Former Vice President Joe Biden told a journalist in 1974 that “cruddy politicians” like himself could “take away” the First Amendment if they wanted .
The current 2020 Democrat frontrunner made the comments to Washingtonian magazine while being interviewed for a profile published in June 1974. Biden, then only 31-years-old, came to regret the interview, as his penchant for gaffes and insensitive remarks—traits defining later portions of his career—heavily colored the piece. At the time, however, Biden appeared eager to discuss his life as the nation’s youngest senator.
“ I am proud to be a politician ,” Biden told then-Washingtonian writer Kitty Kelley, who authored the profile. “ There is no other walk of life which can do more good for mankind than politics. It influences everything that happens to the American people. ”
Biden proceeded, according to Kelley, to lean “over his desk to shake his finger at me” while explaining elected officials like himself had the power to “take away” constitutionally protected rights if they saw fit.
“ And, whether you like it or not, young lady, ” he said. “ Us cruddy politicians can take away that First Amendment of yours if we want to. ”
