Why Biden won't build bridges to the GOP

If Mr. Biden genuinely wants bipartisanship—and on Monday he said he was “prepared to negotiate”—he can show it by agreeing to traditional infrastructure spending paid for with unspent Covid-19 money and other sources Republicans can accept. It could be bundled into a bill and passed with huge bipartisan margins in both chambers. Democrats could then try passing the rest of his package (including the tax increases) using reconciliation so they could contest the midterms by claiming credit for all the second measure’s spending, made possible only with Democratic votes. But the White House doesn’t want Republicans to get any credit for helping pass an actual infrastructure bill. And while Democrats claim the AJP polls well among Republicans and independents, that support would fade if voters see it as a windfall for the left’s favorite causes and payola to the Democratic Party’s base. Ten billion dollars for a Civilian Climate Corps that’ll employ every Greta Thunberg wannabe under the banner of “infrastructure spending” won’t go over well. Nor will spending $400 billion for elder-care services, something demanded by the Service Employees International Union, which endorsed Mr. Biden in the primaries. We love grandma and grandpa, but they’re not infrastructure. And then there are tax increases, especially those paid by small business. For these, the White House especially wants Republicans to share the blame.