Daily US Times: Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden is entering the final month of his search for a running mate. But the process is now heavily influenced by a national reckoning on racism after the death of George Floyd, as his search committee pores over records and conducts interviews before presenting a list of finalists to the former vice president.
The search is being conducted under strict secrecy, with many longtime Biden friends, most campaign aides and donors intentionally kept in the dark.
CNN reported citing more than a dozen people close to the Biden search process who believe that four of the leading prospects are Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Rep. Val Demings of Florida, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Rep. Jim Clyburn, a top Democrat in the House with deep ties to the Biden campaign, said: “The whole way that (issues of race) have come to fro is having a real, serious impact on the search.”
“You can do a search in order to check a box or you can do a search to get a running mate. I think this search is going to be genuine about getting a running mate rather than checking a box.”
According to people involved in the process, separate teams of lawyers assigned to each of the contenders are nearing the closing stages of reviewing three distinct types of records — medical, financial and written – in their background checks. Sources told CNN that members of the search committee have done extensive interviews with several candidates, but Biden is not likely to sit down with finalists until mid-to-late July. His VP announcement expected in early August.
A Democratic official involved in the process said: “The colonoscopy of the vetting is now occurring.”
The search is a dynamic one, though, which has evolved significantly from when it started, and sources caution that it could change again as the vetting intensifies. The goal is to have an array of options for Biden, particularly if an early favorite runs into complications.
Susan Rice, the former Obama administration national security adviser, is being thoroughly vetted, two people familiar with the matter say. Same happened with Rep. Karen Bass of California, who was strongly recommended to Biden by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Bass “is being vetted”, Clyburn confirmed.
Sen Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin are also among a broader tier under consideration.
The nationwide protests in response to racism against black Americans and multiple deaths of Black men and women at the hands of police have altered at least some of the potential candidates for Vice President.
“In the past month or so, we have seen a real and meaningful change in public opinion on racial issues and policing in a way that impacts the calculus of this,”
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