Joe Biden
Oct. 25, 2007
"There's less than one percent of the population of Iowa that is African American. There is probably less than four of five percent that are minorities. What is in Washington? So look, it goes back to what you start off with, what you're dealing with."
—Biden, trying to explain why schoolchildren in Iowa perform better on tests than those in Washington, D.C. A campaign spokesperson was quick to clarify the candidate's statement, saying the remark "was not a race-based distinction, but a discussion of the problems kids face who don't have the same socio-economic support system."
— M.J. Stephey