This is a Good Thing

I don't give Nancy Pelosi credit for a lot, but she CAN count, which is why she delayed the vote on the "Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill." 

It turns out that, with the tacit support of Joe Biden, progressives stopped the "Moderates" from severing the tie between that bill, which is basically the regular highway bill, and  and the more ambitious reconciliation package which constitutes the bulk of an actually the Biden agenda.

I honestly did not expect that progressives in Congress to stand their ground, but apparently, they have.

I think that part of this is that Biden and the Progressives believe, accurately IMNSHO, that not only is the hostage taking by Manchin, Sinema, and Gottenheimer bad policy, but that it is electoral poison.

While Biden is no one's definition of a progressive, but he does not have a deep and abiding hatred of what used to be called liberals and liberalism, unlike his Democratic predecessors back to, and including Jimmy Carter, he is unwilling to cut his own throat to own the libs:

Progressives in the House are revolting. Inside the White House, they’re welcoming it.

One by one, liberal lawmakers have announced that they will vote to defeat a bipartisan infrastructure bill if moderate Democrats and the White House do not offer a firm outline for an accompanying social and climate spending package as well. And just as tensions within the party were at a seeming boiling point this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) turned it up even further, urging House Democrats to vote against that bipartisan infrastructure bill when it is scheduled to hit the floor on Thursday. 

Though some of those same progressives have loudly complained that President Joe Biden isn’t doing enough to reach out to them individually on his legislative agenda, the White House seems utterly unbothered by it.

Instead, they’re hoping that the prospect of a progressive revolt will only add to the pressure they’re attempting to exert on Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the two moderate Senators most noncommittal about supporting a party-line reconciliation bill. Two sources familiar with the White House’s messaging to progressives said that officials have made it clear to them that they are not displeased with all the talk about voting down the infrastructure package.

………

The White House is convinced progressives’ end goal is still aligned with theirs and see the pressure they’re exerting as ultimately helpful rather than damaging.

I'm impressed.

My guess is that, after 36 years in the Senate, and 8 years in the Obama White House, Joe Biden can recognize self-destructive toxic narcissists.