McCain: Biden 'chains' comment has 'racial inferences'

Sen. John McCain added himself to a group of Republicans criticizing Vice President Biden for saying on Tuesday that Mitt Romney and Republicans want to put Americans "back in chains."

"And finally I can't help but comment on this Virginia comment that Vice President Biden made that he wants to keep ya'll in chains," McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday in an interview with local Arizona radio station 550 KFYI. "That is a very heavily African-American population. There's very little doubt that whether Joe intended it or not, that comment has racial inferences associated with it. Now that's disgraceful."

Biden was speaking in Danville, Va., whose population is 48.6 percent African-American, according to 2011 Census reports when he made the comment.

Specifically, Biden said Romney wanted to get rid of regulations on some of the country's largest banks, which would essentially put voters "back in chains."

"They’ve said it. Every Republican’s voted for it. Look at what they value and look at their budget and what they’re proposing. Romney wants to let the — he said in the first 100 days, he’s going to let the big banks once again write their own rules, unchain Wall Street," Biden said Tuesday. "They’re going to put y’all back in chains."

A number of top Republicans quickly pounced on the remarks. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called the comments "shameful."

"I think it takes things to a new level, a level of negativity, and I think it was a shameful comment," Priebus said Wednesday.

Biden later on Tuesday said he misspoke and that he intended to use the word "unshackle."

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