Biden Goes On Defense: ‘I Did Not Praise Racists’

Eric Scheiner | June 27, 2019
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Sen. Kamala Harris targeted Joe Biden for reflecting on his work with Democratic segregationists in the past and then attacked his record on busing Thursday night.

During the Democratic Presidential Debate Harris took on Biden directly.

“I will direct this at Vice President Biden, I do notbelieve you are a racist and I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground, but I also believe - and it's personal and it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country,” Harris said.

“It was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing. There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day. That little girl was me.”

 Biden called Harris’ statements a misrepresentation.

“It's a mischaracterization of my position across the board. I did not praise racists,” Biden said. “That is not true. Number one. Number two, if we want to have this litigated on who supports civil rights, I'm happy to do that. I was a public defender. I didn’t become a prosecutor. I left a good law firm to become a public defender. When in fact my city was in flames because of the assassination of Dr. King,“ Biden added.

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