Together, they represent the fulfillment of a promise — dating back to the early days of the primary — that Biden would prioritize expertise and governing experience steeped in the moderate mainstream of the Democratic Party. But he has also been criticized, mostly from the left, for closing his eyes to the challenges he’ll face in bringing Republicans to the table and not broadening his inner circle.
“Normally, a new administration tries to measure their success and plan their accomplishments for the first hundred days. But this is a team that doesn’t have that kind of luxury,” said New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim, a former civil servant who worked at the Pentagon and State Department. “This is a team that needs to be postured not for a hundred days, but for a hundred hours.”
“What gives me comfort,” Kim said, amid uncertainty over administration officials’ cooperation, “is knowing that this Biden team knows how to govern already, that this is a team that has been tested.”
Breaking into the inner circle
But some of the choices Kim says are helping him “sleep better at night” have also rankled Democrats who were 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 grizzled party operatives.
The announcement on Tuesday that Bruce Reed, Biden’s chief of staff as vice president, will be his deputy chief of staff next year underscored the President-elect’s desire to surround himself with longtime allies — even if they anger some in the party. Leading progressives have spent weeks arguing that Reed, a centrist who worked on the 1994 crime bill and welfare reform during his time in Bill Clinton’s White House, should be shut out.
Progressives vying to embed leaders from their own ranks have widely praised the campaign and transition for being accessible, but have found that convincing Biden to step out of his comfort zone can be the highest hurdle to clear.
“The real challenge,” said Julian Brave NoiseCat, the vice president of policy and strategy with Data for Progress, “is more of who is…
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