If Biden wants to win over Bernie Sanders' supporters and beat Trump, he needs to back up his promises with the right people

Nearly 12 years ago, Barack Obama began staffing his administration in the middle of a global economic crisis. Despite the high hopes of the progressive forces that catapulted Obama into office, his transition set the tone for a presidency that would be steered by corporate insiders.

In one notorious example, Citigroup continued to pay a top executive, Michael Froman, while he served on the board of Obama's transition team, playing a key role in filling the administration with Wall Street insiders, whose firms were seeking government support amid the financial crash.