New presidential candidate Joe Biden told reporters Thursday that he specifically asked former President Barack Obama not to endorse his bid for the Democratic nomination. “I asked President Obama not to endorse and he doesn’t want to,” Biden said. “Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits.” His comments come hours after an Obama spokeswoman spoke warmly about Biden to The Daily Beast, but stopped short of a formal endorsement. “President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made,” the spokeswoman said. “He relied on the vice President’s knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency.”