As another round of talks on a climate and spending bill ramps up, aides and advocates are under strict orders to keep their mouths shut — lest they antagonize the all-important senator.
The fate of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda may hinge on his administration’s ability to do one simple thing: Shut up.Joe Manchin
The administration-wide gag order imposed over the last several weeks is a marked shift from earlier efforts to hype Biden’s expansive policy vision — and a tacit acknowledgment that the White House has learned its lesson. The deferential approach has put Biden and his top advisers in the awkward position of minimizing talk about their top policy priority — one they hope voters will ultimately reward them for in November.
The waiting game has fed angst among vulnerable Democrats who feel the administration is giving them too little new to run on with the election less than seven months away.