Meanwhile, Joe Biden quietly gathers pebbles

Joe Biden for president in 2016?  He's a dream candidate - for Republicans.  Gaffe-tastic, needlessly verbose, goofy-looking and sounding; what's not to embrace for conservatives as the opposition candidate in the person of one Joe Biden?  Yet he keeps plodding along in an effort to win himself the White House in 2016.  The prohibitive favorite, Hillary Clinton is running circles around him in terms of support, but being #2 is a good place to be if the front-runner suffers a major gaffe and falters.  So Joe, continues collecting the support pebbles he can, and surprisingly, one comes from a source pretty darn close to Hillary Clinton.

Via NY Daily News:

Former President Clinton has warm words for his wife’s most likely rival for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.

In an interview Tuesday with CNN en Español, Clinton praised Vice President Joe Biden, who is rumored to be considering a 2016 bid, and pledged to support him if he ended up with the nomination.

“If he runs and he's the nominee, I'll try to help him win. I think the world of him,” Clinton said.

“I've known him for years and years and I have a very high opinion of him. I care a great deal about him and I think he's done a good job for the President and the country.”

Obviously that's the correct thing for Bill Clinton to say politically (as opposed to politically correct).  Bill Clinton has no illusion that Hillary won't be the Democrats' nominee in 2016.  But should she falter, he's just indicated who he sees as the number two choice, or perhaps Hillary's VP selection that he can help keep out of the way while he (Bill) personally assumes the #2 spot via association.

President Obama meanwhile, has offered a more seemingly neutral tone:

There's no way President Obama is going to get between Vice President Biden and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

When MSNBC's Chris Matthews asked Obama on Thursday to "compare and contrast" Biden and Clinton -- both of whom are pondering 2016 White House bids -- the current president had a quick non-answer.

"Not a chance am I going there," Obama said.

Obama did say that "both Hillary and Joe would make outstanding presidents, and possess the qualities that are needed to be outstanding presidents."

His assessment of his vice president:

"I think Joe Biden will go down in history as one of the best vice presidents ever. And he has been with me, at my side, in every tough decision that I've made -- from going after (Osama) bin Laden to dealing with the health care issues to, you name it, he's been there."

The second last sentence, indicating what Obama really thinks of Biden. I'm not sure how the president could say that with a straight face, but if he really means it, it's actually more frightening than Obama being diplomatic for a personal ally. Either that or Obama is already formulating his own version of "Miss Me Yet?" with an ersatz president behind him. After all, in terms of terribleness as president, Obama will be hard to beat.  Nevertheless, for Biden it's another pebble to add to his collection.