Former Vice President Joe Biden came under sharp criticism from some of his Democratic presidential rivals on Wednesday for remarks he made this week about his time working civilly with segregationists serving in the Senate in the 1970s. US Senator Cory Booker, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, called on Biden to apologize. "Frankly, I'm disappointed that he hasn't issued an immediate apology for the pain his words are dredging up for many Americans. He should," Booker, who is black, said in a statement. In a crowded primary campaign that so far had been civil, Wednesday's criticism exposed bubbling racial and generational tensions within the Democratic field that is the most diverse in history. Biden's campaign defended his remarks, saying he was not endorsing the positions of the segregationists he named, but using them as an example of someone with whom he disagreed. "And I think anyone who served with Joe Biden, you know, whether it was in the Senate or whether they worked with him during his eight years as Barack Obama's vice president, knows that this is a man who is committed to equality and civil rights in this country," Anita Dunn, a senior Biden aide, told MSNBC. Biden, 76, is leading in early polls to take on Republican President Donald Trump in 2020. At issue are Biden's remarks at a New York City fundraiser for his presidential campaign on Tuesday night. Biden said that US leaders have lost the ability to work together. He pointed to two segregationists from the South who were serving in the Senate when Biden was elected — Democratic Senators James Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia. Eastland described black people as inferior and fought against efforts to desegregate the South. When Biden joined the US Senate in 1973, he and Eastland, members of the same political party, served on the same committee. "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, according to a pool report distributed by his campaign. "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." New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, criticized Biden's remarks. "It's past time for apologies or evolution from @JoeBiden," de Blasio wrote on Twitter. "He repeatedly demonstrates that he is out of step with the values of the modern Democratic Party." De Blasio called out Biden for invoking Eastland, posting a photo of himself on Twitter with his wife, who is black, and his two multi-racial children. Booker also criticized Biden for his use of the word "boy" — a term that was frequently used by racists to demean black men. While describing Eastland, Biden said, "He never called me boy, he always called me son." Booker said it was inappropriate to "joke about calling black men boys." "Vice President Biden's relationships with proud segregationists are not the model for how we make America a safer and more inclusive place for black people, and for everyone," Booker said. Democrat John Delaney, a former congressman, offered a more restrained criticism. "Evoking an avowed segregationist is not the best way to make the point that we need to work together and is insensitive. We need to learn from history, but we also need to be aggressive in dismantling structural racism that exists today," Delaney said in a statement. Biden "didn't endorse their positions," Dunn said. She pointed to Biden's track record on civil rights legislation in the Senate. "The point of the story is that you have to be able to work with people, even if they hold positions repugnant to you in order to make some progress," Dunn said. "Senator Biden took on Jim Eastland in the Judiciary Committee over the voting rights act and he won." — Reuters
