Stephen Colbert had a touching interview with Joe Biden last night:
Biden, who has run for president twice, has been taking a closer-than-expected look at a 2016 presidential bid against front-runner Hillary Clinton, whose poll numbers have slumped under the weight of controversy over the private email server she used as secretary of state. The vice president has been calling allies and Democratic donors as he feels out a bid.
But Biden has also said he and his family may not be up to the challenge in light of the death of his son, Beau, from cancer in late May. Aides to the vice president say his feelings and grieving vary day to day.
Biden told Colbert that "nobody has a right in my view to seek that [presidency] unless they're willing to give it 110 percent."
"And I am — as I said I'm optimistic, I'm positive about where we're going," Biden continued. "But I find myself — you understand it — sometimes it just overwhelms you."
The vice president went on to recount a recent visit to a military base in Denver where he met a group of military families. "And all of a sudden — it's going great — and a guy in the back yells 'Major Beau Biden, Bronze Star, sir, served with him in Iraq.' And all of a sudden I lost it," Biden said. "How could you … I shouldn't be saying this — you can't do that."
