Joe Biden bets on old friends to help him cope with new crises

Together, they represent the fulfillment of a promise – going back to the early days of primary school – that Biden would prioritize knowledge and management knowledge immersed in the mainstream mainstream of the Democratic Party. But he was also criticized, mostly from the left, for closing his eyes to the challenges of bringing a Republican to the table and not expanding his inner circle.

It is a group, Biden allies say, formed by the announcement that the new president will come into office with no room for bureaucratic hurdles, unnecessary drama or on-the-job training. work. The coronavirus pandemic kills thousands of Americans every day and slows down the economy, revealing calamitous gaps in the social safety net.

“Typically, a new administration tries to measure their success and plan their achievements for the first day. But this is a team that doesn’t have that kind of luxury,” New Jersey said. Rep. Andy Kim, a former civil servant working for the Pentagon and State Department. “This is a team that needs to be posted not for a hundred days, but for a hundred hours.”

The Trump administration’s slowdown has exacerbated the situation. A key incumbent in November formally delayed recognizing the election results, locking Biden staff out of office soon. And Trump is still publicly raising absurd claims about a tight election as he chats about dead plots to turn his results around.

“What comforts me,” said Kim, amid uncertainty about the cooperation of administrative officers, “I know this Biden team knows how to manage already, this is a proven team. “

Breaking into the inner circle

But some of the options Kim says are helping her “sleep better at night” have also hit Democrats hoping Biden would cast a wider net. Biden has said he wants to be a “bridge” to a new generation of leaders. But many of those closest to him, especially in senior White House positions, are either loyalists or grim party workers.

The news on Tuesday that Bruce Reed, Biden’s chief of staff as vice president, will be his deputy chief executive next year underscores the president’s desire to surround himself with long-term friends – even if they make some in the party angry. Progressive figures have spent weeks arguing that Reed, a midfielder who worked on the 1994 crime bill and welfare reform during his time in Bill Clinton’s White House, should be shut down. mach.

Promoters seeking to establish leaders from their own levels have widely praised the initiative and the movement for accessibility, but have found that it can lead to Biden believed out of his comfort zone to be the highest obstacle to cleaning.

“The real challenge,” said Julian Brave NoiseCat, vice president of policy and strategy with data for progress, “more of what’s in the inner circle – and how do you pay attention to people who don’t not in the inner circle. “

Biden’s inner sanctuary is on its way to slate the most influential White House works. The incoming chief of staff Ron Klain is a longtime confidante of Biden and Steve Ricchetti, another close ally, will be an adviser to the president. Mike Donilon, who held that position at Biden’s headquarters, has been named a senior adviser to the president.
Antony Blinken, Biden’s chief foreign policy adviser, will be on a short walk away at the State Department, named for his direction. Susan Rice, Denis McDonough, John Kerry, Tom Vilsack and Vivek Murthy are among Obama administration veterans who are likely to join Biden – with Vilsack and Murthy named in the same positions they held under Obama.
Biden has also hired a number of senior executives, led by New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland, to key positions and more to influential but lower profile counseling positions.

Sen.’s deputy chief supporter was added Monday. Elizabeth Warren, Bharat Ramamurti, as deputy director of the National Economic Council for Fiscal Reform and Consumer Protection, and Joelle Gamble, thanked the president as a special supporter for economic policy, to the Biden National Economic Council of the key benefits for liberals. And the same publication that included bamboo also announced Gautam Raghavan, chief of staff to the chairman of Congressional Progressive Caucus Rep. Pramila Jayapal before entering the transition, as deputy director of the Presidential Personnel Office.

But the administration’s big tent is still focused on the center, creating a roster so far that has largely improved the President’s politics while trying to deliver on his promise to serve his craft team. is “like America.”

That effort has produced a product of first history, beginning with his decision in August to crack down on California Sen. Kamala Harris, who will soon become the first Black woman and a person of South Asian descent to become vice president.
Over the past few weeks, Biden has brought in economic, public health and foreign policy teams with innovative nominees. Among them, awaiting approval in the Senate: Former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen, the first woman to get that job, is now doing the same thing as the Treasury secretary. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who was selected to run the Department of Health and Human Services, was the first Latino in that position. Army appointed Gen. Lloyd Austin is going to be the first Black person in charge of the Department of Defense. Longtime national security professional Avril Haines is on track to become the first woman to serve as national intelligence director. Alejandro Mayorkas was the first Latino and immigrant to serve at the helm of Homeland Security.
Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg is Biden ‘s choice for the Department for Transport, – if confirmed – the first LGBTQ Cabinet member approved by the Senate.

Liberals vow not to repeat old mistakes

The Biden movement has been notable for the intensive research it has received from a diverse range of interest groups and movement leaders.

This is the first Democratic cabinet filling process to play out in the age of social media. Those in charge of the accusation from the left are also more knowledgeable and bullish about the powers of leadership and group leaders than they were more than a decade ago, when Obama took office.

“The Door Revolution Project is an obvious response to what I saw as progressive failures in 2008 and 2009, but even more broadly over Obama’s tenure to fully engage with the importance of the branch of action,” said Jeff Hauser, the agency’s group watch. founder and director. “Reach the movement, but across.”

But Hauser, whose criticism of nominees and elections that may be involved in their business ties has been shattered around Biden, has more reason to win – to pressure Democrats off the record -on their aggressive pursuit through all available means – than her rebellious fireball.

“I understand that in the midst of these crises, there is a bias for knowledge,” Hauser said. “Biden believes he has a command for that based on how he gathers himself in primary school. And so at least that’s what I do, I can honor that as a foundation. “

He said the questions may not be answered in headlines and headline announcements to big bureaucracies, but down the packing order while Biden, his team and senior management begin to fill a secretary assistant, under secretary and head of staff operations – all opportunities to bring in less experienced and capable people from outside Washington, DC.

Melissa Byrne, who was a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders who spent time on the first Obama campaign and volunteered for a while on his move, arguing that powering workers with a moving background would be beneficial to the White House during the inevitable conflict with a hard Republican.

Her concerns speak to broader concerns among Democrats, who are concerned that Biden’s orbit may underestimate his ability to form well-intentioned talks with a radical, loyal Trump GOP.

“You need people who don’t wait when things get really tough. Because this is going to be really tough. I don’t know if people are really ready for what the Trumpers are going to do over the next four years, “Byrne said. “This is going to make the Tea Party look like they were Obama BFFs.”

Biden’s campaign commitment, in the primary and the start of Trump’s general election, also links to post-campaign decisions. His mandate is broad and complex, and when he takes office and pushes his agenda – he could create controversial issues.

The biggest challenge ahead, said former campaign supporter Nina Smith for Buttigieg, is simply “politics.”

“Biden is presenting itself as a healer and healers must deal with wounds and scabies. And this is a country that has been deeply wounded and torn apart,” Smith said. “So politics is everything from the policies it pursues, to who shows up at various meetings, to who it hires to implement its agenda – it’s all on the table. “

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