President Biden has welcomed the radical left in order to cover many of the gaps in his internal policymaking apparatus. Whenever it comes to international affairs, he’s a staunch establishment figure.
Nothing New from Biden
After the Trump years, the Biden administration’s list of foreign policy aides has gratified Democrats’ desire for a return to the status quo on the global stage, helping to rebuild trans-Atlantic ties that were sometimes weakened by the last administration.
That implies there will be a lengthy line of Biden nominations — diplomats and State Department employees alike — who will be standard features in Washington’s foreign policy establishment.
It also stands in sharp contrast to Biden’s internal picks, who represent a president who embraces progressive outsiders, despite opposition from within his own party. Republican senators have sneered at Biden’s domestic appointments.
This forced Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to jump through hoops, just to get nominees to the floor. However, Biden’s international picks have met a different type of resistance.
So, I keep seeing MSM reports that Joe Biden's approval ratings have declined, despite getting important legislation passed and making progress on many other goals. Did everyone forget that polls are not a reliable measure of public opinion? I'm really tired of talking heads.
— Merrianne Dean Esq. 🌊🌊🏴☠️😷🖖🍷 (@MerrianneDean) December 7, 2021
Individual Republican senators are attempting to slow-walk a raft of nominees for ambassadorships and key State Department positions, but not primarily due to the philosophies of a list stacked with Obama administration and academic figures.
The Republican opposition to Biden’s foreign policy nominees originates from larger substantive disagreements with his government; the handful who have been confirmed follow a similar establishment character.
In an appearance at the recent Halifax Global Security Conference, Democrat Sen. Chris Coons remarked, “These are a broad array of credentials, but professional, experienced, weathered, qualified, competent nominations or ambassadors.”
All the Odd Dogs Back in the Game
Coons spoke with US partners at the summit, who he said were pleased by Biden’s nominees, but wished to see more of them approved by Congress.
Many of Biden’s nominations for international and national-security positions come from the D.C. foreign-policy circle, also known as the “Blob,” or other restricted Democrat circles.
Others served with Biden while he was chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, as others were close to him when he was vice-chairman.
Biden and his team claim they don’t care about his plummeting approval ratings.
We'll see how that works out for Democrats in the midterms.
— GOP (@GOP) November 30, 2021
“When it comes to foreign policy and homeland security matters, he feels very secure.” In a short interview in Halifax, Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine, another admirer of the administration, said, “It doesn’t shock me that he would bring in folks who have been part of his own experience as a civil employee.”
The list starts with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who served as Biden’s top adviser while he was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Wendy Sherman, the next Deputy Secretary of State, has previously spent four years at the top of the government, including four years as Obama’s government affairs head.
Julianne Smith, who was subsequently confirmed by the Senate as the United States ambassador to NATO, previously worked as Biden’s senior chief strategist and managed NATO policy at the Pentagon.
