Page 2 - Don Busing News Today

Segregation of race in this country. and it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing, and, you know, there was a little girl in california who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day. and that little girl was me. so i will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among democrats. we have to take it seriously. we have to act swiftly. as attorney general of california, i was very proud to...

Career, i ran because of civil rights. i continue to think we have to make fundamental changes in civil rights. and those civil rights, by the way, include not just only african-americans but the lgbt community. >> but vice president biden, do you agree today -- do you agree today that you were wrong to oppose busing in america then? >> no. >> do you agree? >> i did not oppose busing in america. what i opposed was busing ordered by the department of education. thats what i opposed. >> well, ther...

Hurt, deflated, confused. >> well, those are your words. i couldnt disagree with you more. and, look, i understand where we are in this environment and that pundits and politicians like me will look and see what we want to see. but the real test for me and the real people that i talk to are people in the barbershops, people in the churches, people at the little league games, and those people that i heard from tonight and those texts i received from people were overwhelmingly enthusiastic, saying...

Vice president biden a statesman. he was a statesman in the sense he was supporting states rights in busing. he was against federal busing and supporting that it should be up to the states. is that something you -- i mean is that something he should still be supporting? >> let me just say this. im not sure that that is the entirety of his argument back then. but -- >> he said tonight the federal government should not be involved in busing. >> this is what i do know. this is what i do know, is th...

Will africa his support in the black caucus, the answer is no. people in the cbc, those that support him and those that know him, thats the key. they know him. they know his record. they know his heart. they know what he fights for, and they know for a fact that he had president obamas back for eight years. so, no, do i think that this will affect any of that? i dont. >> cedric richmond, i appreciate your time. thank you very much. >> no problem. thank you all. >> van, is cedric right, that this...

Comprised. >> you were able to make a number of points directly to the camera, directly to voters. its always interesting how things on a stage feel when youre standing next to it and among it. there was an extraordinary exchange between senator harris and vice president biden in which vice president biden essentially was backing states rights in, you know, the history of busing by the department of education. im wondering how that looked from your vantage point where you were. >> certainly sena...

Busing or hadnt gotten involved in the civil rights movement, you know, jim crow would still be around. >> well, i think you see his plan today, and he understands the importance of education in the african-american community. >> why not just say, i was wrong? >> look, education is what allowed me to go tomore house, go to tulane, go to harvard and get elected to the united states congress. and that was paved by the voting rights act and all those other things. if we really want to have a debate...

>> its a mischaracterization of my position across the board. i did not praise racists. that is not true, number one. number two, if we want to have this campaign litigated on who supports civil rights and whether i did or not, im happy to do that. i was a public defender. i didnt become a prosecutor. i came out, and i left a did law firm to become a public defender when, in fact -- when, in fact, my city was in flames because of the assassination of dr. king, number one. now, number two, as u.s...

I think this is a little bit of overreaction but not shocking from the democrats. >> you know the president has been pointing out the former vice president has issues that some want to discuss with him about race, on busing, reparations, affirmative action, he says he is the most progressive person running but he has this discussion about the 1994 crime bill which many in the minority community felt was devastating and resulted in mass incarceration and was not a fair piece of legislation. the w...