The head of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) on Thursday dismissed accusations that Vice President Biden's "chains" remark was an appeal to black voters, saying the charge "makes absolutely no sense."
Biden stirred controversy on Tuesday when he said a Mitt Romney administration would give Wall Street free rein and "put y'all back in chains." Romney accused Biden of stirring up "anger and hate," which he says is central to President Obama's campaign.
But Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), the chairman of the CBC, said he made "absolutely nothing" of the remarks by Biden at the campaign event Tuesday in Danville, Va.
"It makes absolutely no sense that some kind of a little throwaway line is now being used to make Vice President Biden appear to have been throwing out these words in order to somehow attract dumb African-Americans who, if they hear the word 'chains,' are going to automatically vote for him and President Obama," Cleaver said on CNN's "Starting Point.
"I would never have even paid much attention to it, but for the fact that campaigns nowadays are waiting for any kind of little nugget to try to create an atmosphere of more and more discord."
Asked whether he'd interpret the phrase the same way if it had been used by Romney, Cleaver said he would have to know the context first.
"The vice president, if you look at what he said in context, he was saying Wall Street has created a major problem in this country and Mitt Romney wants to come in and give those guys the ability to do it again," Cleaver said.
For more on Cleaver's comments, click here.
