Biden urges Harris to look ahead

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa — Joe Biden expressed frustration Thursday at Sen. Kamala Harris’ pointed criticism about his 1970sera opposition to busing, arguing that Democrats should “be talking about the future.” But he resisted the opportunity to return fire at Harris for voicing a position similar to his on school integration.

One day after she said local school districts should determine whether to bus students — effectively the argument Biden made at last week’s debate that drew Harris’ wrath — the former vice president simply said she was “absolutely right.”

Biden called the California senator, who has jumped in the polls since her debate performance, “a good person, smart as she can be.”

But as he addressed reporters after jogging through a July Fourth parade, Biden repeatedly made clear he was irritated at being targeted for positions he had held more than four decades ago.

“This is kind of a new thing, you know we’re going back 40 or 50 years now to a vote,” he said, vowing that he would not take on his Democratic rivals in a similar way. “I’m not going to go back and talk about the record of anyone from 10, 20, 30 years ago,” Biden said, adding that “everything is lost in context.”

Harris has surged with African American voters, a crucial constituency for Biden, since her performance at the debate, when he bridled at the suggestion that he should show contrition for opposing federally mandated busing during his tenure as a senator.

Thursday, Biden made the case to “move on and talk about what we do now,” but he may have handed new fodder to his critics on the left. His comments minimized busing, an issue that still lingers for many Americans.

“Busing is something 99% of the American people don’t even know what we’re talking about,” he argued.

Biden said he was satisfied with his debate performance, which was widely criticized.

“I’m still way ahead,” he said.