Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaigners are reportedly lobbing subtle "warning shots" as Vice President Joe Biden considers whether to launch a White House bid.
According to
Politico, surrogates for the front-running Democratic candidate are suggesting Biden would be out of touch with the party's progressive wing, and are questioning both his chances and political strength.
Even the candidate herself took a shot during her defense last week in New Hampshire of a failed 2001 vote on a controversial bankruptcy bill that was co-sponsored by Biden.
"So I negotiated … changes and then the people who had been handling the bill said, 'Well if we take your changes you have to support it.'"
The Wall Street Journal quoted Clinton's remarks to a New Hampshire voter.
"And it was Vice President Biden who was the senator from Delaware and the Republican co-sponsor that I was talking with, so I said I'd support it even though I'd opposed it before."
Politico reports that was followed by her campaign chair John Podesta "sprinkling a little of his own shade in front of the pro-Clinton Priorities super PAC in New York," suggesting it was already too late for Biden to jump in the race, and that he wasn't even expected to decide for another few weeks.
Some Biden allies feel like he's being "goaded into a run," Politico reports.
"Because of the personal tragedy and because he is beloved by the president and because he is beloved by so many staffers on both sides, they are super sensitive to doing anything that even whiffs of attacking him," an unnamed source tells Politico.
Still, campaigners are wary of a Biden challenge, with another unnamed source telling Politico, "I think it's pretty clear that they're concerned about it."
As for Biden, he's been critical of Clinton himself — in private, Politico reports.
Quoting unnamed sources, Politico reports Biden "has privately expressed surprise at how poorly Clinton's handled the questions over her email server," and "talked at length about how she'll only divide the country more."
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