The political world was buzzing Thursday night after former HUD Secretary Julian Castro accused Joe Biden of forgetfulness during the third Democratic debate.
Here’s video of that Castro-Biden clash over health care — with Castro repeatedly saying “are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?”
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) September 13, 2019
Already heard from several Dems who called it an ugly + disrespectful exchange. pic.twitter.com/AcOAtX808U
They debated Medicare plans: Whether people should opt-in to Medicare, buy-in to Medicare, or be automatically enrolled. In this specific instance, the two were debating people who lost their jobs, and how their insurance would be handled.
Biden said something that could be up for interpretation, saying you could “automatically buy in” to Medicare if you lost your job.
The actual Biden statement, and Castro’s response, in video and not poorly transcribed text. The clear problem here is not Castro being “wrong,” it’s Biden not being clear at all and his use of the phrases “can buy in” and “no preexisting condition can stop you from buying in” pic.twitter.com/u7LX9FDtDT
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 13, 2019
But Castro went after him repeatedly for “forgetting,” saying his plan automatically enrolled people, without a buy-in.
It was apparently a pointed attack, given that Biden has had a string of misremembered stories and gaffes on the campaign trail.
Some people thought it was good and smart for Castro to say. Some thought it was a cheap shot, like Rahm Emanuel.
Emanuel thought Castro was “mean” and “vindictive.”
After the debate ended, ABC’s Tom Llamas said the comment “upset” Emmanuel, before asking him what he thought.
Emanuel called it disqualifying.
“I think for Castro, he could have made that point, but it was a disqualifier the way he handled it … For Castro, it will come across as mean and vindictive.”
Rahm served as chief of staff in the White House when Biden was vice president, and he has demanded that 2020 Democrats not attack Obama’s record (in effect not attacking Biden’s). How much that’s warped his views of what is acceptable discourse comes into play here.
For someone who once sent a dead fish to a representative, called his own party “retarded,” and covered up a police murder to be upset Castro said Biden forgot something turned heads online.
https://twitter.com/sam_baker/status/1172343089781850112
https://twitter.com/knight69420/status/1172320939524022272
Rahm Emanuel calling someone disqualified because they were mean is peak Washington DC insider BS. Just peak.
— Karla Monterroso (@karlitaliliana) September 13, 2019
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