‘It was hurtful’: Kamala Harris had frank words for Joe Biden over his past work with segregationists
"It was actually very hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and careers on the segregation of race in this country."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYMm3tivK7A
California Sen. Kamala Harris, in a frank discussion about the country’s racial issues, directed her focus on former Vice President Joe Biden during Thursday night’s debate and denounced his past working with segregationists in Congress.
“I do not believe you are a racist, and I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding ground,” Harris told him. “But I also believe, and it is personal — it was actually very hurtful — to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and careers on the segregation of race in this country.”
Earlier this month, Biden spoke of how he worked with late lawmakers Herman Talmadge of Georgia and James Eastland of Mississippi despite their political disagreements, and cited those relationships as an example of “civility” now absent in Congress.
Harris said Biden worked with them to oppose school busing — a point Biden called inaccurate.
“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 — and that little girl was me,” Harris said. “I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among Democrats. We have to take it seriously. We have to act swiftly.”
Biden, who said he did not oppose busing but instead opposed the Department of Education mandating the measure, called Harris’s remarks “a mischaracterization of my position across the board.”
“I did not praise racists,” Biden said. “That is not true.”
