Sen. Cory Booker 'frustrated' Biden apology took so long, but ultimately 'grateful'

2020 Democratic hopeful Cory Booker has mixed emotions about Joe Biden's apology regarding his controversial statements on race (AP)

Democratic 2020 hopeful Cory Booker took another shot at former Vice President Joe Biden over the weekend over his previous Senate work with stark segregationists.

During a campaign rally in South Carolina, Biden admitted he was wrong to tout his successful coworking with racist Sens. James Eastland and Herman Talmadge and acknowledged his regret.

"Was I wrong a few weeks ago, to somehow give the impression to people that I was praising those men who I successfully opposed time and again? Yes, I was. I regret it. I'm sorry for any of the pain or misconception that I caused anybody," he said.

Booker, who has previously been critical of Biden's comments, said in the wake of the ex-VP's latest remarks that he is "frustrated that it took so long" for an apology to come.

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"We can’t have a leader that can’t stand up and say I’ve been imperfect and made mistakes and I apologize," Booker told CNN later on Saturday, before adding that he is ultimately "grateful" that an apology came.

"I’m sorry we went through all this and I’m sorry he tried to shift blame to me. But I’m grateful. I want to say thank you. We need to extend grace to each other,” he continued.

Booker went on to say that he was "hurt" by Biden's statements and the fact that he was "directly targeted" by the former vice president in the incident's aftermath.

Biden's apology came a full three weeks after Booker first called on him to clarify his statements. Biden's civil rights record as a politician has been a frequent topic of discussion throughout his campaign. In his apology on Saturday, he highlighted the triumphs of civil rights he's contributed to in his four-decade political career.

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“Should that misstep define a 50-year record of fighting for civil rights and racial justice in this country?” Biden said. “I don’t think so – and I hope you don’t either. That just isn’t an honest assessment of my record – and I’m not going to let my record and my character be distorted and smeared.”

Sen. Harris "applauded" Biden for acknowledging the fault in his words, but added that she and the former vice president still have a "point of disagreement" on the subject.

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Booker, however, appeared to be ready to move on.

"We need leaders who are going to be models of forgiveness and be models of grace who are going to help to heal - and he took a step towards healing today," he said.