Did Joe Biden 'chains' remark go too far?
Did Joe Biden go too far on Tuesday when he told attendees at a Virginia campaign rally that the GOP would 鈥減ut y鈥檃ll back in chains鈥�?
Since then lots of Republicans 鈥� and some prominent Democrats 鈥� have hit the incumbent VP hard for a remark they say had racial undertones. When he uttered the phrase 鈥渂ack in chains鈥� Biden was talking about GOP plans to repeal the Obama administration鈥檚 Wall Street reforms. But much of the Virginia audience was African-American, and Biden鈥檚 words were an unmistakable reference to slavery鈥檚 bondage, in the view of critics.
鈥淵ou know, these are the kinds of things you say when you鈥檙e desperate in a campaign,鈥� said presumptive GOP VP nominee Rep. Paul Ryan in an
Administration officials insist that Biden was talking about finance and simply made a clumsy reference to the harm that would befall consumers if the Romney-Ryan ticket wins. President Obama said as much in an interview with People magazine. Biden aides said the veep verbally tripped after saying that Republicans want to 鈥渦nshackle鈥� banks.
鈥淗e often talks about the middle class and the importance of unshackling the middle class,鈥� said White House Deputy Communications Director Jen Psaki in a briefing for reporters on Wednesday. 鈥淗e was using a metaphor yesterday and talking about Wall Street reform and the fact that we can鈥檛 allow Republicans to defund Wall Street reform.鈥�
However, some African-American Democrats were not convinced. Former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder told CNN that 鈥渨ithout question鈥� the remark was an appeal to race. Mr. Wilder indicated that he took particular umbrage at the fact that Biden referred to 鈥測鈥檃ll,鈥� not 鈥渦s.鈥�
鈥淪o he was still involved with that separate America. And I鈥檓 sick and tired of being considered something other than an American,鈥� said Wilder.
, which is aimed at an African-American audience, contributing editor David Swerdlick called Biden鈥檚 remark 鈥渋nexcusable鈥� and said that 鈥渁ny reference to slavery ... isn鈥檛 any better when it鈥檚 made by a liberal."
But he and other Root commentators were also annoyed at what they judged to be faux outrage from Republicans. The GOP has long used coded language in reference to racial issues, according to Mr. Swerdlick, such as when some Republicans insinuate that President Obama is not a real American by calling for his long-form birth certificate.
鈥淎frican-Americans can point 鈥� and rightly so 鈥� to a steady stream of chatter that鈥檚 never quite outright race-baiting but sure feels that way.... But maybe next time, if Romney hears something foul come from his side of the aisle, he鈥檒l be the one who calls it out first. Because now, at least, he knows how black people feel,鈥� wrote Swerdlick.
