WSJ: Biden edges closer to running

WSJ (yes, we all know who owns it) with the latest:

Vice President Joe Biden’s aides in recent days called Democratic donors and supporters to suggest he is more likely than not to enter the 2016 race, and their discussions have shifted toward the timing of an announcement, said people familiar with the matter.

While the Biden team is still debating the best time to jump in, the vice president met Monday with his political advisers and talked about the merits of an early entry that would assure him a place in the Democratic debate scheduled for Oct. 13. They also are honing his campaign message and moving ahead with plans to raise money and hire staff, the people said.

The vice president could still back out if he finds the emotional toll from the death of his elder son, Beau Biden, too much to overcome. But the shift in the deliberations to the timing of an announcement is a fresh sign that he is moving closer to a bid.

“It’s my sense that this is happening, unless they change their minds,” said one person who spoke to Biden aides last weekend....

The vice president’s team of advisers are still honing what would be his campaign message: That after inheriting a brutal economic recession, President Barack Obama has had a successful run, and Mr. Biden would keep the U.S. on the same trajectory.

The article also suggests that some Biden advisers/supporters want to wait until after Clinton's October 22 congressional testimony to decide whether to run, but (a) don't want to miss out on the the October 13 debate, and (b) fear this would backfire if the VP would "appear to be opportunistically hovering in case Mrs. Clinton stumbles."