Biden, aides talking with supporters about possible presidential run

Biden has been mulling a run for months, and has said publicly he would make a decision at the end of the summer.

The Christian Science Monitor reported on July 3 that businessman Jon Cooper put the probability of Biden running at 80 percent.

“Biden is also talking to friends, family and donors about jumping in”, The Times further reported.

Beau Biden, the attorney general of Delaware and a US military veteran who served in Iraq, died in May of brain cancer at the age of 46. The meetings were described as having grown out of an outpouring of grief for Biden since the passing of his son and also out of a growing dissatisfaction with Clinton.

“Partly because of the very deep reservoir of support we’ll find among Obama supporters, bundlers and donors, I think the Biden campaign will be able to tap into that overnight”, he said.

“It’s no secret that Beau wanted him to run”, said former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party Dick Harpootlian. But Biden has in his long career in Democratic politics clashed with former President Bill Clinton, and his relationship with Hillary Clinton has not been without awkwardness.

Many observers believe Biden would present the biggest challenge to Clinton’s campaign because of his work alongside President Obama and his tendency to be a straight-shooter – despite his many public gaffes. Yet even inside his sprawling constellation, affectionately known as “Biden World”, deep divisions exist over the wisdom of him making another bid for the presidency.

Biden, 72, had been a presidential hopeful twice, in 1988 and 2008.

On FOX News’ O’Reilly Factor Thursday night Chief White House Correspondent Ed Henry reported on a meeting that occurred between Vice President Joe Biden‘s Chief of Staff Steve Ricchetti and a big Democratic fundraiser in the past week.

And 58 percent said she has strong leadership skills, compared to 40 percent who disagree.

The post Report: Biden said to be seriously considering 2016 run appeared first on PBS NewsHour.

In recent weeks those talks, with local elected officials and party leaders, started again, mostly because well-wishers were calling to check on the Biden family. Biden will also be involved in preparations for visits by Pope Francis and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Lingering concerns over Clinton’s use of private email during her time as secretary of State, her coming testimony over her role in the Benghazi attacks, as well as the large crowds pulled in by Sen.