Sharpton Says Biden's 'Chains' Remark Possibly 'Over the Top' - Then Reverts to Apologist

NewsBusters.org ^ | August 16, 2012 | Jack Coleman

[Kaslin]

For a hot minute, it looked like Joe Biden might have lost Al Sharpton. And just as quickly, Sharpton returned to the fold.

Biden has another possible entry to Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, along with his open-mic boast to President Obama in 2010 that passage of Obamacare was "a big f***ing deal." (audio clip after page break)

That time Biden was vulgar. This time he was obscene.

Speaking before a largely black audience in Danville, Va., on Tuesday, Biden said this --

(Romney) said in the first 100 days, he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules -- unchain Wall Street. (Pause, then affecting Southern accent). They're going to put y'all back in chains. 

Sharpton's response was initially surprising before becoming kneejerk predictable. Here he is on his radio show yesterday speaking with David A. Wilson, managing editor of theGrio.com (audio and transcript courtesy of Brian Maloney at Radio Equalizer) --

SHARPTON: I think that unquestionably (Biden) is speaking in front of a black crowd, but I think he said the middle class. I think he clearly did not say blacks whereas they (Republicans) have been more direct, so I don't think it's a double standard. I think it was, I think he used the wrong term, I think he might have been over the top. But what, hateful? If he was referring to the middle class, even in front of a black audience, I don't know how you make that hateful.

WILSON: Yeah, yeah, I, you know, I don't know, I don't know. I mean, if (laughs) it is one of those things where I think they're just simply trying to, uh ...

SHARPTON: Reach ...

WILSON: ... reach and they're trying to, to sort of, uh, tag this onto President Obama. One of the things I've noticed about Mitt Romney's campaign stump speech is saying how divisive President Obama is and I think that's a line that the Republican Party is going to really try to stick to ...

SHARPTON: Yeah.

WILSON: ... saying that President Obama is promoting hatred and divisiveness. Uh, so, you know, I, I don't know how that's going to stick and I doubt it will, but it's certainly something that they're trying to make.

SHARPTON: And I also think that we should deal with the fact that even if they're, let's say they're not being political and I think they are, even if they really thought this was some borderline hate statement, they'd have more credibility if they said -- and we should stop saying things too. But to just jump on Biden when you are out there with birther and out there with food stamp president and out there with, you know, I told them they're not getting more free stuff, and act like there's nothing wrong with that but I'm gonna take this stretch here, is crazy.

I mean, I've said things that I've said, no, I shouldn't have said that and therefore I can question him about food stamp president, but you can't give yourself immunity and then turn around and jump on somebody else without people saying, wait a minute, you don't have the moral standing to take that position.

WILSON: Yeah, yeah, I, it, and that's so true. I mean, I think that, you know, uh, the Romney campaign, they can't complain about anyone using racially charged rhetoric when they've been the, you know, they've been the main ones doing it.

Hardly a surprise that Sharpton doesn't see Biden's remark as "hateful," seeing how he's built a career as shakedown artist saying things just like it.

[BipolarBob]

Racism is as racism does.

[BigLittle]

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Biden said they want to put y'all back in chains. Who was ever in chains in America? Irish? Germans? Tall people? Fat people?

[Doogle]

Al’s way of saying “PAY ME”

[newnhdad]

Al knows better. He don’t want to upset his masters on Uncle Barry’s plantation.

[loveliberty2]

The "He didn't mean that" line might wash with some--if he hadn't used the southern "y'all" along with the word "back." This combination reveals his deliberate attempt at imagery designed to elicit/evoke an effect before the specific audience he was addressing.

[bobo1]

they put “Rev” in front of their name like “rev” jackson and then spit on the Bible and its teachings.

if you believe in the Bible, you cannot support a rat.

Blessings, bobo

[MtnClimber]

Why does anyone not point out that it was the southern democRATS that supported slavery and the northern Republicans (by other names too) that opposed slavery. Abe was a Republican. In the 1960’s the ‘Rats finally voted to end segregation and racial discrimmination, but at a price. They have been trying to enslave the working class to the government by playing cllass and race warfare. Slavery is slavery no matter the boundary that is put up between master and slave. I have made up my mind that I am not going to be a compliant, passive slave. FUBO!

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Uh oh. Maybe this is a little balloon raise in prep for the Hillary-Biden swap.

[toldyou]

Saw Sharpton in a TV ad a few days ago. Yikes! Looks like he’s wasting away! That is not a diet!

[toldyou]

Google, and you’ll see how they were able to use the title “Reverend.” Sharpton is the biggest joke.

[Vision]

Obama and Sharpton may be the most successful charlatans in the history of the world.

[Dr. Sivana]

Wow. If Sharpton can describe a Dem’s rhetoric as being “over the top”, it must be REALLY over the top.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Right. He said y'all. He did not say us. Meaning he was clearly NOT referring to the population at large. He was referring specifically to those within his eyesight.

[Terry Mross]

It was black slaves that were brought here in chains. If he was talking about the “middle class” or the “poor” why did he put the emphasis on the word “back”.....”They’re gonna’ put ya’ll BACK in chains.”

[Toespi]

Remember several months ago when Joe spoke out against Obama’s policy on gay marriage? Man, everyone was shocked with Bidens “going against the prez” recall that? Because it was no accident, he was Obama’s frontman. It wasn’t ten days later that Obama changed his position on the issue. Biden was just setting the stage. So what is the ploy this time?

[Impy]

Al Sharpton is a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Bonedigger, bonedigger, dogs in the moonlight, far away my well lit door.
Mr. Beerbelly, beerbelly, take thiese mutts away from me, ‘cause I don’t find this stuff amusing anymore.

I’ve been watching Al Sharpton make a fool of himself since the mid-to-late 1980s, when he was a frequent guest on the Morton Downey, Jr. Show. Even back then he was a caricature of himself.

[Rummyfan]

RESIST.... we much!