Nancy Pelosi isn’t joining fellow Democrats in blasting Joe Biden this week after the former vice president angered many progressives by citing his ability to “get things done” with segregationist lawmakers.
“What I think is most important for all the candidates is authenticity,” Pelosi said. “They are who they are. They’ve lived a life, and they have grown from their experiences. And I think that’s what he’s trying to tell us. So I have no criticism of what he believes is his story to tell the American people, that he will work with anyone to get a good result for the American people.”
Defending Joe
Biden set off controversy Tuesday when he cited working with two segregationist Democrats, James Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia, as evidence of his ability to “get things done.” While touting his own bipartisan credentials, Biden made a larger point about reaching across the aisle to work with Republicans.
“At least there was some civility. We got things done. We didn’t agree on much of anything. We got things done. We got it finished,” Biden said. “But today, you look at the other side and you’re the enemy. Not the opposition, the enemy. We don’t talk to each other anymore.”
Pelosi dismissed Biden’s comments as mere evidence that the 2020 hopeful will “work with anyone to get a good result for the American people.” Indeed, Biden later clarified that his point was about working across the aisle for the common good, not that he agreed with segregationists.
But Biden’s nostalgic tone about the “civility” of working with segregationists rankled many progressives, who saw his comments as the latest sign that the gaffe-prone Democrat is out of step with a new generation of “woke” Democrats. There is an emerging consensus among progressives that the left should reject civility, which leftists have likened to a tool that props up a racist status quo.
Biden slipping?
While Biden is the Democratic primary frontrunner, the 76-year-old’s campaign has suffered a steady stream of embarrassments. The Democrat has struggled to reconcile a long and complicated record on race, abortion, and other issues with the unapologetic radicalism of his party’s progressive wing.
For instance, at a blitz of upscale fundraisers in New York this week, Biden told wealthy donors that he didn’t want to “demonize” the wealthy and suggested that their standard of living would remain unaffected if he became president, comments that placed him way out of line with the soak-the-rich animus in the Democratic base. And earlier this month, Biden reversed his long-held position on the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for abortion, after Democrats slammed his continued support of the provision.
But Biden’s record on race is a particularly vulnerable spot. In addition to his history of working with segregationist Democrats, the former vice president has taken steady criticism from the left for his role in crafting punitive drug policies. And according to National Review, Tuesday was not the first time Biden touted his relationships with Talmadge and Eastland.
The Democrat’s latest controversy raised questions about his longevity in a primary that has embraced identity politics and fighting racial injustice as defining issues. Biden’s comments prompted a stinging reaction from Democrats Cory Booker (NJ) and Kamala Harris (CA), two black senators running for president.
Booker said Biden’s comments were disappointing and concerning on Wednesday and called on the former vice president to apologize, prompting Biden to double down on his comments and assert that Booker is the one who owes him an apology.
“Cory should apologize,” Biden said. “He knows better. Not a racist bone in my body. I’ve been involved in civil rights my whole career. Period. Period. Period.”
Biden’s latest controversy came as Democrats discussed reparations for slavery at a House hearing Wednesday. For her part, Pelosi is backing a bill to form a commission to study whether descendants of slaves should receive reparations.
The wrong side of history
This isn’t the first time Pelosi has had to weigh in on a controversy rocking Biden’s campaign. When Biden was hit with allegations of inappropriately touching women and girls, Pelosi urged the former Delaware senator to respect people’s personal space.
But as a political moderate, Pelosi has more in common with Biden than her party’s progressive wing. The House speakers biggest headaches over the last several months have come from the left, as she has taken veiled swipes at the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Still, when it comes to handling intra-party controversy, Pelosi’s approach has generally been to present a united front and defend beleaguered colleagues. When Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) set off a firestorm with anti-Semitic comments earlier this year, Pelosi initially rebuked the lawmaker but later backpedaled, saying that Omar “has a different experience in the use of words.”
It looks like Pelosi has her mind made up on how to handle Democrats like Biden embroiled in racial controversy: defend, deny, and deflect. She’s a true partisan who plays for keeps.
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