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Obama considered replacing Biden with Hillary Clinton, says new book

President Obama’s top aides considered replacing Vice President Joe Biden with Hillary Clinton in the run-up to the 2012 election, a new book reveals. NBC News has confirmed that that then-Chief of Staff Bill Daley conducted polls to see how voters would react, but learned that it wouldn’t impact Obama’s chances of getting elected.Obama’s political adviser denied the claim on social media
Image: US-WOMEN-AWARDS-CLINTON
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden stand on stage at the end of the Vital Voices Global Awards ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington on April 2, 2013. The event honors \"women leaders from around the world who are the unsung heroines to strengthen democracy, increase economic opportunity, and protect human rights,\" according to the group's website. AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMMNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty ImagesNicholas Kamm / TODAY

President Obama’s top aides considered replacing Vice President Joe Biden with Hillary Clinton in the run-up to the 2012 election, a new book reveals. 

NBC News has confirmed that that then-Chief of Staff Bill Daley conducted polls to see how voters would react, but learned that it wouldn’t impact Obama’s chances of getting elected.

Obama’s political adviser denied the claim on social media Thursday:

Never+any+-+any+-+consideration+of+VP/HRC+switch.+Not+even+entertained+by+the+only+person+who+mattered.+Or+most+of+us.+Back+to+Halloween.

—+David+Plouffe+(@davidplouffe)+October+31,+2013+


Clinton also denied that that there was any chance she would be vice president, telling Savannah Guthrie in a 2011 interview that it wasn’t “even in the realm of possibility.”

In addition, White House press secretary Jay Carney said that "the president never considered that and had anyone brought that idea to him, he would have laughed it out of the room ... Joe Biden has been an asset to this president in two campaigns and throughout five years of this administration."

But the Obama campaign did shut Biden out of strategy sessions, Andrea Mitchell reported on TODAY Friday, after he endorsed same-sex marriage on “Meet the Press” before a planned announcement by the president.

The reveal comes from authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann in their new book “Double Down,” the follow-up to their account of the 2008 election, “Game Change,” which shared a range of insider information — from Sarah Palin’s private meltdown to John Edward’s public missteps — and was also turned into an HBO film.

“Double Down,” which goes on sale Tuesday, also reveals some friction between President Obama and President Bill Clinton, saying that Obama told an aide “I like him … in doses,” a sentiment Obama was forced to swallow when he turned to the former president for help after his disastrous first presidential debate in 2012.

In addition, the authors claim that while presidential candidate Mitt Romney thought about choosing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as his running mate, Christie was not forthright about his past work as a lobbyist and his medical history.

"The Garden State governor's background was littered with potential land mines," the authors wrote. 

On Friday, Christie reacted to the revelations, telling NBC New York reporter Brian Thompson, "It's two guys trying to sell books. Everything that's in the book has been out, [and] was vetted in the campaign four years ago. I wish them Godspeed trying to sell as many books as they can. Anybody who wants to sell a book puts my name in it, so that's fine.

"I have a great relationship with the Romneys and the campaign..." Christie added, saying he'd comment further once he's read the book.

The Romney camp issued a statement Thursday saying that Christie did indeed comply with all requests and did share his medical reports. 

Tune in to TODAY Monday, when authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann will be on live to discuss the book.