Dick Durbin Says Biden Went ‘Little Too Far’ When He Compared Electoral Reform Opponents to Racists and Segregationists
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) admitted Wednesday that President Joe Biden went “too far” when he equated opponents of Democratic Party proposals on voting rights to segregationists and unapologetic racists.
Biden was in Atlanta on Tuesday when he made a pitch to pass sweeping electoral reform and threatened to end the filibuster so that Democrats can advance legislation if opponents continue to stall it. During his speech, he made comments that were viewed by many as nothing short of demagogic:
“Do you want to be on the side of Dr. King or George Wallace? Biden asked. “Do you want to be on the side of John Lewis or Bull Connor? Do you want to be on the side of Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis?”
Durbin joined The Lead with host Jake Tapper to discuss Biden’s comments.
Tapper asked, “Are there not legitimate reasons that a senator, a Democratic senator, might be concerned that changing the filibuster rule will set a horrible precedent that Republicans will exploit to do something like pass a nationwide abortion ban or something like that, without saying that Kyrsten Sinema or Joe Manchin are like Bull Connor or Jefferson Davis?”
Durbin, who supports Biden’s push to end the filibuster, argued that with the current makeup of the Senate, Democrats are disadvantaged with regard to advancing their legislative goals.
But he defended Biden on his strong use of language.
“Joe Biden came to the United States Senate on a civil rights platform,” Durbin said. “That’s why he ran in the first place. And the fact he shows emotion when it comes to the voting rights of Americans, I’m glad he did.”
Tapper then pressed Durbin to concede that Biden’s comments equating filibuster proponents to historical racists might have been excessive.
Tapper said:
“But you’re comparing, or Biden is comparing, and you’re not criticizing, the idea of a legislator reducing the number of days for early voting from 15 to 10 or wanting voters to present a photo ID before they vote, you’re comparing that to Bull Connor, who literally set dogs upon civil rights protestors. George Wallace, who said segregation today, segregation forever, I’m paraphrasing, or Jefferson Davis, the president of the traitorous confederacy. I mean, isn’t that a little stark?”
Durbin said, “It is stark. And I will concede that point.”
The senator later added, “Perhaps the president went a little too far in his rhetoric, some of us do.”
Watch above, via CNN.
