Should Joe Biden apologize for his 'back in chains' quip?

The GOP cranks up the heat on the vice president over a controversial remark, but the Obama campaign says the complaints are just a distraction

Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a White House Community Leaders Briefing on July 16: Republicans are calling for the vice president to apologize for saying that the GOP wants to put Africa
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

High-powered Republicans are demanding an apology from Vice President Joe Biden for telling a mostly black audience last week that Mitt Romney wants to unchain Wall Street, but "put y'all back in chains." Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused Biden of "playing the race card," and former New York City Mmayor Rudy Giuliani said the vice president was making an "absolutely blatant appeal to racism." Republicans have called the remarks grounds for President Obama to throw Biden off the ticket and replace him with Hillary Clinton. Democrats defended Biden, saying there "isn't a racist bone" in his body, and Obama campaign spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said Romney campaign supporters were just "whining" about Biden's choice of words to distract from his message — that the GOP cares more about wealthy bankers than the working class. Was Biden making a legitimate point, or should he say sorry?

In the name of civility, Biden should apologize: "Liberals routinely dismiss Biden's gaffes as the rhetorical excesses of an overly exuberant speaker — it's 'Joe being Joe,'" says The Boston Globe in an editorial. But if Mitt Romney or running mate Paul Ryan made a crack about slavery, they "would be pilloried for racial insensitivity." Of course, Biden isn't the worst offender against civility in American politics, "but he's an offender nonetheless, and he should apologize."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us