2019/images/04/11/biden.eastland.letter.3.pdf



http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2019/images/04/11/biden.eastland.letter.2.pdf



http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2019/images/04/11/biden.eastland.letter.1.pdf






The other thing I take issue with is Biden's telling Booker, a black man and a US Senator, to apologise to him, a white man, for taking issue with Biden's own words about the despicable Eastland and Talmadge. That is a very problematic look for Biden and totally self-inflicted. IMHO it shows very poor judgement, but, in fairness to Biden, that is indeed just my opinion (as previously stated), albeit it is given by me as a fellow (to Senator Booker) PoC.

[Voltaire2]

67. Not one southern democratic vote

For civil rights legislation.

Those bills passed with northern and midwestern Republican votes.

Medicare and Medicaid - yes.

[quickesst]

13. this is the typical anti-Biden thread....

.... which, as usual, can be broken down in three parts.

1. Attacking with knowledge beforehand that it is misleading.

2. Appealing to people who don't care that it is misleading or betting that people are too lazy to read behind the misleading headline, and, or are too stupid to understand what they are reading. None of which is a very smart bet.

3. Number three is the only conclusion that thoughtful, intelligent people can you come to. That number one, and number two are impossible to be taken seriously, and are an embarrassment to the Democratic party.

[mtnsnake]

14. Biden praised him, and every major news rag reported it that way, so how exactly is it misleading?

[quickesst]

20. Context

He said they managed to get some things done because they were civil to one another, while acknowledging that he disagreed with virtually everything the guy stood for. That is not praise. It is only seen as praise by those who are desperately seeking something, anything that will torpedo Joe Biden's campaign.

NO PRIZE - PLEASE TRY AGAIN!

[mtnsnake]

23. Speaking of context, you conveniently didn't mention anything about the controversial part

which included the "boy" comment, so I don't think I'm the one who needs to try again.

[quickesst]

27. "which included the boy comment"

If the boy comment was included in the controversial part, what other parts of the controversy that hasn't already been explained and shut down is there? I don't think I would pin my hopes and dreams of a Biden meltdown on one simple word.

[COLGATE4]

78. Might be time to quit beating a dead horse,,

Just sayin'

[uponit7771]

47. Biden did not praise him

[oasis]

15. I agree 100% with Post #13.

Let the truth be told.

[quickesst]

24. And people wonder why....

......their candidate of choice is not getting paid enough attention.

[OhZone]

22. @13 -

Yep.

[TimeToGo]

18. Sigh

[treestar]

19. Hard for the younger ones to prove

how they would have handled it in 1970. They were children at the time. Never had to deal with such a situation.

[Hoyt]

31. I would be OK with it if he had said, "Look, I managed to work with the most disgusting Dixiecrats

in history and get some things done." But, he didn't say it that way. Hope he hits stride before long.

I'd like to have him as an option -- and perhaps safe choice -- next March. But, not seeing it right now.

[shanny]

33. Well said.

[Demit]

35. Yes, this is the thing. He didn't criticize their racism. He could've, but he didn't.

He just praised them for their civility, as if that was the most important thing of all.

[saidsimplesimon]

32. "the pursuit of dead niggers.."

No matter how much time passes by...I hope that the past informs my choice for the future.

[techne7319]

36. Joe has got to go

Last edited Thu Jun 20, 2019, 08:40 AM - Edit history (1)

Clearly riding on the coattails of Obama. Campaigning in a most traditional way. Wishy washy on issues. Vague, broad strokes for positions with no specifics on how to fix this country. Playing “mr. (overly) nice guy.” Not what we need.

[techne7319]

39. No

I just don’t think he’s the strongest, brightest, or most energetic candidate for the Democratic Party and for our country. Clearly, he’s a super nice guy. I’m not sure he’s the fighter that we need. Why the hateful reply. It’s ok if people have different opinions than you.

[Demsrule86]

42. He can win a general unlike the rest of our worthy candidates. Great most of them...

I would vote for any of them, but they won't beat Trump in the rustbelt states we need.

[techne7319]

71. Speculative at best

He’s already lost the democratic nomination twice so claiming he can win a general is just an opinion. Please don’t express it as a fact.

[Demsrule86]

44. And he can still win because those attacking him can't accept they are in the minority in this

party...it was moderates who took the house. Will the left accept the idea we need a moderate or will we lose another general?

[marylandblue]

49. I would happily accept a moderate.

Hickenlooper a popular two term governor looks safe. But I'm not looking for safe. I like Klobuchar better. I'll take either.

If Biden flames out, the moderates will look for someone else, and those two seem like the best bets.

on edit: O'Rourke seems to appeal to both moderates and progressives, so maybe he'd be the best choice overall.

[Demsrule86]

75. Neither of those candidates are well known enough to survive against Trump.

[marylandblue]

77. We don't need a well known candidate. We need a media-savvy candidate

Biden isn't it. This incident proves it.

Bill and Obama were media-savvy. Dukakis, Gore, Kerry and Hillary were not.

[techne7319]

81. This!

This!
A candidate who has that kind of savvy with the media and also gets people fired up to go vote is key.
I have nothing against Biden, but I feel his popularity is because of his history in politics and his being a polite and good-natured person. I believe a more charismatic candidate will emerge as the front runner once the debates get further along.

[Demsrule86]

86. We need a candidate that can't be demonized...and Biden has been vetted before....the others have

not face this. Look at the midterms...moderates won. This is a fact and if we are not careful and run a candidate who can't win, we could reelect Trump and lose the house.

[marylandblue]

87. Biden has been demonized before, quite easily in fact.

He's being demonized now, and it's working. He was only safe under the protective wings of Obama. Without Obama, he's really not a good campaigner.

I'm okay with a moderate. O'Rourke is a moderate, but I think he has much better campaign skills. There are other choices too. They are all being held back by Obama's golden aura over Biden. Once that fades and Biden gaffes too many times, he will go down and a stronger moderate will take his place.

[Demsrule86]

88. Sorry to report, it is not working....the tide as expected has turned...and...' not gaining traction

He was VP for eight years...and vetting has been done...everyone has heard it before...so I see you support a different candidate and understand why you don't like Biden...but I don't dislike your candidate ...I just don't think he can win a general...and I would like more info on the police thing as well...but I don't go around attempting to smear any candidate. I won't do Trump's work for him. I simple believe Biden has the best chance to rebuild the blue wall and I like the guy...will vote for any nominee.

[marylandblue]

89. I choose the candidate I think is best. If Biden survives this and future attacks, fine.

I am not trying to smear him, though you may think I am. I am simply pointing out his vulnerabilities. Biden supporters don't seem to like that.


Buttigieg has been smeared plenty. I'll smear him myself. He's in the crapper with AAs, especially after this recent shooting. I don't think he can dig out of that hole. I hope he does, but he probably won't. If that's the end of him, I'll switch to somebody better no problem.

I hope I am wrong about Biden too. But I'm not going to hide my opinion just because some of his supporters can't stand to hear a dissenting voice.

[techne7319]

70. Look...

His 30-something percent of support among Dems is NOT a majority. In fact, it means approximately twice as many Dems prefer a candidate other than Biden. “He can still win” you say. That’s speculative at best. He’s failed to secure a democratic nomination twice already. What’s different this time? His popularity over other candidates at this time is, in my opinion, a result of his being the most recognizable and be cause of his ties to Obama. I think the left will accept the candidate chosen in the primary, whoever it is, moderate or otherwise.

[Demsrule86]

74. No it doesn't. There are more moderates than are represented in those polls.

And we need to attract Independents and maybe even a some GOP voters as well in order to win. I dont think many here realize the dire situation we are in if we dont rebuild the blue wall. We can't win in 20 or beyond. There is no path currently.

[techne7319]

82. Understood... or not really

Last edited Thu Jun 20, 2019, 08:32 PM - Edit history (2)

You first claim that Biden can still win BECAUSE those attacking him are in the minority and can’t accept their “minority” status. I see no link between these 2 premises that result in the conclusion you propose. This argument makes no sense.

In a later post you suggest that a majority of Dems favor Biden (despite all polls showing otherwise) because there are more moderates in the party than non-moderates. “Majority” means more than 50%. No poll has shown Biden with a majority of support. As a result of this fact, we can clearly say that more people support someone “other than Biden.” It’s very possible that there are a majority of “moderates” in the Democratic Party than non-moderates. I don’t know the breakdown there. Also, I don’t t think it’s fair to say that all moderate Democrats support Biden either. You then claim that he’s the “only one” that can win the three key states of PA, WI, and MI. Again, speculative at best.

Edit: what is understood is that you claim 1)there are more Dem moderates than not.
2) only a “moderate” Dem can win
3) Biden is the only moderate or at least the only moderate that can win
4) a majority of Dems support Biden and those who don’t are ignorant of “the dire situation we are in if we don't rebuild the blue wall” (whatever any of that means)
5) so, you like Biden and think anybody who supports another candidate is wrong and possibly stupid because they don’t.
6) anyone who supports a candidate other than Biden jeopardizes the success of a Dem winning the presidency, the Dems retaking the senate, and the future of the Democrat Party altogether because, as you stated,”there is no path currently”

[Demsrule86]

85. I believe looking at the electoral map,Biden is the only one who can rebuild the blue wall...we

have no path to the presidency without it.

[techne7319]

72. Speculative

He’s already lost the democratic nomination twice so claiming he can win a general is just an opinion or belief. Please don’t express it as a fact.

[Demsrule86]

73. It is not. Looking at how we win shows it clearly. An electoral college win requires

three states...PA,WI and MI. In my opinion, Biden is the only one who will win these states and we have a shot at the senate if he is the candidate.

[loyalsister]

66. Something else

When republicans refused to work with Obama when he was in the WH, most of us agree that their strident opposition was driven by racial hostility.

I have heard more than one person explicitly state that we need to nominate a white man in order to win. Others have more subtlely conveyed an opinion that a white man is most electable with their worries over whether we are "ready" to elect another president who is not a white man.

With that sentiment lurking, fondly remembering the civility of days when good white people could be counted on to find common ground with unabashed white supremacists has a very nasty subtext.

The time before we had the gall to nominate and elect a black man, dared to nominate a woman, and have an amazingly diverse slate if candidates running in our primary may have been easier to get things done. And, a call to return to that comes across as an alternative, softer reference to the good ol days republicans have been longing for.

We have moved beyond the days of letting it slide when grandpa uses racialized rhetoric because "he's from a different time."

[Gothmog]

40. I hate it when I have to agree with Morning Joe

Link to tweet

[Demsrule86]

41. He did no such thing.,.he said he was able to work with the most deplorable pugs.

And what is the alternative? You look at rthe senate, we eill have no majority soon.

[Gothmog]

43. From Morning Joe

Link to tweet

[LanternWaste]

45. Seems a grade-school mistake to confuse 'praise' and 'observation'.

However, our distempered agendas often drive us to make these grade-school level mistakes in basic English usage. Hopefully, the author will dust off his copy of Elements of Style and learn from his mistake.

One morning left before the half-life of this particular story decays to the point that its actual purpose is shown to be little more than a spit-ball.

The "Biden pointed his finger at someone!!!!" story was better. Everyone's alleged 'concern' seemed much more genuine and politically motivated that time around. The author should learn from that one to better maintain the pretense of self-righteousness.

[Jose Garcia]

48. Barack Obama delivered the eulogy for former KKK leader

[bullwinkle428]

50. Are we talking about a guy that showed clear signs of evolution as

both a human being and a member of the highest legislative body in the land over decades and decades before his death?

[True Blue American]

51. 4 Top Posts criticizing

Even lying about Joe Biden this morning. Do I detect a pattern?

[Jose Garcia]

63. He is the guy who used the N-word on Fox News

[Freethinker65]

52. JFC. Not a Biden fan, but do not fall for this crap. Concentrate on policy

[True Blue American]

55. 100%

[JustAnotherGen]

54. He didn't

And Mitch McConnell hates us black folks. He hates us. He's against us. He's proven it time and again. And the people of western Kentucky hate black people too - because they keep voting for him.

I'm far more concerned what a living breath kkk, trump, putin Cocaine Dealing racist Republican said than anything ANY Democratic Party member said.

And if Biden is the nominee - I'm voting for him.

[emulatorloo]

57. He didn't. Super bad hot take from RS. I don't think you really want to be associated with this

bullshit lying piece “journalism.” Consider self-deleting.

[PBC_Democrat]

60. He didn't ... and you and Sen. Booker both know that

The two men he mentioned were sitting U.S. Senators - therefore they had two of just 100 votes available.

On the very, very few issues where then Sen. Biden agreed with them -- he was dead right to help pass those laws.

I can't imagine that they agreed on more than one or two things per year.

We really do need to get back to a time where our elected representatives can disagree with each other without feeling the need to demonize the person.

[Zambero]

62. AOC and Ted Cruz

On the basis of a specific policy agreement, these two have formed a bipartisan political alliance with a goal of reining in the practice of former members of Congress becoming lobbyists once they are out of office. The fact that AOC chose to reach out to arguably the most despicable U.S. Senator in recent history does not necessarily disqualify her from office. Far from it. Getting legislation passed through a hyper-partisan political environment will require bipartisan cooperation, as it always has. And sometimes a winning margin will be provided by members who are by any reasonable standard vile human beings needing to be shown the exit at the earliest opportunity. The old saying that politics makes for strange bedfellows was coined years ago, but it has never lost its relevance.

[book_worm]

69. Well if you're going to attack Biden for working with Southern Dems like Eastland then you got to

also attack RFK, JFK, LBJ, Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern...

[delisen]

79. Biden was working with Eastland against school busing to achieve integration.

I don't know that any of the Dems you mention shared Eastland's and Bidn's opposition to that aspect of school desegregation.

In fact I think they were all out of office or deceased in the 1970s

[Gothmog]

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

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[aikoaiko]

84. Symone Sanders works for Joe. What else is she going to say?

[JGug1]

83. YIKES

I'm afraid that I would have had a very difficult time working with someone who made the comment that this man made. At the same time, if there were bills that he supported that I supported, I'd vote with him. It would be just stupid to not to do that. It is possible that Biden will gain some support from the other side over what he said. He should not be dissed by our side for having said that he would work with a segregationist. People saying that he praised a segregationist are propagandists and dishonest.

[MineralMan]

90. Well, see, he didn't do that, did he?

[Gothmog]

91. Civil rights icon John Lewis backs Biden, says segregationist comments were not offensive

Link to tweet