At yesterday's Des Moines Register/Iowa Public Television debate, most folks think that the 'best' moment was when Barack Obama zipped off a witty one-liner to Hillary Clinton on the question of having former Clinton administration officials advising him.
It wasn't.
It wasn't even the best moment involving Barack Obama. The best moment of the night involved Obama and . . . Joe Biden.
The details below the fold.
The moment arose when the moderator asked Joe Biden a grotesquely unfair question.
Senator Biden, you and your campaign have had a number of occasions to correct or clarify things you've said relating to race, including your remarks about Senator Obama being, quote, "clean and articulate," your comment about Indians working at 7-11, and recently to the Washington Post in which you spoke about race while describing disparities between schools in Washington, D.C. and Iowa.
Do these gaffes, or misunderstandings, or however you characterize them indicate you're uncomfortable talking about race, or are people just being too sensitive?
It was genuinely sad watching Joe Biden have to explain why his 30 years of commitment to civil rights shouldn't be outweighed by a few gaffes.
As the moderator did note, one of those comments was about Barack Obama:
I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.
After the Brown and Black Dinner, the media again tried to make it seem like Biden had offended Obama.
Did Biden offend Obama again at Racial Forum?
Share December 02, 2007 5:53 AMABC News' Eloise Harper, Raelyn Johnson and Sunlen Miller Report: At an event focused on minority issues--the Black & Brown forum in Des Moines, Iowa, Sen. Joe Biden D-Del., raised eyebrows when he answered a question about hate crimes. Citing the Jena 6, Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., asked Biden if he would help him strengthen the enforcement of hate crimes legislation in the Senate as he would prioritize the issue in his presidency.
Biden responded, "I would be happy to make you the head of the civil right division of my administration."
When Sen. Obama appeared on camera following the remark, he appeared unmoved by the Biden proposal. Reporters watching the forum were a bit taken back by the comment and instantly remembered a well publicized off-color remark Biden made last February sizing up Obama saying, "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," adding "I mean, that's a storybook, man."
In other words, reporters thought that Biden had said something racist about Obama.
After Biden had to explain how he's not a hood-wearing racist--despite a great civil rights record, Obama had some very choice words for him.
I just wanted to — I just want to make the comment I’ve worked with Joe Biden, I’ve seen his leadership. I have absolutely no doubt about what is in his heart and the commitment that he has made with respect to racial equality in this country. So I will provide some testimony — (laughter) — as they say in church, that — that Joe is on the right side of the issues and is fighting every day for a better America.
Imagine that. During the heat of a primary race, with the media trying to gin up bad feelings and seeing one of his rivals getting kicked around by the media, one Democrat spoke up in defense of another one. Unthinkable!
Kudos also to the other candidates who voiced their support for Joe Biden.
Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/...