Family feud? Obama caught between Clinton, Biden ambitions

webfact · August 24, 2015

Family feud? Obama caught between Clinton, Biden ambitions
By JULIE PACE

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is the man in the middle, caught between the White House aspirations of two of his closest advisers: Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

For months, White House officials expected Clinton to be the Democratic nominee in the 2016 election. Some of Obama's top political advisers moved to New York to run her campaign and Obama appeared to give his tacit approval, saying she would be an "excellent president."

But that bet on Clinton suddenly looks less certain. With Biden weighing his own presidential run more seriously amid signs of weakness in Clinton's campaign, the White House faces the prospect of a family feud over who will become heir to Obama's legacy.

"Certainly he's got something at stake here," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday of Obama's interest in the 2016 election.

Biden's recent overtures to donors and Democratic officials have led to palpable awkwardness in the West Wing as aides — many with close ties to Clinton, the vice president or both — try to maintain impartiality.

Earnest raised the prospect that Obama could endorse a candidate in the Democratic primary, though others close to the president say it's unlikely he'd publicly put his thumb on the scale if Clinton and Biden were locked in a close contest.

In picking between Biden and Clinton, Obama would be making a choice between two of the most influential members of his administration.

Obama and Clinton long ago turned their political rivalry from the 2008 primary into an alliance. Clinton left the administration in early 2013 after four years as Obama's secretary of state, but she and the president still get together for occasional meetings. They both attended a birthday party in Martha's Vineyard last week for Democratic powerbroker Vernon Jordan, and Obama played golf on the tony Massachusetts island with former President Bill Clinton.

However, some White House officials were irked by revelations that Clinton sidestepped administration guidelines by using a private email account on her own computer server to do State Department business. Privately, some Obama allies also say they're miffed at Clinton's handling of the email controversy, which continues to dog her campaign.

Meanwhile, Obama and Biden appear to have developed a genuine friendship during their six-and-a-half years in the White House. When Biden's son, Beau, died of brain cancer earlier this year, Obama delivered a moving eulogy in which he referred to the vice president as a "brother." In the weeks after the younger Biden's death, Obama made sure the vice president was by his side for high-profile administration announcements.

Earnest said Obama viewed his selection of Biden as a running mate as the smartest decision of his political career.

"I think that should give you some sense of the president's view of Vice President Biden's aptitude for the top job," Earnest said.

On Monday, Obama and Biden met for their weekly lunch in the president's private dining room. Both men spent much of August on family vacations and their lunch marked their first in-person meeting since Biden stepped up his deliberations and outreach about a possible campaign.

People familiar with Biden's thinking say he's yet to make a final decision, but is likely to announce his political future within a month. The vice president is consulting with a close circle of longtime advisers, though there are said to be divisions within that group about whether he should run.

Those close to Obama and Biden insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the vice president's deliberations or the White House's view of the 2016 race.

Of course, what's at stake for Obama in the 2016 election is more than just his personal relationships with Clinton and Biden. Much of his legacy is contingent on a Democratic president maintaining his policies on immigration, health care and climate change, as well as the nuclear agreement with Iran.

Since announcing her candidacy in April, Clinton has largely backed Obama's policies. However, she's distanced herself from his decision to approve offshore oil drilling in the Artic and said she would have voted against his bid to get fast-track authority for an Asia-Pacific trade deal if she were still in the Senate.

Clinton has more latitude than Biden in breaking with Obama policies given that her portfolio in the administration was largely limited to foreign affairs. The vice president, however, has been a central figure in wide-ranging administration policies and has been the point person on everything from the economic stimulus to gun control legislation to Ukraine.

"Biden, as the president's partner, would be closely identified with the Obama legacy," said David Axelrod, a longtime Obama political adviser. However, he added that "any Democrat will carry the benefits and burdens of Obama into this election."

Some Democrats say Biden's strongest campaign strategy would be to cast himself as an economic populist. He met over the weekend with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a favorite of the Democratic Party's progressive wing whose support would be a major coup for Biden.

Democrats say Biden supporters are also quietly reminding influential operatives and donors that the vice president was ahead of both Obama and Clinton on some issues that are now cornerstones for the party, including gay marriage.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-25

willyumiii · August 25, 2015

It sees they are ignoring the 600 pound gorilla in the room.

Not even a mention of Bernie Sanders.

Clinton and Biden should both drop out and support Bernie.

And Obama should endorse him.

Remember that " change we need" Mr. President?

Bernie Sanders is that change.

It is past time the country was taken back from the rich and the huge corporations and returned to the people of America..

Bernie is that "change we need" to accomplish this.

MaxYakov · August 25, 2015

Biden and HRC are his closest advisors?! Give us a break!

If they are and he's acting on their advice it would explain a lot.

konying · August 25, 2015

So you want farmers and red necks to run the country

willyumiii · August 25, 2015

Interesting comment.

Where did you learn that Bernie Sanders was a farmer or a redneck?

Please post a link to your source....I am always willing to learn.

I am about as far from being a redneck as a person can be.

But I do many different things with my life...one of them is farming.

Is there something wrong with farmers?

Do you eat?

ggt · August 25, 2015

With Obama being fairly unpopular with many Americans...even Democrats...getting his endorsement may have an adverse affect...

willyumiii · August 25, 2015

Obama's current approval rating is 46%

His lowest weekly average was 40%

To compare, GW Bush's approval rating for the same period in his presidency was 33%

If Obama could run for another term ( he can not and will not ) he would have a very good chance of be reelected.

The following is from the Gallop website:

Usernames · August 25, 2015

I understand that the media is still trying to find someone who isn't a White person who attends Bernie Sanders' rallies. His entire voter base is made up of hipsters and Ben and Jerry type White civil service retirees.

quandow · August 25, 2015

#feelthebern

The giant (We, The People) is/are waking up. Enough with lying politicians, look at Senator Sanders' voting record and understand he's the rarest of commodities in U.S. government - an honest politician!

Scott · August 25, 2015

Off-topic, troll posts and replies removed.

Berkshire · August 25, 2015

Sanders is a bit too far left for me, but I'd take him over HRC or any Republican. But if Joe B. runs, he's my guy.

konying · August 25, 2015

From your statement that it was time to take from rich and corporations and give it to the people.

Last time i checked, the rich and corporations were the ones employing millions of people and paying millions in taxes

Funny how you you feel the need to clarify that you are not the redneck, even though i did not refer to you

Nothing wrong with farming, but you would excuse me if i thought someone well educated with business experience would be a better choice to run the country

willyumiii · August 25, 2015

"Last time i checked, the rich and corporations were the ones employing millions of people and paying millions in taxes."

I guess you have not checked in some time. These are 2014 figures, 2015's are not available yet.

Corporate lobbyists incessantly claim that our corporate tax rate is too high, and that it’s not ‘competitive’ with the rest of the world,” said Robert McIntyre, Director of Citizens for Tax Justice and the report’s lead author. “Our new report shows that both of these claims are false. Most of the biggest companies aren’t paying anywhere near 35 percent of their profits in taxes and far too many aren’t paying U.S. taxes at all. Most multinationals are paying lower tax rates here in the United States than they pay on their foreign operations.”

To address those "millions of taxes paid by U,S, corporations":

.

111 of the companies enjoyed at least one year in which their federal income tax was zero or less.
26 companies, including Boeing, General Electric, Priceline.com and Verizon, enjoyed negative income tax rates over the entire five-year period, despite combined pre-tax profits of $170 billion.
Of the 125 multinational companies in this sample, two-thirds paid a lower U.S. tax rate than the rate they paid to foreign governments on their foreign profits. On average, their foreign effective tax rate was 12 percent larger than their U.S. effective rate.
And as far as employing millions..it should be millions more..
1. U.S. multinationals shifted millions of jobs overseas in the 2000s. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that “U.S. multinational corporations, the big brand-name companies that employ a fifth of all American workers… cut their work forces in the U.S. by 2.9 million during the 2000s while increasing employment overseas by 2.4 million.”
Furthermore, a recent Wall Street Journal analysis showed, “Thirty-five big U.S.-based multinational companies added jobs much faster than other U.S. employers in the past two years, but nearly three-fourths of those jobs were overseas.”

It is not 1950 anymore!

The"last time you checked" is not obviously not very recently.

Edited August 25, 2015 by willyumiii

willyumiii · August 25, 2015

You think today's farmers are not educated and have business experience?

Among others, I do have a degree in agriculture, and farming is big business..

konying · August 25, 2015

In that case, with your degree in agriculture, and experience working on the farm you are perfectly fit to run the country

Australia had a pig farmer as a PM for a few years, he did really well(not) Look it up

Edited August 25, 2015 by konying

Scott · August 25, 2015

A post with the reply inside the quote has been removed. It is not allowed:

Forum Netiquette

2. Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes or wording. Such posts will be deleted and the user warned.

Please stay on topic.

willyumiii · August 25, 2015

"Last time i checked, the rich and corporations were the ones employing millions of people and paying millions in taxes."

I guess you have not checked in some time. These are 2014 figures, 2015's are not available yet.

Corporate lobbyists incessantly claim that our corporate tax rate is too high, and that it’s not ‘competitive’ with the rest of the world,” said Robert McIntyre, Director of Citizens for Tax Justice and the report’s lead author. “Our new report shows that both of these claims are false. Most of the biggest companies aren’t paying anywhere near 35 percent of their profits in taxes and far too many aren’t paying U.S. taxes at all. Most multinationals are paying lower tax rates here in the United States than they pay on their foreign operations.”

To address those "millions of taxes paid by U,S, corporations":

.

111 of the companies enjoyed at least one year in which their federal income tax was zero or less.
26 companies, including Boeing, General Electric, Priceline.com and Verizon, enjoyed negative income tax rates over the entire five-year period, despite combined pre-tax profits of $170 billion.
Of the 125 multinational companies in this sample, two-thirds paid a lower U.S. tax rate than the rate they paid to foreign governments on their foreign profits. On average, their foreign effective tax rate was 12 percent larger than their U.S. effective rate.
And as far as employing millions..it should be millions more..
1. U.S. multinationals shifted millions of jobs overseas in the 2000s. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that “U.S. multinational corporations, the big brand-name companies that employ a fifth of all American workers… cut their work forces in the U.S. by 2.9 million during the 2000s while increasing employment overseas by 2.4 million.”
Furthermore, a recent Wall Street Journal analysis showed, “Thirty-five big U.S.-based multinational companies added jobs much faster than other U.S. employers in the past two years, but nearly three-fourths of those jobs were overseas.”

It is not 1950 anymore!

The"last time you checked" is not obviously not very recently.

P.S. I hope this response follows TV Netiquette.

I am from America where we pretend color does not matter.

I am sorry if my red text offended anyone.

I do feel strongly that my response is on topic and it is factual.

Thank you Scott.

konying · August 25, 2015

So SOME did not pay tax for 1 year, how about the other 99 years?

100 or so did not and the other 500?

How many people did these bad companies employ? and how many are still employed?

What happened to cities where these bad companies pulled out from?

What do you think would happen to America, if someone followed your advice and took it away from them to give to the people?

I am sorry to say, but your way of short sighted thinking just proved my point, farmers should not be allowed to run a country

willyumiii · August 25, 2015

I am pretty sure farmers like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson ( educated farmers by the way ) would be rolling over in their graves if they could read your post today!

Jefferson wrote that the Americans should overthrow their government every ten years and replace it, to avoid corruption.

I agree with him.

Jefferson would be heartbroken to see America today.

konying · August 25, 2015

The silliest come back i have heard in a while.

Have you not noticed there is an election every 4 years?

PS, G, Washington was not a farmer but from a family of wealthy planters who owned tobacco plantations with hundreds of slaves

Edited August 25, 2015 by konying

willyumiii · August 25, 2015

Yes, I noticed that every four years you can chose the corporate owned candidate of your choice.

George was a farmer as i am.

We own farms.

We employ others to do the physical labor on the farms.

I did mention that I was an educated farmer, didn't I?

khaowong1 · August 25, 2015

I understand and like a lot of what you are saying, but Bernie is way to far left for me. I personally like Donald Trump. I'm sick of career politicians.

“‘In any bureaucracy, one may expect to find, near the top, a certain percentage of <deleted>,’”

“The trouble with giving people something is that, since they get it for nothing, they tend to consider it worthless. ”

konying · August 25, 2015

Being an owner of the farm and a working farmer is not one of the same, just like a factory owner is not a factory worker and a shop owner is not a sales assistant,

However as i pointed out previously, Australia had a farm owner as a PM and that did not turn out well for the country.

Sorry, i am not into conspiracy theory debates, It is people who vote, no?

SO perhaps take it up with so called "Americans" who keep voting for corporate owned candidates.

Publicus · August 25, 2015

Neither Bernie who has a sound analysis nor Trump who is glib could be trusted in the Oval Office. Each one is too strident in his own way. Bernie is too righteous and Trump is too superficial and trite.

While no one is without weaknesses, HRC and Joe Biden are seasoned, measured or try to be, mature public officials elected by voters that have sized 'em up in campaigns of one kind or another over an extended period of time. Hillary was also an asset to Bill with the general mainstream electorate.

Prez Obama has developed a bond with Joe Biden that is impossible for him to develop with Hillary, and vice-versa.

Jingthing · August 25, 2015

Sanders is not a possibility.

Don't even waste your time considering him. I don't and won't. Never never never. End of story.

As far as Biden running, it seems more likely than not now.

Good!

Publicus · August 25, 2015

Biden is good but would have a steep hill to climb even as sitting vp and even if Prez Obama were subtly supportive.

Just about everyone agrees it's late for Joe to get in, a day late and a dollar short. He'd need to build a national campaign which doesn't happen overnight no matter who or what you are. Raise money to include extraordinary expenses other candidates don't have such as financing Air Force 2 on his campaign trips. Air Force 2 is about twice the size of a typical campaign jet and has twice the entourage to include secret service and a huge press corps.

A lot of Ds want Biden in the race in part because they're bored with Rs getting all the attention. Neither Biden nor Sanders would harp on the emails stuff so that would give HRC an opportunity to talk issues and to speak straight to voters in matters of immediate concern to them. Let the Rs led by the Right meanwhile keep up their vote losing drumbeating of emails, Ben Ghazi and the kitchen sink.

Ds want their own debates with their own candidates and commentators working their way through the issues, which is what a political campaign for prez is. The current disjointed goings on involving HRC on one end of the country and Bernie on the other end of it with lotsa Republican headlines and faces on television in between it all doesn't cut it for most Democrats.

If Biden gets in he'd have to do a lot of scurrying for a period of time and a lot of people who want him in it would not necessarily vote for him. It's just that a lot of Democrats and Independents too want to see a real political campaign in the Democratic party. The MSM would eat it right up and the Democratic party would be back on tv again doing what its supposed to do, every day.

Srikcir · August 25, 2015

A Biden-Warren presidential ticket might be an effective counter to Hillary.

Publicus · August 25, 2015

People don't vote for president four years from now or eight years from now by voting for somebody else for president now. HRC is the now of it which means people can vote for her in this election in the here and now.

One bird in the hand kind of thing.

Throatwobbler · August 25, 2015

Please explain why you think Sanders is not a possibility. Please do this in terms of his electability and in terms of what he would do as a president. Failure to respond shows you are talking mainstream news BS.

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