“Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough offered an impassioned defense of former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday morning, launching into his comments with the caveat that he knew his opinion wouldn’t be popular among the other hosts.
Biden’s been hit by Democrats, including his 2020 opponents, for remarks he made earlier this week about his past efforts to work with documented segregationist senators from the South. Responding to Sen. Kamala Harris’ (D-CA) critique, that Biden was coddling segregationists, Scarborough shot back.
“First of all, I love Kamala (Harris), but Joe Biden didn’t coddle any segregationist in anything he said,” Scarborough said. “In fact, I think he called one of them one of the meanest people he ever met. If that’s coddling, please, stay away from each other, don’t hug me, don’t coddle me. That’s not coddling. Also, he didn’t speak with adoration about these segregationists.”
“(He) picked the people who were the most repugnant to them, who he disagreed with the most and said I could even work with them,” he continued, comparing Biden’s remarks to efforts by former presidents and even evangelist Billy Graham to work with the Soviet Union in the 1980s.
Scarborough defends Biden working with "repugnant" segregationists pic.twitter.com/aphNwq7mB6
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) June 20, 2019
Biden should say specifically what the outcome of their “working together” is. Any good bills? Or is it just going to Senate to “work together” every day?
Obama tried hard to work across the aisle. It wasn’t lack of ability that led to failure - although he sometimes was too trusting and gave away the farm - it was more that those he was trying to reason with were not susceptible to reason or compromise. Pelosi started out trying to reach compromises, but got nowhere, and she has extraordinary abilities and experience in getting things done.
That’s not to say that there must be a Democratic candidate, or President, who is as rigid and ideological driven as Trump and McConnell. Rather, the candidate need to be someone thoughtful about how to work in the less polite and gentlemanly political climate in Washington that exists now. How do you create policies that excite people? Touting your ability to work with repugnant racists - including speaking at the funeral of at least one of them - is not all that appealing, especially with his recent inability to grasp why his invasion of women’s personal space was inappropriate and objectionable.
Of course i’ll vote for him if he’s the candidate. And I don’t yet have someone I strongly support in his place. But I want someone who seems tuned into the present and isn’t afraid of talking policies.
Scarborough made some points that can be considered and debated. But the one point that he didn’t address was Biden’s unfortunate and hurtful statement “He didn’t call me boy, he called me son”.
A democratic president isn’t going to get much of anything done unless Congress is with him. In this climate, that means a Congress controlled by the democrats.
A sad reality.
Biden gaffes versus the Orange Turd.
No brainer.