Cory Booker called Joe Biden the 'architect' of a failed criminal justice system. Biden's campaign tried to turn the tables.


Presidential candidates Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and former Vice President Joe Biden are ready to rumble.
Perhaps inspired by the uptick Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) received from going after Biden during the first round of debates in June, Booker on Tuesday called the former vice president the "architect" of mass incarceration, in reference to Biden's support for a controversial 1994 bill that has been criticized for increasing the rate of incarceration in the U.S.
Biden's campaign didn't take the dig lying down, however, nor were they prepared to wait until next Wednesday's primary debate in Detroit when the two will share the stage. Instead, the team went on the offensive on Wednesday, arguing that it was actually Booker who needed to address his past positions regarding the criminal justice system during his time as the mayor of Newark. The statement included references to his 2006 commitment to zero tolerance for minor infractions and his oversight of a police department that allegedly stopped people — mainly African Americans — without legal basis.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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.
In short, Biden's campaign was arguing that it was state and local policies that led to the increase in incarceration, not the 1994 bill.
Biden's detractors aren't buying it, however.
The two won't have much time to go at it because of the limited time allotted on the crowded stage, but expect them to get a few shots in next week.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Japan's surname conundrum
Under the Radar Law requiring couples to share one surname hinders women in the workplace and lowers birth rate, campaigners claim
-
How successful would Elon Musk's third party be?
Today's Big Question Musk has vowed to start a third party after falling out with Trump
-
Music reviews: Bruce Springsteen and Benson Boone
Feature "Tracks II: The Lost Albums" and "American Heart"
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible