Thread by @JakeSherman

In @PunchbowlNews this AM — Let Pelosi be Pelosi

We’re 2 days into @JoeBiden push for a multi-trillion $ infrastructure bill. We don’t have anything even close to resembling legislative language. Yet so much has become clear about the politics and legislative climate in DC.

@PunchbowlNews @JoeBiden 1) Biden, who ran on the idea that the “fever” plaguing Republicans during the Trump era would break once he took office, is yet again facing unyielding opposition from the GOP on this infrastructure plan.

@PunchbowlNews @JoeBiden This will likely be the second major legislative package that Biden will have to pass without a scintilla of Republican support.

@PunchbowlNews @JoeBiden 2) Why are we so confident that Biden will have to go it alone? Occam’s Razor: The simplest answer is usually the right one. And history.

@PunchbowlNews @JoeBiden Rs say they have no interest in this Biden infrastructure bill, and they mean it. R leaders are betting that the political upside for passing this package won’t be big enough to truly help for Ds next year, and they’ll be stuck with having raised taxes heading into the midterms

@PunchbowlNews @JoeBiden Democrats counter that this is good policy; this proposal, combined with the American Rescue Plan, is a strong 1-2 punch for the U.S. economy. They believe the American people will be very happy with it, and no one minds soaking big corporations or the rich.

3) Biden will rely on five members of his Cabinet to help put together this package with members of Congress. Just one of those secretaries -- HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge -- has experience on Capitol Hill.

4) The Democratic Party is fraying a tiny bit around the edges. Liberals, inherently skeptical of Biden, think he’s going too small. Moderates are scared he’s going too big. Northeasterners are worried about state and local taxes.

But, as former President Barack Obama learned in 2009 and 2010, this is where Speaker Nancy Pelosi is at her best.

There are a lot of subjective assessments that one can make about Pelosi. But an objective fact is this: She's one of the most effective legislators and members of leadership of the last 50 years.

And one of Pelosi’s great skills is understanding where her caucus is, discerning her own members political needs and fears. And through unbelievable patience and steadiness, Pelosi just grinds them down.

Somehow, the end product ends up looking the way Pelosi thought it would all along, and the dissenters’ points of disagreement fall to the wayside.

If there was a piece of advice to dispense to this administration at this point, it would be to allow Pelosi to handle this for now. She’s been here before. No one else -- not even Biden -- has.