Ocasio-Cortez: Booker doesn’t owe Biden apology over remark about segregationists

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) came to the defense of Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Thursday after former Vice President Joe Biden suggested the senator owed him an apology for criticizing remarks Biden made about working with two segregationist lawmakers.

“For the record, Cory Booker does not *owe* Joe Biden an apology for pointing out that waxing nostalgic about working with segregationists is insensitive,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “‘He knows better?’ Really? What is ‘better?’ To stay quiet about it?” 

The freshman representative said it’s important not to “gloss over” Biden’s comment touting his working relationship with former Democratic Sens. James Eastland (Miss.) and Herman Talmadge (Ga.) in the 1970s, saying “we can’t risk depressed turnout in 2020.” {mosads}

“The original remark is valid to ask about & have a discussion on or clarify — not dismiss,” she said. “We should be compassionate toward each other, but not silent.”

For folks saying we should gloss over this, I think it’s important to realize that we can’t risk depressed turnout in 2020.

The original remark is valid to ask about & have a discussion on or clarify – not dismiss.

We should be compassionate toward each other, but not silent.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 20, 2019 

Biden was called out by a handful of Democratic presidential primary opponents on Wednesday, including Booker, after he recalled the “civility” surrounding working with the segregationist senators.

He refused Booker’s call for an apology, telling reporters, “He knows better. There’s not a racist bone in my body. I’ve been involved in civil rights my whole career. Period. Period. Period.”

Booker told CNN’s Don Lemon that Biden “shouldn’t need this lesson” and called Biden’s response “deeply disappointing.”

“At a time when we have in the highest offices in the land divisiveness, racial hatred and bigotry being spewed, he should have the sensitivity to know that this is time I need to be an ally, I need to be a healer, I need to not engage in usage of words that harms folks,” he continued. “This is deeply disappointing.” 

Biden’s campaign did not immediately return a request for comment about Ocasio-Cortez’s remark. 

The progressive firebrand has previously hinted at support for other rivals of Biden in the 2020 Democratic field, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).