Was Biden’s Chief of Staff a Turncoat?

How about this for “House of Cards” level political intrigue: Vice President Joe Biden’s Chief of Staff, Steve Ricchetti, once worked in the Clinton administration as a Deputy Chief of Staff. Did his connection to the Clintons morph him into a turncoat who influenced Biden’s decision to call off his presidential bid?

Earlier in the week Biden appeared on the brink of joining the Democrat presidential derby. He enjoyed support from many Democrats and actually polled better than frontrunner Hillary Clinton, who is feverishly trying to cleanse herself of the Benghazi scandal as well as potential criminal charges for conducting State Department business on a private e-mail server.

According to DCWhispers.com, Ricchetti implored his boss to not take on the Clinton war machine.

“By morning the following day, he is said to have grimly agreed to the suggestions of a high-ranking adviser who warned the Clintons were “fully prepared and willing” to utterly destroy Joe Biden’s “past, present, and future.” — DCWhispers.com

Riccehetti is a well-known figure around Washington. He parlayed his Clinton experience into the formation of Ricchetti Inc., yet another government lobbying outfit. Despite Barack Obama’s promise to keep lobbyists out of the White House, Ricchetti ended up on Biden’s staff.

Who can forget this stirring Obama moment? “[Lobbyists] Will Not Run My White House, And They Will Not Drown Out The Voices Of The American People When I’m President.” (Ault Park Pavilion, Cincinnati, OH, 10/9/08)

Ricchetti served as a bundler for Hillary’s 2008 campaign for president. He also lobbied for General Motors.

Here’s some background from a since-deleted page detailing Ricchetti’s background: “Steve pairs his knowledge of government with extensive corporate experience. In eight years, he has built Ricchetti, Inc. into one of the most successful and respected boutique government relations firms in Washington.” (Midwest Gateway Partners, Accessed 3/5/12) — Source GOP.com

DCWhispers.com speculates Ricchetti might’ve been coordinating with the Clinton weeks in advance of his pow-wow with Biden.

Rumors are now swirling that Ricchetti was actually coordinating with the Clintons weeks before Biden’s announced decision today that he would not not be seeking the presidency. This has led to further speculation that Mr. Ricchetti might find himself the beneficiary of a powerful position within a Hillary Clinton administration in the not too distant future as reward for a job well done.

If true, it is yet further evidence that when it comes to political warfare, Joe Biden was sorely outmatched by a Clinton Machine that has spent the last five decades plunging the political knife deep into the backs of its opponents time and time again.

The Clinton machine comes equipped with skullduggery. None of this should come as a surprise as the nation’s most well-known power couple will do anything they can to move back into the White House.