‘That little girl was me.’ Kamala Harris tears into Joe Biden on praising segregationists and opposing busing telling how SHE was bused to integrate a school leaving Democrat frontrunner stammering and saying ‘I’m out of time’
- Joe Biden ‘s praise for segregationists followed him to the Democratic presidential debate on Thursday evening and exploded into a racial controversy
- Kamala Harris lectured him on busing. Harris, who’s Jamaican-American, inserted herself into a discussion on the thorny topic, saying, ‘As the only black person on this stage, I would like to speak, on the issue of race.’ She proceeded to confront Biden about his anti-busing stance in the ’70s to encourage racial integration in schools and comments about working with two segregationists in the Senate. ‘I do not believe you are a racist. And I agree with you, when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground,’ she said. ‘But I also believe – and it’s personal, and I was actually very – 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.’
Joe Biden’s praise for segregationists followed him to the Democratic presidential debate on Thursday evening and exploded into a racial controversy that could put a huge dent in his candidacy after Kamala Harris lectured him on busing.
Harris, who’s Jamaican-American, inserted herself into a discussion on the thorny topic, saying, ‘As the only black person on this stage, I would like to speak, on the issue of race.’
She proceeded to confront Biden about his anti-busing stance in the ’70s to encourage racial integration in schools and comments about working with two segregationists in the Senate.
‘I do not believe you are a racist. And I agree with you, when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground,’ she said. ‘But I also believe – and it’s personal, and I was actually very – 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.’
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK: Joe Biden ‘s praise for segregationists followed him to the Democratic presidential debate on Thursday evening and exploded into a racial controversy that could sink his candidacy after Kamala Harris lectured him on busing
In a terse exchange, that had her starring down the stage at the 77-year-old senator who represented Delaware, she reminded him that she was a beneficiary of busing.
‘And it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing. And, you know, 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. So 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 swifty. As Attorney General of California, I was very proud to put in place a requirement that all my special agents would wear body cameras and keep those cameras on.’
Biden was nearly out of a hole he dug for himself last week at a donor function, when he said disagreed with senators who opposed civil rights, but at least they were able to move legislation.
He claimed that one of the men ‘never called me “boy,” he always called me “son” ‘ in remarks that were ripped by Sen. Cory Booker as racially insensitive.
Claiming his comments had been taken out of context, Biden refused to apologize for the comments.
Harris would not let him off that easily. She directed stinging commentary on her own racial history at the former vice president who served the first African-American president and regularly touts their relationship.