WASHINGTON (AP) — Friends and colleagues of Vice President Joe Biden's chief of staff, Bruce Reed, call him understated, self-effacing, nonthreatening, even refreshingly old-fashioned.
Don't be fooled by the cool descriptors. Reed plays Mr. Fix-It, guiding Joe Biden's role as a driving force behind the Obama administration's agenda.
With the White House wrestling Congress over gun control and tax-and-spending priorities, Reed's deep ties to the Oval Office and reputation for getting along with both parties make him a central character in some of Washington's biggest political battles.
Those who know Reed say his low-key style and consensus-oriented approach to deal-making are the keys to how he's managed time and again to bridge an ever-widening gap between Democrats and Republicans.
