About this episode
President Joe Biden was sworn in two years ago today. To mark the occasion, White House Comms Director Kate Bedingfield is sending congressional Dems and other allies this “Cheat Sheet” of the president’s accomplishments to tout. It’s worth a read to understand the emerging Biden reelection message — note the heavy emphasis on a manufacturing renaissance — which these talking points contend “is in contrast to MAGA Republicans in Congress who are creating chaos and proposing an extreme and divisive agenda.” Meanwhile, AP’s Aamer Madhani tells the story of Biden’s first two years “by the numbers,” which he reports “is a mixed bag”: “It includes a long-sought $1 trillion bill to shore up the nation’s bridges, roads and other infrastructure, but also the unwelcome milestone of historic inflation. There’s been a huge number of COVID-19 vaccinations, but nearly 680,000 people have died of the disease. Biden has visited three dozen states and spent all or part of nearly 200 days in his home state of Delaware.” We wouldn’t be us if we didn’t flag this entry on the AP’s list: “21: Biden held fewer solo or joint news conferences than his three most recent predecessors at the same point in their presidencies.” Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter