Biden says 'Shylocks' was poor choice of words
Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday he used a poor choice of words when he referred to unscrupulous moneylenders as "Shylocks," and a prominent group that fights anti-Semitism called it a teachable moment about the harmful effects of stereotypes.
Biden had been speaking to a legal aid group on Tuesday when he discussed the need for foreclosure mediation services, recalling how his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, heard about the problem from US troops while he was serving in Iraq. "People would come to him and talk about what was happening at home, in terms of foreclosures, in terms of bad loans that were being – these Shylocks that took advantage of these women and men while overseas," Biden said.
