President Joe Biden (left) and Sen. Bernie Sanders.Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty
PresidentJoe Bidenis receiving high praise from his former primary opponent Sen.Bernie Sanders.
The Vermont independent, who campaigned in the 2020 election that Biden won,wrote a tribute to the presidentin the 2021 edition ofTIME’s 100 Most Influential Peoplelist.
“President Joe Biden came into office with a willingness to think big, not small,” Sanders, 80, wrote, citing a bevy of problems — “a horrific pandemic, economic collapse, grotesque levels of income and wealth inequality, racial tension, extreme-weather disasters and dangerous attacks on American democracy” — facing the country at the start of Biden’s term.
Though Sanders admitted he has strong disagreements with the 46th president, he wrote that he believed Biden was “the first President in a very long time who is attempting to address the fundamental crises facing our nation.”
Despite their differences of opinion, Sanders has talked about his and Biden’sfriendly and supportive relationship. Earlier this year, he said the Biden campaign made his team feel “very welcome.”
In 2016, when Biden, now 78, decided not to run for president after his time asBarack Obama’s vice president, Sanders said he got advice from Biden. “He was giving me his advice — political advice — and they were, I think for me, very useful conversations, and friendly conversations.”
In the 2020 general election, Sanders said he returned the favorite, offering his assistance to Biden with some “progressive ideas.”
Sanders also cited theinfrastructure billand a sweeping spending proposal as important legislation that would create jobs, help working families and face the threat of climate change.
“I look forward to working with President Biden on these transformative efforts,” Sanders wrote.
Among the other tributes in theLeaders section of TIME’s listare:
“Rare are politicians who don’t claim to put country before party. Rarer still are those who actually have,” Cindy wrote. “My late husband enjoyed a reputation for political independence. When John was alive, he was dedicated to the dignity of the truth, just as Liz Cheney is today. By insisting that the 2020 election had been free and fair, that the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol was an assault on America’s democratic character and that President Trump bore responsibility for it, she set an example of selfless patriotism that will endure long after her own ambitions are at rest.”
Stacey Abrams.Paras Griffin/Getty
“I have known the Vice President for a long time.,” Pelosi wrote. “We are Californians with a common motivation: family. The Vice President’s mother raised her two daughters as she worked as a scientist to cure breast cancer. Her mother’s self-determination drives the Vice President’s work — whether that is providing tangible relief to families, lifting up women in the workforce or defending the right to vote.”
Fox News' star Tucker Carlson alsomade the list. “Love him or hate him, Tucker Carlson may be the most powerful conservative in America,” the entry reads.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, meanwhile received praise from colleague Susan Collins, a Republican. “In 2021, Joe is in the midst of every debate,“the Maine lawmaker wrote. “Joe believes passionately that bipartisanship leads to the best solutions, and he wants to prove it can still work. As someone who shares his belief in working across the aisle, I always want him on my side.”
And Biden’s White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain had the admiration of SecretaryHillary Clinton, whowrote, “Sometimes the most qualified person gets the job … It’s hard to imagine anyone better suited for this impossible position than Ron Klain.”
source: people.com
