Bobby Rush rips Biden as 'woefully ignorant'

[BeyondGeography]

Rep. Bobby Rush issued a scathing rebuke of Joe Biden on Friday, calling him “woefully ignorant” of the black American experience, as the former vice president confronts a growing backlash over his comments about working alongside fervent segregationists.

Rush, a high-profile activist during the height of the civil rights movement, told POLITICO in an exclusive statement that Biden’s remarks at a New York fundraiser earlier this week were “wholly out of touch.”

“You would think that after eight years of serving as Vice President under President Obama, Biden would get it, that his frame of reference would be more audacious for the future and less on the obvious incrementalism of the past,” Rush said. “With his statement he has demonstrated that he is wholly out of touch and woefully ignorant of the nuances of the black American experience and that is, in itself, beyond disappointing.”

Biden’s campaign declined to comment and instead pointed to the numerous black lawmakers standing by him, including the congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis.

...Biden has not apologized for his remarks and stirred up more controversy when attempting to address criticism from his fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls.

“Instead of being a bold agent of change — one who will fight to dismantle the remaining vestiges of segregation and other aspects of racial discrimination — he remains focused on an unacceptable pronounced ideology of racial incrementalism,” Rush continued. “It’s shocking, sad, and troubling that Biden just don’t get it. In the minds of die-hard segregationists, President Obama was — and will always be — a ‘boy’ to them and never ‘son.’”

More at https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/21/bobby-rush-biden-ignorant-1376557

[still_one]

1. Perhaps Rep. Rush can enlighten us on his deliquent debt of over one million dollars?

While he is at it.



https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/rep-bobby-rush-faces-wage-garnishment-1-million-debt

[CurtEastPoint]

2. heh heh hehhhhhh

[Gothmog]

3. Civil rights heroes Lewis and Clyburn defend Biden

Link to tweet

[TwilightZone]

4. As noted, John Lewis would seem to disagree.

"But Lewis, like several other prominent African-American lawmakers, had Biden’s back with a full-throated defense of the front-runner.

“I don't think the remarks are offensive,” Lewis (D-Ga.) told reporters, recounting the range of unsavory people he’s worked shoulder to shoulder with. “During the height of the civil rights movement we worked with people and got to know people that were members of the Klan — people who opposed us, even people who beat us, and arrested us and jailed us.”

But, the longtime Georgia congressman declared, “We never gave up on our fellow human beings, and I will not give up on any human being."

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/21/john-lewis-joe-biden-segregationist-comments-1376364

[stonecutter357]

5. John Lewis backs Biden:

[SouthernProgressive]

6. Look at what Rush said about Mayor Lightfoot.

Chicago Sun Times

The Biden detractors are pulling out all of the stops.

"Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) was one of the only CBC members interviewed by POLITICO who took issue with Biden’s comments."

[awesomerwb1]

7. Dear lord, this is getting

silly. Is this the way it was back in 2015-16 here??

[still_one]

8. Worse, but it's still early

[awesomerwb1]

12. Yikes. Thanks for the warning haha

[still_one]

20. If it gets too frustrating perhaps one would try and avoid the primary forum

[tishaLA]

9. Rev Sharpton just rebuked him (although more mildly)

on Deadline White House on MSNBC.

[BeyondGeography]

11. We could all move on if Biden apologized

Until then, people are going to be asked about what he said and not everyone is going to give an answer that turns into a happy headline. He isn't doing himself or the party any favors by digging in.

[TwilightZone]

13. That's not realistic.

He could apologize and a lot of people still wouldn't move on.

That's not how primary politics works. We leave no dead horses unbeaten.

[BeyondGeography]

17. The media would move on

And the story along with it.

Biden has extended the shelf life of this thing by two full days and counting.

[earthshine]

10. Biden is a time traveller.

He's from another time, and that time has long passed.

[awesomerwb1]

14. So him and Bernie's time has passed?

Elizabeth Warren is 70. Has her time passed as well?

[earthshine]

18. Not at all. Biden looks, sounds, and acts his age, and it's not a compliment.

The others, especially Warren, seem younger in attitudes and style of speech.

"So him?" I'm not familiar with language construct.

[awesomerwb1]

19. You understood my "language construct" perfectly...

judging by your reply.

[TwilightZone]

15. Ted Kennedy and James Eastland were friends

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287159970

Should we demonize Ted Kennedy now in the same manner?

[Celerity]

16. I knew that was coming after I read this (buried in a story posted here yesterday)

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

snip

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) was one of the only CBC members interviewed by POLITICO who took issue with Biden’s comments. Rush said the former vice president should be “more understanding” and “deliberate” as he attempts to be inclusive.

“I would not want to give segregationists the currency to be at the table,” Rush said. “Segregationists at their core are those who believe in white superiority and black inferiority. There can be no compromise with someone in this day and time as someone who would define themselves as a segregationist.”

Rush paused as he walked away and turned back to say: “Did he really say that? Oh lord.”

Fellow CBC member and presidential candidate Cory Booker called on Biden to apologize, taking issue with Biden making light of being called "son" and not "boy" by Eastland.

"You don’t joke about calling black men ‘boys.’" Booker said in a statement. "Men like James O. Eastland used words like that, and the racist policies that accompanied them, to perpetuate white supremacy and strip black Americans of our very humanity."