SCRANTON -- We could soon know if Scranton's native son and current vice president Joe Biden will make a bid for the White House.
According to published reports, that announcement could happen when Biden returns from vacation next week.
For Tom Bell, the pictures hanging in his downtown Scranton office aren't just photo-ops with him and the vice resident of the United States; these are pictures of Bell and his longtime childhood friend Joe Biden, whom he grew up with in Scranton's Green Ridge section.
“Virtually everyone I know really likes the guy, you can't find a bad word about him, because people in Scranton know him, know him well, I know him very well and I can tell you he's a wonderful guy,” said Bell.
Though Biden moved from Scranton in 1953 at age 10, Bell says never he forgot his friends here in Scranton and Bell's hoping to see Biden make a bid for the White House.
“He's very well liked here as you can imagine. Over the years, he's been here for many social and civic and political occasions and he's received so well,” said Bell.
But Bell said one of the reasons Biden may not run for president is his family, especially after the loss of Biden's son Beau just two months ago.
“This one here was really, really a devastation to him, I was there and it was tough.”
But if Biden does run, it will pit him against another Democratic presidential candidate with ties to Scranton. Hillary Clinton's father lived and is buried in the Electric City.
Christopher Patrick, chairman of the Lackawanna County Democratic Committee says having both Clinton and Biden in a presidential race would be great for area democrats.
“I think a Hillary/Biden match up would be an incredible match up and I think it would be great for Pennsylvania, especially northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Patrick.
Biden has not said exactly when he will make an official decision, only that one will be made by the end of the summer.
