I'm Brian Lehrer. This is my daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios. It's Wednesday,

December 2nd. As Joe Biden rolls out his cabinet picks, the names Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren

are not among them. But Biden yesterday

conspicuously name-drop one of them as he nominated Wally Adyemo to be his deputy treasury

secretary. I tell you what, Senator Warren really likes you. Adayemi was Warren's chief of staff.

How much progressive cred should Biden get for Adyemi was Warren's chief of staff.

How much progressive cred should Biden get for Adyemo or that Senator Warren really likes him?

And that's just one example of the dance taking place right now between Biden and the progressive wing.

If you can call it that, if that's the right label, everybody's got their own

label of the Democratic Party as Biden rolls out his nominees. Progressive groups like Justice

Democrats, which helped Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez get elected, the environment-oriented sunrise

movement, data for progress, and others, want someone like Bernie Sanders for

Labor Secretary, Bernie himself, preferably, a position not yet announced. They want the first

Native American Interior Secretary, maybe Congresswoman Deb Holland, do not want Democratic

regulars like Rahm Emanuel, who Biden is said to be considering for a big job. And this current

dance is only about the nominees. Then there will be the ones about actual policy. Joining me now

for a progressive journalism and advocacy perspective of how the transition is going in these early

days are Katrina Van Denhoeval, publisher and

editorial director of the nation. She's also a Washington Post columnist. And Carthic Vanapathy,

a communications consultant who has been a spokesperson for progressive politicians, including

Bernie Sanders, Keith Ellison, and Charles Booker, as well as the ACLU and the

Climate Change Organization 350.org. Carthic, welcome, and Katrina, welcome back to WNYC.

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