Why President Biden must be tactically ruthless in getting the COVID relief bill

NPR’s White House Correspondent “tactically ruthless” question was the one every Progressive wanted an answer for sooner than later.

He asked the “tactically ruthless” question.

NPR Correspondent Geoff Bennett did not disappoint. He pretty much went for the jugular most professionally. After all, we do not have time to repeat the mistakes of the past.

“I want to follow up with a question on reconciliation,” Geoff Bennett said. “Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell back in 2017 famously said, ‘Winners make policy. Losers go home.’ Given that, why shouldn’t Democrats, why shouldn’t President Biden be as tactically ruthless as Republicans have been in pushing priorities that he champion.”

Press Secretary Jen Psaki is good. She knows when to deflect, when to conflate benignly, and when to divert. She did all three with her answers. I cannot help but think she believes her boss will be “tactically ruthless.” with a good old Joe smile.

We all hope that Biden remembers the following.

• On the day of Obama/Biden’s inauguration, Mitch McConnell said his goal was to make President Obama a one-term president.
• Republicans singularly got a substantial reduction in the 2009 stimulus bill’s size, causing one of the slowest recoveries after a crash their policies were instrumental in creating.
• Obamacare looked more like a market-based Republican healthcare system, and Democrats still could not secure one Republican vote.

The fact is, Republicans are tactically ruthless. They lie with impunity. As such, negotiation must always be done from a position of strength where they are dependent on the compromise.