By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com
President Biden had the congressional Republican caucus in his hands ⌠then he lost them.
Or has he?
Biden has this massive infrastructure package on the table. He is seeking some Republican buy-in.
The president talks a good game. He wants his GOP pals to join him and his fellow Democrats to join in the effort to fix roads, bridges and ports while also protecting families.
I had high hopes he could persuade whatâs left of the GOP moderate mini-caucus to sign on. Those hopes are fading with the likes of Sen. Susan Collins of Maine suggesting that Republicans arenât likely to spend so much money.
President Biden has a lot of experience working across the aisle with Republicans. He contends he has many friends on the other side; they speak kindly of him, too. Those Republicans, though, face pressure of another kind. They do not want to offend the still-significant number of their constituents who remain wedded to the Big Lie promoted by Donald J. Trump ⌠you know the one about the âtheftâ of the 2020 election by voters who cast illegal ballots. Well, they didnât steal anything. The only theft I can see is the pilfering of politiciansâ honor and integrity.
It is carrying over into President Bidenâs desire to achieve something close to a bipartisan solution to this infrastructure package.
I wonât give up hope that the president can deploy his vast knowledge of the political system to benefit millions of Americans who desire to see government work for them.