Film industry spokeswoman to be Biden's communications chief

Vice President Joe Biden has chosen a top film industry official and former spokeswoman for John Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign to be his new communications director, the White House said Monday.

Bedingfield returns to the White House from the Motion Picture Association of America, where she was vice president of corporate communications and the top spokeswoman. She previously held senior media roles in the Obama White House and worked for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.

"She will be a key adviser to me, a terrific asset to our office, and an important member of the entire White House organization," Biden said in a statement.

In the 2008 campaign, Bedingfield's role included defending Edwards against campaign-trail attacks and issuing critiques of his opponents — including, on occasion, then-Sen. Barack Obama.

Her tenure at the MPAA coincided with the growth of online piracy, which has posed major problems for U.S. film studios and prompted MPAA lawsuits. Former Sen. Chris Dodd, the MPAA's chairman, called Bedingfield a "trusted adviser and a strategic thinker."

Jill Biden would be a central figure in his campaign. However, according to Bloomberg, she just registered to teach a full load of classes this fall at Northern Virginia Community College – and that’s the ballgame.

Why does this rule Joe Biden out as a candidate? If he were running, she would be on the campaign trail with him, helping orchestrate things behind the scenes, as she has in the past. Her decision to go ahead and teach this fall means that he has decided for certain that he won’t be running. Although the election is more than a year away, the Bidens would need to be on the road campaigning full-time this fall in the primary race. The only question now becomes at what point Joe makes the announcement official, and whether he formally throws his support behind his close ally Clinton now or waits until the primary results are official.

Understanding, as Vice President the moment Joe Biden announces he is not running, in the eyes of the media, he becomes irrelevant. 

Bedingfield starts work on Monday, the White House said. The role has been vacant since March.