White House Denies Biden-Clinton VP Swap for 2012.
BANFIELD: Welcome back to "Legal View." I'm Ashleigh Banfield. Fascinating new details from one of Washington's inner-most circles. According to "Double Down," a new book due out next week, President Obama's top aides prepped for the 2012 election by putting all options on the table, including considering replacing Joe Biden with Hillary Clinton on the ticket. Details from senior White House correspondent, Brianna Keilar.</s>BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the spotlight, a president united with his vice president the year before his re-election.</s>OBAMA: My outstanding vice president, Joe Biden, is here.</s>KEILAR: But behind the scenes, with Obama's prospects for a second term in doubt, top aides reportedly considered replacing Biden within Hillary Clinton on the 2012 ticket.</s>ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, A.C. 360: How serious were they looking into having Hillary Clinton be the vice president?</s>JONATHAN MARTIN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Well, it was serious enough that it was intentionally polled in focus groups.</s>COOPER: Is it possible the president didn't know about that, about them polling and doing focus groups.</s>MARTIN: Very much possible.</s>COOPER: Really? That's interesting.</s>MARTIN: Joe Biden didn't know, certainly.</s>KEILAR: According to "The New York Times," that's one of the explosive revelations in the new book "Double Down," where the authors, Mark Halperin (ph) and John Hylaman (ph), say Biden had dodged a bullet he never saw coming and never would know anything about if the Obamians could keep a secret.</s>MARTIN: It was only known by about a half dozen of the top Obama senior advisors.</s>KEILAR: Including then-chief of staff, Bill Daley.</s>MARTIN: He totally confirmed, reporting in the book, saying that he thought it was his due diligence as chief of staff to at least explore the possibility of what Hillary Clinton on the ticket would mean for President Obama in 2012.</s>KEILAR: Despite Clinton's popularity, Biden stayed on the ticket.</s>MARTIN: They concluded after this polling and focus groups that she wouldn't add a substantial effect. She would have helped but not so much that it was worth dumping Biden.</s>KEILAR: Obama's 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe, who worked in the White House in 2011, denied the report, tweeting, "Never any, any consideration of V.P., HRC switch. Not even entertained by the only person who mattered or most of us." Another bombshell in the book, the Romney/Ryan ticket was almost a Romney-Christie ticket. The New Jersey governor was on Mitt Romney's short list of running mates not once but --</s>MARTIN: Twice.</s>COOPER: And the reasons -- it didn't go much farther.</s>MARTIN: Yeah, well, he had Christie on the first short list. He then crosses his name off because he's leaning towards Paul Ryan.</s>KEILAR: Romney's advisors pressured him to reconsider Chris Christie. In the end there were two obstacles. Christie couldn't keep his day job and also fundraise due to New Jersey law. And, the book says, he wasn't as forthcoming in the vetting process as other candidates.</s>BANFIELD: And Brianna Keilar joins us live now from the White House. How are the people in the House behind you reacting today to this, Brianna?</s>KEILAR: Well, they're sort of downplaying it. First, let me tell you, I don't know, you can probably hear some of the noise behind me. Those are protesters outside the White House. Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al Malaki, will be here visiting with President Obama. These are protester who's allege the Iraqi government was involved in an attack that killed Iranian dissidents north of Baghdad. That's what's going on here. But inside the House, they are recanting to news of this book, and they say -- they're not saying it didn't happen. First, we should say that, but they are downplaying how important this is. Listen to what Jay Carney said on CNN.</s>JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I know for a fact that President Obama never considered this, never thought about it, never entertained it. The vice president has been a partner of his from the 2008 campaign on. He's been an excellent governing partner and an excellent campaign partner. So you know, again, campaigns test everything. But as the book itself says, this was never considered by the president.</s>KEILAR: And the former chief of staff, Ashleigh, Bill Daley, he also is downplaying it, although, as you heard, he did confirm that this happened. So I think it's sort of fascinating and certainly not something that I would say those close to President Obama really wanted to get out there.</s>BANFIELD: I would say you're right, especially Joe Biden.</s>KEILAR: You, too.</s>BANFIELD: Enjoy your weekend. Well deserved. Coming up next, a man goes on a hike in July. He was attacked by a bear and left for dead. And that hiker was found just this week, three months later, alive, but just hours from starving to death. An amazing story of survival coming next.