Joe Biden: 'Window has closed' on presidential bid

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Vice President Joe Biden announced Wednesday he will not seek a bid for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president but insists he will remain out front on important issues in the upcoming race.

Biden, 72, said he took time to consider a run after his son Beau, 46, died of brain cancer this summer. His son's death took an emotional toll on him and his family. After months of deliberating with his family and political advisors, Biden decided a run was not in his near future.

Flanked by President Barack Obama and his wife Jill Biden, the vice president made the announcement in the Rose Garden at the White House

"While I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent," Biden said. "I intend to speak out clearly and forcefully to influence as much as I can where we stand as a party and where we need to go as a nation."

While he was given time to make up his mind, the pressure has been mounting in the past weeks for a decision. At the same time, he was up against looming deadlines to appear on primary ballots and had already missed one Democratic debate.

"I've said time and again to others, by the time we get through this, this closes the window on mounting a realistic campaign for president. I've concluded it has closed," he said.

Biden, in his announcement that at times sounded more like a stump speech, outlined areas of particular concern, including the "petty, mean-spirited" divide between Republicans and Democrats, racial injustice and curing cancer.

"We need to cure cancer. It's personal, but I know we can do this," he said. "There are so many breakthroughs just on the horizon in science and medicine. We can make them real."

He added there must be reforms in education to allow all students attend college, not just those who can afford it.

"We need to commit to 16 years of free public education for our children. We all know that 12 years of public education is not enough," he said. "Let's make the same commitment to a college education that we made to a high school education 100 years ago"

Biden added his whole family "found purpose in public life" and are not ready to cast it aside.

"So we intend -- the whole family, not just me -- we intend to spend the next 15 months fighting for what we've always cared about, what my family's always cared about, with every ounce of our being and working aside the president and members of Congress and our future nominee. I am absolutely certain we are fully capable of accomplishing extraordinary things."

Biden's decision bolsters Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's standing for the Democratic nomination.