Obama Suggests Republican Successor Would Continue Some of his Policies

Vice President Joe Biden said he wouldn’t do a thing differently if he decides to shoot for the White House, while President Obama suggested that a Republican victor would continue some of his policies.

Obama and Biden went on the road together yesterday to promote job training at a New York community college.

When CBS asked whether a 2016 run would alter what Biden is doing for the president, the veep responded, “There is nothing I would do differently.”

“If I absolutely knew I wasn’t going to run or I absolutely knew I was, there’s nothing I’d do differently over the next seven, eight, ten months. We have a very important job to do. The president and his agenda is one I strongly believe in, and we have upcoming elections in 2014,” Biden said.

“If I decide to run, believe me, this would be the first guy I talk to. But that decision hasn’t been made, for real. And there’s plenty of time to make that. We have a lot of work to do between now and November.”

Obama lauded Biden as “somebody who I think will go down as one of the finest vice presidents in history,” while also giving some kudos to Hillary Clinton.

“He has been, as I said earlier, a great partner in everything that I do. I suspect that there may be other potential candidates for 2016 who have been great friends and allies. I know that we’ve got an extraordinary secretary of State who did great service for us and worked with me and Joe to help make the country safer,” he said.

“Whoever the Democratic standard bearer is is going to continuing to focus on jobs, making sure that our kids are getting a great education, making sure that we’re rebuilding prosperity from the middle class out in this country. And I am very much interested in making sure that some of the stuff that we’ve gotten started continues.”

When asked if that meant supporting someone who would essentially continue a third term for the Obama presidency, Obama interjected, “Oh, I don’t want to start — I don’t want to necessarily jam them up.”

“We all are a part of this relay race, whether we’re vice presidents, presidents. You know, the truth is that we build off of what folks have done previously. And in some cases that includes, by the way, Republican presidents. That’s the beauty of democracy. It keeps on evolving,” he continued.

“And I’m sure that there are going to be some things that, whoever the next president is, want to continue. There are going to be some things I’m sure they want to do differently. But the trajectory, hopefully, is going to continue to be one in which we’re broadening opportunity for every American.”