(Via AoSHQ) Beau Biden looked at the calendar, looked at the actuarial tables, and decided to wait until 2014.

Delaware attorney general Beau Biden announced Monday that he will not seek election to the U.S. Senate seat once held by his father, Vice President Joe Biden.

The younger Biden told supporters in an e-mail that he will run for re-election as attorney general rather than seek the Senate seat his father held for 36 years.

Biden’s decision comes on the heels of a GOP upset in Massachusetts last week that ended the Democrats’ filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. It leaves veteran Republican congressman and former two-term governor Mike Castle, one of the most successful politicians in Delaware history, still waiting for a Democratic opponent.

I’m translating, mind you. Also, I’m not really surprised.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

Update: The Wilmington News Journal has now corrected their story based on a statement from the Vice President. According to Biden, he did not ask the columnist to encourage his son Beau to run; he asked the columnist to encourage senator Ted Kaufman to run - assuming that Beau elected to forego a race.

As Ed notes, if anything, this correction seems to suggest it’s more likely that Beau will not run.

For months now, politicos in DC and Delaware have been waiting for confirmation that there would be closely-fought, high-stakes battle for Joe Biden’s Senate seat. Congressman Mike Castle was seen as the only Republican with a prayer of taking the seat. The entry of Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden - son of the Vice President - would set up a high-profile battle that the whole nation would watch.

The only problem is that Biden has so far refused to jump in. Delaware Democrats are growing worried, because there’s really no ‘Plan B’ if Beau doesn’t run. And based on his father’s comments today, it sounds like Delaware Democrats may be out of luck:

Our conversation ended with a surprising request from the vice president as he hurried off to a national security meeting. Spontaneously, he turned to the possible Delaware senatorial campaign of his son Beau.

Biden: “If you run into Beau, talk him into running; he respects you.”

Me: “I don’t think he wants to run, though.”

Biden: “I don’t think he does either. I know he doesn’t want to. … I’m so proud of the job he’s done [as attorney general]…”

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