If he wants to, and that's a big if, Biden has several tools available to circumvent McConnell’s Senate and still appoint the Cabinet secretaries he needs; plus 277 actions that are in the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force documents that can be accomplished with an executive order. Max Moran joins Paul

If he wants to, and that's a big if, Biden has several tools available to circumvent McConnell’s Senate and still appoint the Cabinet secretaries he needs; plus 277 actions that are in the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force documents that can be accomplished with an executive order. Max Moran joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news podcast.

Transcript

Paul JayHi, I'm Paul Jay, and welcome to theAnalysis.news podcast, and please don't forget the donate button atthe top of the web page.

Max Moran writes in an article in American Prospect titled, "We Don't Have to Live in Mitch McConnell'sWorld," quote, "It’s important to recognize that the idea of hopelessness around a Biden Cabinet isnonsense. Biden has several tools available to him to circumvent McConnell’s Senate and still appoint theCabinet secretaries he needs. And to have any hope of Democratic victory in 2022 and 2024, Biden mustnot only build a functional, Rooseveltian government, but he must take public credit for it -- and publiclyjeer those who would stand in his way."

Now joining us to discuss just what Biden could do if he wanted to, is Max Moran. He's a researchassistant at the Revolving Door Project at the Center for Economic and Policy Research.Thanks for joining us.

Max MoranThanks for having me. Pleasure to be here.

Paul JaySo, I've been watching a lot of Fox News these days.

Max MoranI'm sorry for you.

Paul JayWell, actually, I find it more interesting than CNN and MSNBC, which I find mostly nauseating.

Max MoranFair.

Paul JayI said to Taibbi, Matt Taibbi, at least there's the odd surprise on Fox. Like the night of the election, Foxwas very pro-Biden, which was interesting. I think the Murdoch empire is getting ready for the Trumpmedia empire, so they're getting ready to start trashing Trump as a competitor. But the speculation on theFox News panels when discussing the issue of the cabinet appointments, and generally Biden working

with the Senate, and the fact that it's not impossible that the Democrats might still take the Senate if theywin the run-off races in Georgia -- the Fox people are speculating, well, maybe Biden would rather have aRepublican Senate and have that as sort of an excuse for why he can't do the stuff the progressives arereally pushing him to do. I don't know that Biden would really do that. I assume he would rather be able todo something than just be half a lame-duck president. But your whole point of what you've beenresearching is he doesn't have to be half a lame-duck president just because the Republicans have theSenate.So, let's assume Biden actually does want to do something. Who knows? "Rooseveltian" might be toomuch to hope for. But let's say there's sufficient pressure on him both from the progressives, from apeople's movement, from their concern about what's going to happen in the elections and from a deep,deep economic depression, so the crisis is such that it actually not only cries out for some kind ofRooseveltian-style approach, but there might even be some political room for him to do it.In short, what can he do? Let's start with the cabinet. What can he do without the Senate? How can Bidengovern as if the Senate doesn't exist? That's what I would argue for.

Max MoranThere is a surprisingly large number of things and a number of paths that he can take without ever havingto ...