Biden's Notes on Harris Include: 'Do Not Hold Grudges'

But he didn't end up addressing her specifically at Tuesday event
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 29, 2020 12:05 AM CDT
Biden Has Interesting Notes on Kamala Harris
In this July 31, 2019, file photo, then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., listens as Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.   (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

Joe Biden's notes at a Tuesday campaign event, spotted by an AP reporter, included this notable one about Kamala Harris: "Do not hold grudges." Four other talking points were also outlined beneath her name: "Campaigned with me & Jill," "Talented," "Great help to campaign," "Great respect for her." The event, a speech followed by a Q&A session with reporters in Wilmington, Del., came the day after Politico reported that former Sen. Chris Dodd, Biden's close friend and co-chair of his VP search committee, was "stunned" by Harris' response to a question about her calling Biden out in the first Democratic primary debate. "She laughed and said, ‘that’s politics.’ She had no remorse," Dodd reportedly told a Biden donor, who then passed it on to Politico. The source says that's why Harris is not a shoo-in to be Biden's VP pick.

As the AP puts it, Biden's event notes "take on new significance" in light of the Politico report. Dodd's reported remarks on Harris have been decried, particularly by those who point out that a man would not likely be held to the same standard as Dodd is holding Harris, and Biden's notes seem to indicate he wants to defuse tensions that may still surround the perception of his relationship with Harris. The two are now quite amicable, with Harris appearing alongside Biden at online fundraisers and even headlining her own event campaigning for him. But Biden's notes didn't end up being necessary, as he did not field a question about Harris on Tuesday. As for whether she'll end up his VP pick, that remains unclear; he said he would make a selection by the end of next week, the Washington Post reports. (More Election 2020 stories.)

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