Hillary Clinton repeatedly mentioned Vice President Joe Biden’s opposition to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden during a speech in Atlanta, marking the first time she’s directly engaged her potential Democratic rival in a public setting since leaving the State Department, according to an account in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Her remarks at the National Association of Convenience Stores were relayed to the newspaper by a Republican state lawmaker, who is now convinced Clinton is running for president in 2016.
No ears reported any mention of whatever 2016 ambitions Clinton might have. But state Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Dunwoody, said the former first lady dropped a huge hint. “I know she’s running for president now, because toward the end, she was asked about the Osama bin Laden raid. She took 25 minutes to answer,” Taylor said. “Without turning the knife too deeply, she put it to [Vice President Joe] Biden.”
Time and time again, Taylor said, Clinton mentioned the vice president’s opposition to the raid, while characterizing herself and Leon Panetta, then director of the Central Intelligence Agency, as the action’s most fierce advocates.
For Clinton to place herself firmly in the corner of the raid advocates makes sense, given she was asked the question. What’s surprising and a bit perplexing is why she felt the need to tweak Biden repeatedly, if Taylor’s interpretation is accurate.
National and early state polling has consistently shown she flies 50-points ahead of the vice president and most Democrats believe Biden will ultimately take a pass at the race if Hillary is a go.
Perhaps this is a preview of a more aggressive Clinton, one who is unwilling to take anything for granted after her searing 2008 experience. Or maybe it was an opening shot across the bow to Biden and his team, who back in August, appeared to pitch the Wall Street Journal on a piece positing he could defeat Clinton.
The piece seemed to be more about reaching for a 2016-scoop than laying out a compelling rationale.
But Hillary’s remarks in Atlanta could be interpreted as the retort: Good luck with that Joe. Batter up.
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