2016 speculation heats up, with focus on Biden

(CBS News) Just a few days into President Obama's second term, there is already mounting buzz over who is going to replace him in 2016. Some political insiders have said Vice President Joe Biden is positioning himself for a possible run, according to CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett.

From gay marriage to the fiscal cliff to gun control, Biden has been a visible force in almost all of the high-profile policy matters of the past year. And while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has long been considered a 2016 contender, her last weeks in office have been marred by questions over the Sept. 11 Benghazi attack and a health scare that left her hospitalized.

The inaugural parade on Monday saw Biden waving, hugging, and mugging for the crowd in a way that could back up reports that the vice president is "intoxicated by the idea" of a 2016 run for the White House.

And, at an inauguration event over the weekend, Biden was caught by an amateur videographer tripping over his words, telling the crowd "I am very proud to be President of the United States."

And New Hampshire Democratic heavyweight, State Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, celebrated Obama's inauguration with the vice president this week and said with confidence that Biden would be fit to hold the office in 2016.

"I don't think there's any question that he'll be a contender. I think Biden has really come in to his own on a national level in the last six months," D'Allesandro said.

And while both Biden and Clinton have been evasive on questions regarding 2016, speculation continues to swirl around both politicians. 

For more from Major Garrett on the possibility of both Biden and Clinton running in 2016, watch the video above.