Joe Biden vetting former Dem presidential rival Amy Klobuchar as potential VP running mate
SENATOR Amy Klobuchar has been asked by Joe Biden to undergo vetting to be considered as his vice presidential running mate, according to reports.
Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, is one of several contenders set to be scrutinized before the former vice president makes his decision in the coming months.
Biden became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in November after Senator Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign .
A senior Biden aid told the process of sending out vetting requests from potential running mates, like Klobuchar, "is underway."
A CBS News poll also asked registered democratic voters who Biden should consider for VP, with Elizabeth Warren coming out on top with an approval score of 71 percent.
Meanwhile, Klobuchar, who Biden strongly praised for her strong debate performances during primary season, received 49 percent approval.
Klobuchar, 59, gave her support to Biden after she and other candidates dropped out just before March's Super Tuesday primaries.
This backing came at a crucial time for the form vice president, as it helped Biden win Klobuchar's home state of Minnesota, boosting his lead in the race to become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.
MULTI-WEEK REVIEW
If Klobuchar and others consent to the vetting, they will then undergo a multi-week review of their professional and private lives.
This scrutinization will be undertaken by a trusted group of Biden associates and will include reviewing the likes of tax returns, voting records and public speeches – as well as anything scandalous in an individual's past.
Biden previously committed to selecting a woman Vice President were he to become party's nominee for the 2020 presidential battle with Donald Trump.
The 77-year-old is expected to take advice from former President Barack Obama, who tapped Biden up to become his VP in 2008.
Recently Biden said: "I need someone who's going to be, as Barack said, 'simpatico with me,' who is a real partner in progress and is ready to be president on a moment's notice.
"There are a lot of women out there with the experience to do that job."
On Thursday, Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show, asked if Amy Klobuchar is on his shortlist.
Biden replied, "Amy’s first rate, don’t get me wrong," but when pressed on whether she was first on his list, the former vice president replied: "Well, I’m not getting into that."
DROPPING HINTS
Many female politicians have dropped hints that they are either in the mix or would like to be considered over recent days.
According to , Maggie Hassan, a Democratic senator from New Hampshire, has already agreed to be vetted.
Hassan's fellow New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen took a different approach, however, bowing out as a potential contender to focus on her own Senate reelection, according to reports.
Val Demings, a House Democrat of Florida, said in : "I am on the short list and I'm honored to be on the short list.
"If Vice President Biden asked me to serve along with him, I would be honored to do just that."
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Other names to be mentioned have included New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois.
Senator Kamala Harris of California, former Georgia lawmaker Stacey Abrams, and former national security adviser Susan Rice are also being pushed for by African-American leaders close to Biden, according to reports.
Biden has said that he hopes the "veepstakes," as the process is known, will be completed by July.
