Biden campaign to super PAC: Don’t attack other Democrats

Las Vegas — Following days of criticism over an apparent softening of his stance toward super PACs, former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign warned a newly formed independent entity not to attack Biden’s Democratic competitors.

“Our campaign would be extremely frustrated if the super PAC was used to attack other Democrats,” Biden’s campaign manager Greg Schultz told reporters Tuesday.

The new pro-Biden super PAC, named Unite The Country, was registered with the Federal Election Commission on Monday.

Biden has denied changing his opinion over whether he would welcome the assistance of super PACs, which allow for backers to spend unlimited sums to boost a candidate. Federal law prohibits super PACs from coordinating directly with campaigns.

“The super PAC was not encouraged. It was not discouraged. And the reality is Trump does not want to run against Joe Biden. He’s spending $10 million to date against him,” said Schultz.

Donations to the former vice president have lagged millions short of the mammoth hauls posted by rivals Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

“Our campaign was at a disadvantage in that Joe Biden didn’t walk in with his own email list. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, in particular, has built their email list at a national level for years and years with millions and millions and millions of dollars of investment,” said Schultz.

Despite the fundraising gap, the Biden campaign has insisted he has sufficient funds to compete through Super Tuesday.

“I say the first four states are about momentum. We need some momentum, we don’t need all momentum, because we have math on our side,” says Schultz.

Even as recent polls have shown the former vice president’s support eroding in some of the first four states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — Biden has begun to ramp up his Super Tuesday operation.

Based on their analysis of current support for the former vice president, the campaign claims Biden is the only candidate poised to collect delegates “in every congressional district.”

“Everybody would love to win all four. But our path is in the math. And our math is based on a broad coalition that Joe Biden has a history of building and keeping,” Schultz explained.

Schultz spoke with reporters during a visit to Nevada, where the former vice president has hired some 40 staffers and opened five offices. Also in the state Tuesday is Cory Booker’s campaign manager Addisu Demissie, who is headlining an office opening in northern Nevada.

Bo Erickson contributed reporting.