Vice President Joe Biden cracked a joke Tuesday that could be interpreted as a shot at Hillary Clinton.
"If I don’t move, I’ll be demoted to secretary of state or something like that," Biden said at a White House summit.
"That’s a joke," Biden added moments later, pointing to the press corps.
If so, it is a joke at the expense of a potential rival, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Biden is mulling a presidential bid in light of Clinton’s soft poll numbers and expanding email controversy.
Biden’s final decision about whether or not to jump into the race could come this weekend.
Reports are mixed about which way Biden is leaning, but news items like these are sure to stoke speculation. Initial speculation about Biden’s 2016 candidacy was encouraged by Biden himself, Politico reported Monday.
A Biden campaign would likely emphasize the vice president’s trustworthiness and positive demeanor while matching Clinton’s track record blow-for-blow.
Biden has jokes, but the Clinton campaign has tricks of their own. Reports indicate that Clinton proxies are in the middle of a quiet campaign to discourage Biden from entering the race.
Correct the Record, a pro-Clinton group created by Clinton hatchet man David Brock, has been collating an opposition research file based on Biden’s career in public service, which included two failed runs for president.
News outlets, possibly coaxed by opposition research dumps from Clinton-affiliated groups, have raised concerns about Biden’s commitment to progressive issues like feminism and abortion rights.
The Clinton campaign has denied that it is working to undermine a potential Biden candidacy.