Here’s Why The Political World Is Abuzz About Sen. Kamala Harris

Once Biden’s Democratic primary rival who gained a sizable but fleeting polling bump by excoriating him at a debate last June over busing and segregation, Harris has become his outspoken ally and frequent surrogate since dropping out in December.

Biden pledged in March to name a woman as his VP, and Harris has widely been seen as leading Biden’s shortlist, with George Floyd protests in June heightening demand among Democrats for a Black nominee.

Recent signs have emerged seemingly solidifying Harris’s status as the favorite, most notably an AP photo of Biden’s notepad, with notes under Harris’s name reading, “Do not hold grudges,” “Campaigned with me & Jill,” “Talented,” “Great help to campaign,” and “Great respect for her.”

But some within Biden’s inner circle reportedly don’t share his enchantment with Harris; according to an anonymously-sourced report from Politico, former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), a member of Biden’s VP search committee, told a Biden donor that Harris “laughed and said, ‘that’s politics.’” and “had no remorse,” when confronted about her clash with Biden over busing.

Florida businessman and Biden bundler John Morgan expressed concerns to CNBC that Harris would be “running for president the day of the inauguration,” adding, “For me loyalty and friendship should mean something. But as Bill Clinton once told me, the number one cause of Alzheimer’s is ambition.”