New year brings more liberated Joe Biden
By Amie Parnes - 01/16/22 07:00 AM EST When President Biden pounded his hand on a podium this week and declared “I'm tired of being quiet!” when he talked about changing Senate rules to pass voters rights legislation, Democrats immediately noticed a shift.
In five words, Biden — known for working across the aisle and his relationships with Republicans —was telegraphing that the new year was ushering in a more forceful and liberated version of himself.
“It’s about damn time,” said one top Democratic strategist. “It’s like they kept him on a leash for far too long. No one elected restrained Joe Biden. We elected real Joe Biden.”
For a year, some Democrats have complained that Biden was too constrained and kept on too tight a leash for fear of making gaffes and going off script.
But in recent days, Democrats have compared the looser-lipped Biden to his one-time partner, former President Obama, who also experienced his own moment of liberation during his presidency. At the time, Democrats half joked that “the bear is loose,” referring to Obama’s newfound freedom.
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/589834-new-year-brings-more-liberated-joe-biden
