W.H.: Obama Believes Picking Biden Was a Better Decision than Picking Hillary

KARL: "We had the development that the vice president met with Elizabeth Warren how would the president deal with this if Biden decides to run? You have his current vice president against his former secretary of state?" 

EARNEST: "There's not an insignificant "If" in that question and I think that's what serve interested to find out is what decision the vice president is going to make. The president has indicated his view that the decision that he made I guess seven years ago now to add Biden to the ticket as his running mate was the smartest decision he ever made in politics and I think that should give you some sense of the president's view of Vice President Biden's aptitude for the top job." 

KARL: "I assume that means the president would support Vice President Biden if he were to run? This is obviously a better decision than the secretary of state he chose so -- [ laughter ] You said it was the best decision he'd made." 

EARNEST: "It was. And I think what the is -- the president spoke at quite some length about the appreciation, respect, and admiration he has for the service of Secretary Clinton, particularly in her four years as secretary of State."

KARL: "Just not his best decision." 

EARNEST: "Well, I think all of you and your coverage about the president's comments about Secretary Clinton have noted how warm those comments were. I'll just say the vice president is somebody who has already run for president twice. He's been on a national ticket for two election cycles now, both in 2008 and in the reelection of 2012 so I think you could make the case that there's probably no one in American politics today who has a better understanding of exactly what is required to mount a successful national presidential campaign. That means he'll collect the information he needs to make a decision. He's indicate head would make a decision and announce a decision before the end of the summer so those of us who enjoy the summertime I think would assume that that means he's got another month or here to think about this and announce a decision." 

KARL: "The last thing, will the president remain neutral or -- will you say right now that the president will or will not endorse somebody before the primary is over?" 

EARNEST: "I've been asked this once before and I've indicated the president does plan to vote in the Illinois primary and ultima -- ultimately it's democratic voters who will choose the nominee but I wouldn't speculate about whether or not the president would offer an endorsement." 

KARL: "So there's no possibility he could, say, endorse Joe Biden or endorse Hillary Clinton?" 

EARNEST: "I wouldn't rule out --" 

KARL: "Or Bernie Sanders." 

EARNEST: "Or Bernie Sanders. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of an endorsement."