Republicans are attacking the White House chief of staff Ron Klain
Ron KlainDemocrats struggle to rescue minimum wage increase Biden “disappointed” by the Senate parliamentary decision, but “respects” the decision The Memorandum: Biden faces the first major setback while Tanden oscillates MORE like “the guy behind the curtain” and “Prime Minister Klain” as they try to push someone they see as a formidable opponent in battle President biden
Joe BidenBiden supports Senate Democrats ‘Plan B’ union organizing efforts to raise the minimum wage Kavanaugh discourages conservatives by dodging pro-Trump electoral processes MOREcalendar of.
The Republican Party blames Klain for Biden’s refusal to negotiate a reduction in the price of his $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid package, an approach they say conflicts with Biden’s campaign promises.
“We got the impression from our members who were in meetings there that he is the type of guy behind the curtain,” said Senate Republican Whip John Thune
John Randolph ThuneRick Scott acknowledges that Biden “sure” won a fair election After voting against the aid package, Golden calls for more bipartisanship Graham: Trump will be “useful” to all Senate Republican Party occupants MORE (RS.D.).
Senate minority leader aides Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump shows he holds control of the GOP, media at CPAC barnburner Trump rules out starting a new party: Sunday’s ‘fake news’ programs – Trump’s resurgence, COVID-19 vaccines and variants dominate MORE (R-Ky.) They went on to describe the White House chief of staff as “Prime Minister Klain”, an effort that aims to harm Biden.
A Republican aide said that the goal of focusing on Klain is to undermine Biden’s public perception as a leader entirely in his favor.
“It’s the theme of Biden not really running the show here,” said the aide. “The theme is that he is the figurehead and jovial and needs the permission of this unelected guy to make any decision.”
The aide acknowledged that Biden has a high approval rating and that the public has embraced the president’s personality, but said there is an opening for Republicans to argue “he’s not really running 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 end of the Republican Party’s strategy is to pressure Klain to step back and perhaps give Biden more incentive to negotiate with Republicans in Congress and show what they would characterize as greater independence.
Sen. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsSenate ponders changes to the 0.9 trillion coronavirus Sasse bill scolded by the Republican Nebraska Party over impeachment voting. Collins urges Biden to revise the order on the borders of the US-Canada border MORE (R-Maine), who led a group of 10 Republican senators who met Biden at the White House earlier this month, says Biden is being cornered by Schumer and Klain. Republicans also say that Pelosi is pushing Biden to the left.
“The problem is that what appear to be productive conversations appear to be overturned by the Democratic leader in the Senate,” Collins told reporters.
She said Klain tried to undermine any progress that Biden and Republican senators may have made in a meeting at the White House with Republican senators on February 1.
“Ron was shaking his head at the back of the room, the whole time, which isn’t exactly an encouraging sign,” she said.
McConnell himself on Thursday emphasized Klain’s characterization of the Democrats’ COVID relief package as the most progressive legislation in a generation to suggest that the president is being moved to the left.
“The president chose a very progressive start. His chief of staff at MSNBC yesterday said with respect to the COVID package, the most progressive legislation in a generation, ”said the leader of the Republican Party. “The president decided not to be a centrist.”
Biden’s allies consider the attacks on Klain silly, especially the suggestion that it is he, not Biden, who is in charge. They say Republicans are covering up their own unwillingness to face Biden halfway to the relief of COVID and other Democratic priorities with broad popular support.
“God loves Ron Klain, but Joe Biden does what Joe Biden wants to do,” said a consultant. “He certainly takes the advice and sues it. Ron is one of the best advisers the president has, but he knows what he needs to do. ”
Klain is seen as one of the most powerful White House chiefs of staff in recent memory and has a close bond with Biden thanks to the long history of union.
He served as chief adviser to the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1989 to 1992, when Biden was chairman of the committee, and later served as deputy chief of staff to Biden from 2009 to 2011. Klain assisted Biden’s speechwriters during his 1988 presidential campaign.
Thune said the Republicans who met with Biden “believe that the President really wants to work with Republicans and tends to want to govern in a way that would be a little more consultative or cooperative in the middle, but his team is taking him to the left. . “
“I hope that they will correct this and that the president will assert his authority in the situation because otherwise it will be difficult to obtain any kind of legislative achievement that requires cooperation with Republicans,” he said.
Klain is under media scrutiny for playing a big role in the appointment of Neeera Tanden as head of budget.
The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing four top Democratic officials, that Klain was “an ally” of Tanden and “an important advocate who recommended his” nomination, despite a history of sharp tweets aimed not just at Republicans, but at some progressives in the Senate.
It is not clear whether Tanden has 50 votes in the Senate with the center senator. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinSenate Democrats rejects ‘Plan B’ for raising the minimum wage The Senate is considering changes to the 0.9 trillion coronavirus bill Brown promises Democrats to ‘find a way’ to raise the minimum wage MORE (DW.Va.) opposed his appointment.
Klain told Joy Reid of MSNBC on Wednesday that “we are fighting against our guts” to get it confirmed.
A Democratic strategist close to the White House told The Hill that it is clear, in Tanden’s case, that Ron “is doing what he can to do this”.
“I think he is Neera’s number one fan in the building, there is no doubt about it,” said the strategist. “The fact that she is still in the running is 100 percent because of Ron.”
Klain said on Wednesday that he would find another place for Tanden to serve in the government if she fails to make it through the Senate, but nonetheless said: Neera Tanden
Neera TandenBiden brings back bipartisan meetings at the White House Politics, not racism or sexism, explains opposition to those nominated to the Biden Office On The Money: Democrats struggle to save minimum wage increases | Personal income goes up, inflation remains low after the stimulus breaks MORE confirmed.”
Sen. Chris Coons
Chris Andrew CoonsPompeo: Launch of the Khashoggi report by administrator ‘reckless’ Democratic Senate: Saudi relationship being ‘recalibrated’ Democrats do not trust the GOP on the 1/6 commission: ‘These people are dangerous’ MORE (D-Del.), One of Biden’s closest allies in the Senate, said Biden made it clear at this month’s meeting with Republican lawmakers that he is the final decision maker.
“Joe Biden is the President of the United States and Ron is a very capable and capable chief of staff who has known and worked closely with President Biden for decades,” he said. “It is important to respect the fact that it was President Biden who said ‘I want to meet 10 Republican senators in person’ immediately.
“What was scheduled for an hour passed to two and several of my Republican colleagues said [Biden] they knew their numbers better than they did, ”he said. “I disagree and I will continue to reject this narrative that, in some way, Joe Biden is not really the president, he is not really in charge and other people are.”