Republicans attack White House chief of staff Ron Klain
Ron Klain Democrats scramble to save minimum wage increase Biden ‘disappointed’ in Senate parliamentary ruling but ‘respects’ the ruling. The memorandum: Biden is facing the first major setback as Teeth tar as “the man behind the curtain” and “Prime Minister Klain” as they try to push back on someone they see as a formidable opponent in the fight for President Biden
Joe BidenBiden supports union organizing efforts Senate Democrats nix ‘Plan B’ on raising minimum wage Kavanaugh upsets conservatives by evading Trump election proceedings MOREsee agenda.
The GOP blames Klain for refusing Biden to negotiate the price on its $ 1.9 billion COVID-19 emergency relief package, an approach they say is contrary to Biden’s promise for the campaign.
“Our members got the impression in the meetings there that he was some kind of man behind the curtain,” the Republican whip of the Senate said. John Thune
John Randolph Thune Rick Scott admits that Biden ‘absolutely’ won a fair election. After voting against aid package, Golden asks for more two-party Graham: Trump will be ‘helpful’ to all GOP Senate officials MORE (RS.D.).
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Trump shows he holds stranglehold on GOP, media in CPAC Barnburner Trump rules out launching new party: ‘Fake News’ shows Sunday – Trump’s revival, COVID-19 vaccines and variants dominate MORE (R-Ky.) Described White House staff as ‘Prime Minister Klain’, an attempt to hurt Biden.
A Republican aide said the point of concentrating on Klain undermines Biden’s perception as a leader who fully agrees with it.
“It plays into the theme that Biden is not really performing the show here,” the assistant said. “It plays into the theme: he is the archer and jovial and needs permission from this unelected man to make any decision.”
The assistant acknowledges that Biden has a high approval rating and that the public has accepted the president’s personality, but says there is an opening for Republicans to argue: ‘He does not really like the show there, whether it’s Ron Klain or [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi [D-Calif.] and [Senate Majority Leader Charles] Schumer [D-N.Y.]”Who’s really in charge?
The other point of the GOP strategy is to put pressure on Klain and perhaps give Biden more incentive to negotiate with the Republicans in Congress and show what would characterize them as greater independence.
Sen. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret Collins Senate considers changes to 9 trillion coronavirus bill Sasse punished by Republican Nebraska party over accusation, Collins insists Biden reconsider order across U.S.-Canada border. (R-Maine), who led a group of ten GOP senators who met with Biden in the White House earlier this month, says Biden is being recorded by Schumer and Klain. Republicans also say Pelosi is pushing Biden to the left.
“The problem is that productive talks appear to be opposed by the Democratic leader in the Senate,” Collins told reporters.
She said Klain tried to undermine any progress made by Biden and GOP senators at a White House meeting with GOP senators on February 1.
“Ron kept shaking his head in the back of the room all the time, which is not exactly an encouraging sign,” she said.
On Thursday, McConnell himself emphasized the characterization of the Democrats’ COVID relief package as the most progressive legislation in a generation indicating that the president is being shifted to the left.
“The president has chosen a very progressive start. His chief of staff, yesterday on MSNBC, said regarding the COVID package, the most progressive legislation in a generation, ‘the GOP leader said. “The president has decided not to be a centrist.”
Biden allies call the attacks on Klain cowardly, especially the suggestion that he and not Biden is the leader. They say Republicans are covering up their own reluctance to meet Biden halfway over COVID relief and other democratic priorities with broad popular support.
“God loves Ron Klain, but Joe Biden does what Joe Biden wants to do,” one adviser said. “He definitely takes the advice and processes it. Ron is one of the best advisers the president has, but he knows what to do. ”
Klain is considered one of the most powerful White House chiefs of staff in recent memory and has a close bond with Biden thanks to their long history together.
He served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1989 to 1992, when Biden chaired the committee, and later served as Vice Presidential Chief of Staff from 2009 to 2011.
Thune said Republicans who met with Biden “believe that the president really wants to cooperate with Republicans and tends to govern in a way that would be a little more advisory or cooperative in the middle, but his staff drives him hard links. ”
“I hope they fix it and that the president gives his authority in the situation, because otherwise it will be difficult to achieve scientific achievements that require cooperation with the Republicans,” he said.
Klain was investigated in the media for playing a major role in the nomination of Neeera Tanden as head of budget.
The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing four senior Democratic officials, that Klain was an ally of Tanden and a key advocate who “recommended her” despite a history of sharp tweets not only aimed at Republicans, but also on some progressives in the Senate.
It is unclear whether Teeth has 50 votes in the Senate with centrist Sen. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) Manchin Senate Democrats No ‘Plan B’ on Minimum Wage Raise Senate Proposes Changes to 9 Billion Coronavirus Bill Brown Vows Democrats Will Find ‘A Way’ to Raise the Minimum Wage MORE (DW.Va.) opposed to her nomination.
Klain told MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Wednesday that ‘we’re gut our guts’ to get her confirmed.
A Democratic strategist near the White House told The Hill that in the case of Teeth, it is clear that Ron is ‘doing what he can to get it done’.
‘I think he’s Neera’s number one fan in the building. There is no doubt about it, ‘said the strategist. “The fact that she’s still in conflict is 100 percent because of Ron.”
Klain said on Wednesday he would find another place for Tanden to serve in the government if she could not get through the Senate, but still declared: ‘We are going to get Neera Tanden
Neera TandenBiden brings dual meetings back to White House politics, not racism or sexism, explains opposition to Biden cabinet candidates On The Money: Democrats scramble to save minimum wage increase Personal income rises, inflation remains low after stimulus burst MORE confirm. ”
Sen. Chris Coons
Chris Andrew Coons Pompeo: Release of Khashoggi report by Biden admin ‘reckless’ Senate Democrat: Saudi relations ‘recalibrated’ Democrats do not trust IDP on 1/6 commission: ‘These people are dangerous’ MORE (D-Del.), One of Biden’s closest allies of the Senate, said Biden made it clear to GOP lawmakers this month that he is the ultimate decision-maker.
“Joe Biden is president of the United States and Ron is a very capable, very capable chief of staff who has known President Biden for decades and has worked closely with him,” he said. “It’s important to respect the fact that President Biden said, ‘I want to meet in person with ten Republican senators.’
‘What was scheduled for an hour was for two and several of my Republican colleagues said [Biden] knew their numbers better than they did, ”he said. “I do not agree and I will continue to push back this narrative that Joe Biden is somehow not really the president, is not really the leader and that other people are doing the same.”