Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Monday 19 February 2018

Biden, in public and private, tiptoes toward a 2020 run

Biden Center for Diplomacy whether it was "the right He’s also been gearing
and Global Engagement thing to do." "I'm focused up to play a major role
— where many of them are on one thing: electing a campaigning for Demo-
now working, including Co- Democratic Congress to crats seeking to retake
lin Kahl, his vice presiden- stop this erosion of the core the House and Senate in
tial national security ad- of who we are," Biden said. the 2018 midterms. “Don-
viser, and Steve Ricchetti, "I'll look at that a year from ald Trump’s looking out for
his former chief of staff. Eli now. I have plenty of time Donald Trump. Republicans
Ratner, his former deputy to consider whether or not are looking out for Donald
national security adviser, to run." The meeting was Trump. Who’s looking out
and Mike Carpenter, the one of several signs that for everyone else? Demo-
former Pentagon and State Biden is beginning to posi- crats,” Biden wrote in a
Department official who's tion himself as an alterna- recent fundraising pitch
now the center's senior di- tive to Trump. Biden has to the PAC’s supporters.
rector, also attended, as started denouncing the He said in 2018, he would
did Julianne Smith, a Biden current president’s leader- “beat a path all across
In this June 7, 2017 photo, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden
speaks during a conference in Athens. Biden is tiptoeing toward adviser in the Obama ad- ship more frequently in pub- this country to stand up for
a potential run in 2020, even broaching the possibility during a ministration's first term who lic, as he crisscrosses the leaders who will stand up
recent gathering of longtime foreign policy aides. now works at the Center for United States and beyond for all of us.” In 2015, Biden’s
(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) a New American Security, to promote his new book, face was plastered across
a Washington think tank. his cancer initiative, his new cable news channels and
By JOSH LEDERMAN plans for 2020. After all, he A Biden spokesman de- domestic policy institute in newspaper front pages for
WASHINGTON (AP) — For- came close to running last clined to comment. But in a Delaware, the diplomacy months as he carried out a
mer Vice President Joe time only to see President recent NBC News interview, center and his new political lengthy deliberation about
Biden is tiptoeing toward a Donald Trump pull off a vic- Biden said he'd decide on action committee, Ameri- whether to challenge Clin-
potential presidential run in tory that many Democrats running in 2020 based on can Possibilities. ton for the nomination.q
2020, even broaching the openly suggest wouldn't
possibility during a recent have happened had he,
gathering of longtime for- not Hillary Clinton, been
eign policy aides. their nominee. Several peo-
Huddled in his newly ple came away from the
opened office steps from meeting with the impres-
the U.S. Capitol, Biden be- sion that if no strong Demo-
gan a planning meeting for cratic candidate emerges
his new diplomacy center in the next year or so, Biden
by addressing the elephant would feel strongly com-
in the room. He said he pelled to run.
was keeping his 2020 op- A presidential candidate
tions open, considering it a twice before, Biden would
real possibility. He insisted be 78 on Inauguration Day
he had made no decision, if elected in 2020, a con-
and didn't need to yet, ac- cerning prospect for some
cording to five people who Democrats even though
either attended the meet- he's only a few years older
ing or were briefed on it by than Trump. One possibil-
those who did. ity that Biden's longtime
Biden also expressed inter- advisers have discussed
est in bringing those in the privately is that he could
room onto his team if he announce his intention to
decides to launch a cam- serve only one term, clear-
paign. At the same time, ing the path for his running
he gave them an out: There mate to take over in 2024
would be no hard feelings and potentially setting up
if they decided they were Democrats for a 12-year
content in their current White House stretch.
roles outside of govern- Biden's brief discussion
ment, said the people, who about his 2020 deliberations
demanded anonymity to came as he brought for-
discuss a private meeting. eign policy staffers togeth-
The political world has long er to set the 2018 agenda
tried to game out Biden's for the newly opened Penn