Biden’s big bet on big government

Back when he was chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, John Podesta kept a photograph on his wall of the president reaching out to pat an enormous white tiger, backstage after a performance by Siegfried & Roy, a pair of Las Vegas magicians. The photograph seemed to serve Mr Podesta’s idiosyncratic blend of fierce, almost monkish drive and wacky sense of humour. He kept it around to remind himself of what he called his biggest mistake: letting the leader of the free world cuddle a man-eating beast.