Rangel: Biden's gaffe was clearly about slavery

AP

(CBS News) Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel says that Vice President Joe Biden's recent remarks that Republicans are "going to put y'all back in chains" were clearly referencing slavery -- and clearly a mistake.

Biden's Aug. 14 remarks to a crowd in Danville, Virginia drew sharp rebukes from Republicans and some Democrats who said he crossed the line.

Romney has vowed "to let the big banks write their own rules -- unchain Wall Street," Biden said in Danville. "They're going to put y'all back in chains."

The Obama campaign dismissed the "faux outrage" and said Biden was simply adopting the metaphor that Republicans first used by saying they wanted to "unshackle" businesses from regulations.

Rangel, however, said in a radio interview with Roberto Perez that the rhetoric was a mistake.

"Was he talking about slavery? You bet your a** he was. Was he using the vernacular? Yes, he was," said Rangel, a longtime New York Democrat who is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. "Did he think it was cute ... Yes, he did. Was it something stupid to say? You bet your life it was stupid."

Rangel added that if an African-American had made the joke, "We would have been laughing, because we would know that deep down, they may be beating the hell out of us but they ain't thinking about putting us into any chains."

[peter_out]

Rangle is right this time. Joe Biden's so-called "gaffe" clearly suggests underlying KKK desires in Biden, not Romney.

[TJphoto]

Mr. Rangel, The Congress you sit in voted that the Federal Cap on interest rates that financial companies can charge is 32%. V.P. Biden was referring to the economic chains that a unregulated Wall Street would impose. How many Members of Congress are willing to stand before the media and say "32% is in the interest of the American People". You are not part of the solution, you are very much part of the problem.

[Catch22NJ]

Nice spin!

[nygurl1]

Never thought much of you when I lived in NY Rangel, and now I'm going to try and erase your memory!

It's bad enough when the reps get nasty but what you said was just stupid! Time for you to retire.

[FLHRC-12]

We told you left wingers so but you kept lying and denying and spinning it.
When one of your own tells you it was about slavery and clearly a mistake, it was wrong for Gaffes Biden to have done that in front of mostly a black audience using an Amos and Andy white black accent.
The rest of the Democrats in the Congress and on this comment site were to cowardly to admit it and hypocritical

Rangel, however, said in a radio interview with Roberto Perez that the rhetoric was a mistake.


"Was he talking about slavery? You bet your a** he was. Was he using the vernacular? Yes, he was," said Rangel, a longtime New York Democrat who is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. "Did he think it was cute ... Yes, he did. Was it something stupid to say? You bet your life it was stupid."


Rangel added that if an African-American had made the joke, "We would have been laughing, because we would know that deep down, they may be beating the hell out of us but they ain't thinking about putting us into any chains."

I see no other black or white Democrat politicians or people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are contradicting or oppose what Rangel said so it must be tru despite all the white liberal spinmeisters on her are saying still trying to defend what Biden said.
Sorry but your excuses and opinions are meaningless and laughable at this point in time.
Give it up, no one believes you.

[nonpolitico]

FLHRC-12: Well said! What I don`t get is the way some politicians (aka Biden) get excused by lefty media by comments such as "Ah well, that`s Joe all right", yet if Romney was ro make a similar "joke" ALL the might of the media would spin it to hell and gone as if he was Pol Pot!!
Hopefully, "Good old Joe" will also be history in November.
Or God Bless America" may change to "God help America".
No place for racism in the VP office.(especially as it only seems "acceptable" when a Democrat utters the words!)
What IS the Republic coming to with these lefty apologists everywhere????

[marychgo]

I like Charlie Rangel. But he's absolutely wrong on this issue.

If (heaven forfend!) Romney/Ryan are elected and repeal Dodd-Frank to "unchain" the big banks to go back to the kind of highly leveraged gambling they were doing under GWB, EVERY American -- of every race, creed, and color -- who has the misfortune to have a mortgage or student loan or credit card will be "back in chains." And anyone -- regardless of party or ethnic group -- who doesn't understand THAT simply hasn't been paying attention!

[Errata201]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"Was he talking about slavery? You bet your a** he was. Was he using the vernacular? Yes, he was," said Rangel, a longtime New York Democrat who is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. "Did he think it was cute ... Yes, he did. Was it something stupid to say? You bet your life it was stupid."

Rangel added that if an African-American had made the joke, "We would have been laughing, because we would know that deep down, they may be beating the hell out of us but they ain't thinking about putting us into any chains."<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Now how can this man, Rangel know exactly for sure what Joe meant? Comeon, it's time to quit whining about things that just really don't matter in the logical physical sense of urgency we as Americans need to adhere to!

Does Rangel really mean we should "bet our @$$"? Does he mean the animal, the jack@$$, and when he says, "bet your life", is he really saying we need to bet our mortality on it?

These people want taken seriously but they themselves seem to be so concerned with petty, childish rants that we responsible concerned, informed citizens have had enough already.

It's time to be scientific, "race" is no longer a logical scientific term for one. Adapted is more suitable, as in, "I am of a certain blood type, and ethnicity. I have had blood transfusions in the military that were likely from my unit, which was comprised of Asians, Latinos, and Afrikaans.

If the environment of the earth were a constant, and since the beginning had remained exactly the same world wide, we'd all hae the same features as far as skin pigment, etc, etc, were concerned.

Genetics and DNA physical precursors suffer mutations based upon things such as environmental proportions.

When will these idiots who are in charge of our livelihoods grow up finally and mature enough to be counted upon?

Likely never, if ever, which is why we see our country being ruled by idiocy. The free world gives birth to a more subtle form of fanaticism that is finally starting to drive the individual outsane(called insanity).

Chains are for criminals.

Yes slaves have been known to be shackled. Jew, Gentile, Scythian, Greek and Kushite Sudanese alike.

Anyone displaying such primitive immature statements and judgements, such as made by Rangel, should immediately be shackled and "in chains" by a re-education thinktank.

If he's found to be either unable to grasp logic and/or reason, due to ignorance from a learning disability he should be given the option to learn, if he's unable to grasp logic and reason due to choice and stubborn fanaticism then he should be given severance and taken out of the way so that someone more capable of common intelligence and gnosis can qualify to do what he does for the general and private public.

PS::: or are we to believe this person really believes Vice Pres. Biden thinks slavery is to return?: either way you slice it, Rangel's comments and litany is disturbing in many senses and shouldn't be taken lightly; the butterfly effect is a real affect that is becoming a real problem when considering these people vs. WE,,,,,,

(please forgive my spelling//grammatical errors whilst reading-dissecting this)

[hhandyman]

It all depends on your frame of reference to the words to someone that has had a rough time from youth to adult it easily could be considered race based to someone from Park Ave NYC or that works in the high dollar banking industry it might have the view that was the intent of the vice president When you dont consider your audience prospective slang or catch phrases may not be heard exactly as intended to be meant. A bakers dozen is 13 in number but modern bakers serve 12 now a days.. they conserve the bottom line and sell that spare for the 13th box of confections rather than giving a value to the public that boosts good will in the sale. That is one way you are getting less and paying more and loose the customer to the local bakery that follows traditional bag or box of 13.

[AOCGUY]

If Biden meant to say what he said, and the intended audience received in the manner intended then it cant be considered a gaffe whether one likes it or not.

[nearl451]

Now how would a Bronx native know about Southern dialect?

Charlie, nexttime just ask Joe what he meant. You know him.

[realtimecoffee]

And if you don't like the answer, wait 20 minutes and ask him again. I like Joe, unlike other politicians, every once in a while he will just blurt out the truth. Why on earth President Obama chose him for VP though... Well, someday when this is all over, I'd love to hear that story.

[takacrat]

Rangel is mad because Obama didn't pick him to be Little Stick!

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

So supporters of the republiKLAN party want to deflrct their ongoing barrae of racist remarks, emails and pictures by focusing on a questionable comment from Joe Biden.

Sorry it won't work. Everybody knows you republiKLANs hate President Obama in the first place because he's black.

[Catch22NJ]

I guess Gimme-crats are pedophiles for criticizing Romney? Just as goofy and baseless as the racist charge, but that's the point!

[takacrat]

Obama is Black? I thought that all people from Chicago look that way because being from Mexico Cartels.