Biden, on the surface, is an unlikely figure to push such a radical shift in federal policy. He first took public office in 1970, the year that U.S. workers’ share of national income peaked. He had a long career working from the very Democratic center he is now looking to transform, supporting bank-friendly bills that drew criticism on the campaign trail. But he became president in a year when the arguments against government intervention he heard as a senator and as a vice president under Obama seem to have run their course. Some of Biden’s old colleagues, including Democratic economists such as Lawrence Summers, say Biden is off base. In comments on the stimulus plan in February, Summers acknowledged there was “tremendous suffering” but said “this goes way beyond what is necessary.” Others say it is time to give the more liberal wing of the party, dormant for decades, time to make their case once again - and are pushing Biden to go even farther. “This is not nearly enough,” said Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic congresswoman from New York. Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Heather Timmons and Grant McCool