Report: Biden Himself Told Maureen Dowd About His Son’s Dying Wish For ’16

Democratic vice presidential candidate, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., front, is seen with his son Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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The details of Maureen Dowd’s Aug. 1 New York Times column recounting the dying wish of Beau Biden that his father Joe Biden run for President came from the vice president himself, according to a Politico report.

Anonymous sources close to Biden told Politico the vice president conveyed the anecdote in what the article called a “trial balloon.” The column kicked off renewed speculation about a Biden candidacy.

Beau died of brain cancer in May.

Though Biden and his allies have largely framed his decision whether to run in emotional terms, the sources tell Politico that Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers, timing and other pragmatic matters have been taken into account as well.

“Calculation sort of sounds crass, but I guess that’s what it is,” a Biden source told Politico. “The head is further down the road than the heart is.”

Biden is expected to announce his decision in the days to come, CBS News reported.

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Notable Replies

  1. I’m a huge Biden supporter, but I draw the line at Maureen Dowd.

  2. I hope this isn’t true, because the idea of using your recently deceased son as a political prop is just really nauseating.

  3. Grief has people do odd things. That said, leaking this kind of story (if, in fact, he did) to someone who has spent every day since Bill Clinton’s Presidency trying to destroy the Clintons is unfortunate, to say the least.

  4. He may have been in an emotional state and not thinking about his popular image 3 steps ahead. Being judgmental about such a person is also…what was your adjective?

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