Biden insists he's ready for a 'punch in the mouth' from Republicans

[Zorro]

Opinion by Jonathan Capehart

Joe Biden, from the start of his 2020 run for the Democratic nomination right through to now as president-elect, has been insistent about one thing: He believes he will be able to get Republicans to work with him to solve America’s myriad problems after four years of incompetence from President Trump.

“We’ll be in dire trouble if we don’t get cooperation, and I believe we will,” Biden said earlier this month about the need for a bigger covid relief package once he assumes office next month. In a call with columnists on Wednesday, the former vice president (who previously had served 36 years in the Senate) talked about the encouraging calls he has had with Republicans who want to get things done. “Reality has a way of intruding” on the plans of political opponents, he said. “I think we’re going to get a lot more cooperation” than folks expect.

Look, I have faith in Biden’s abilities. But every time I hear the president-elect wax kumbaya about the Washington he’s about to inherit, which has only gotten worse since the eight years of obstruction that he witnessed as vice president to President Barack Obama, I think about the wisdom of Mike Tyson: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

So, I asked Biden on that call what he would say to Democrats and others who are afraid he doesn’t see the punch in the mouth coming or that he won’t have the will to use all the power available to him to get his agenda through Congress. Biden pushed back — forcefully, as if I was the one who punched him in the mouth.

"Well, let me tell you something. You guys have been saying that about me since the day I ever got into office. You said that when I announced, that I was a nice enough guy but didn’t get it, didn’t know what was going on,” Biden said. “I respectfully suggest that I beat the hell out of everybody else. I won the nomination, got everybody to come around and won by over seven million votes. So I think I know what I’m doing and I’ve been pretty damn good at being able to deal with the punchers. I know how to block a straight left and do a right hook. I understand it.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/12/24/biden-insists-hes-ready-punch-mouth-republicans/

[rainin]

1. This doesn't reassure me at all.

Republicans in Congress know their base. Governing from the middle doesn't work. We need a hard charging Democrat who's willing to break the crooked bone so it can be reset. This answer doesn't reassure me he understands how the country has changed.

[Thekaspervote]

4. Check back in a few months...this isn't Biden's first rodeo!

[shrike3]

2. I've underestimated Biden all along. Hopefully I'm underestimating him this time.

[XanaDUer2]

3. I'll do what I can to back Biden and Harris

if anyone can do it, he can