“In the days after striking a deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, White House officials sought to downplay what they privately considered to be a substantial victory,” Politico reports.
“Aides feared that any crowing about the agreement would endanger its passage. They advised allies to be restrained, fearful of driving up Republican opposition.”
“But there was another consideration at play. Biden world wanted to emerge from the process with the public perception of being the ‘adults in the room;’ mediators in an era of sharp partisanship… Biden’s advisers are betting that voters will reward him for getting a big thing done in a bipartisan fashion. They plan to portray the president as a steady hand in stark contrast to the extremes of the Republican Party.”
Save to Favorites