OBAMA READY TO ENDORSE BIDEN—WITH CONDITIONS

The talk in Democratic Party circles is that Barack Obama has told Joe Biden that he is prepared to endorse him for president if, in return, Biden promises to let Obama have a final say in the choice of his vice presidential running mate.

According to these Democratic sources, Biden is mulling over the president’s conditional offer of support.

In addition, there is speculation among top Democratic sources that Obama has another quid pro quo for his endorsement: he wants Biden to choose an African American as his vice presidential running mate.

In this scenario, which Obama has not yet fully explained to Biden, Biden would promise to serve only one term in the White House, after which he would back his vice president to succeed him.

As Biden’s vice president, Obama is said to favor former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, a close Obama ally who is the first and only African American to have served as governor of the Bay State.

Obama has already given Biden carte blanche to use Air Force Two, the official vice presidential plane, to crisscross the country and launch an unofficial campaign.

So far, Biden has visited several key primary and general election states and hammered GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, charging that Trump is offering a “sick message” on immigration.

Biden has also courted the Jewish vote, hinting that he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

With Obama’s blessing, Biden appeared on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” where he discussed his son Beau’s death from brain cancer and came across as an authentic alternative to the stiff and overly scripted Hillary Clinton.