Biden holding on to Obama legacy but ex-president and aides keep distance

The former vice president has from the start built his campaign brand around the work of the administration he helped lead. But it’s a theme he’s hitting even harder, as his Democratic presidential primary rivals call him out for his past stances on civil rights issues and his less-than-tactful comments in recent days on race and other sensitive matters.

Biden repeatedly invoked former President Barack Obama during last Thursday’s debate when discussing issues including health care, immigration and climate change — taking a stand against those pushing “Medicare-for-all” by insisting that ObamaCare is the best building block for health care reform.

Last month, Biden’s Twitter account even shared an image of “Joe” and “Barack” friendship bracelets, a throwback to when he first posted the picture in honor of Obama’s 55th birthday in 2016.