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- Throughout his presidency, Joe Biden embraced more progressive policy positions than many expected.
- Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy told the NYT Magazine that Biden wanted progressives in his coalition.
- "[H]e felt compelled to govern with them being a part of it," Murphy said.
Before Joe Biden ascended to the presidency, he was widely known for his more moderate brand of politics within the Democratic Party.
Throughout Biden's 36-year career in the Senate, he was seen as the consummate dealmaker and held a reservoir of trust among top leaders as a chair of the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees.
When Barack Obama tapped Biden to serve as his vice-presidential running mate in 2008, a big part of the then-Delaware senator's appeal was his record of bipartisanship in Congress.