No holiday here: Presidential candidates hit the campaign trail over Labor Day weekend as Biden nudges ever closer to running... while Hillary insists she does not need to apologize for the email scandal

  • Clinton went on a campaign swing through Iowa to greet voters 
  • She said the email scandal had been a distraction to her campaign 
  • Bernie Sanders also met with supporters at a parade in New Hampshire
  • He stood alongside GOP candidate Lindsey Graham as they greeted fans
  • Republican hopefuls Carly Fiorina and John Kasich also shunned a break 
  • Scott Walker arrived in New Hampshire in style on a motorbike 
  • Biden made an impassioned speech to steelworkers in Pittsburgh 
  • His poll numbers are soaring as he still considers a run at the White House 

As millions of Americans enjoyed a day off from work, the presidential candidates vying for a shot at the White House continued on their campaign trail in earnest.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders addressed voters in Iowa and New Hampshire respectively while Vice President Joe Biden took one step closer to running with an impassioned speech in Pittsburgh.

Republican hopefuls Carly Fiorina, Scott Walker, Lindsey Graham and John Kasich also shunned a holiday break to build momentum ahead of the upcoming debates and primary season.  

Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, insisted she did not need to apologize for using her private email account she did 'nothing wrong' but admitted the scandal was a distraction from the campaign.

'As the person who has been at the center of it, not very much,' Clinton said. 'I have worked really hard this summer, sticking to my game plan about how I wanted to sort of reintroduce myself to the American people.' 

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Hillary Clinton greets supporters at the Annual Hawkeye Labor Council AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The Democratic hopeful also posed for pictures with fans on a day when she continued to answer questions surrounding the use of her private email server 

The Democratic hopeful also posed for pictures with fans on a day when she continued to answer questions surrounding the use of her private email server 

Clinton insisted she didn't need to apologize for the email scandal as she did nothing wrong 

Clinton insisted she didn't need to apologize for the email scandal as she did nothing wrong 

Joe Biden bends down to kiss a woman on the hand during the Allegheny County Labor Day Parade in Pittsburgh after an impassioned speech 

Joe Biden bends down to kiss a woman on the hand during the Allegheny County Labor Day Parade in Pittsburgh after an impassioned speech 

He seemed to grab the attention of his female supporters with many stopping and asking him for a selfie 

He puts his arm around a fan who takes the opportunity to grab a picture with the Vice President who is still considering entering the race 

He puts his arm around a fan who takes the opportunity to grab a picture with the Vice President who is still considering entering the race 

Biden stops during the parade to pick up and hold a baby girl while he gives another voter a kiss on the cheek

As she has often said in recent weeks, Clinton told AP it would have been a 'better choice' for her to use separate email accounts for her personal and public business. 'I've also tried to not only take responsibility, because it was my decision, but to be as transparent as possible,' Clinton said.

'I did not send or receive any information marked classified,' Clinton said. 'I take the responsibilities of handling classified materials very seriously and did so.'

Clinton's efforts to address the email issue comes as her chief rival for the Democratic nomination, independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, exits the summer surging in still-quite-early public opinion polls and drawing massive crowds to his rallies and events.

Asked for an example of how she differs with Sanders on policy, Clinton demurred. 'I'm going to keep laying out what I would do as president, what I stand for. ... I'm very much looking forward to the debates that we're going to have and we'll have plenty of time to draw those contrasts.'

Hearing chants of 'run Joe, run,' Vice President Joe Biden marched in Pittsburgh's annual Labor Day parade on Monday as speculation swirled about a potential entry into the Democratic presidential campaign.

The vice president donned a black-and-gold United Steelworkers union hat and told hundreds of union members that the gap between the wealthy and poor was hurting the nation.

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders holds part of a sign with Whitney Adair, seven, of Nashua, New Hampshire, before walking in the Milford Labor Day Parade

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders holds part of a sign with Whitney Adair, seven, of Nashua, New Hampshire, before walking in the Milford Labor Day Parade

Republican candidate Lindsey Graham stands alongside Sanders at the beginning of the parade 

Republican candidate Lindsey Graham stands alongside Sanders at the beginning of the parade 

The Democratic hopeful, who is surging in the polls, waves to the crowds lining the streets in front of a sea supporters holding placards bearing his name 

The Democratic hopeful, who is surging in the polls, waves to the crowds lining the streets in front of a sea supporters holding placards bearing his name 

He is swarmed by supporters and cameras as he sets off on the parade route 

He is swarmed by supporters and cameras as he sets off on the parade route 

He walks behind an enormous banner with his name on it on the parade route 

He walks behind an enormous banner with his name on it on the parade route 

Carly Fiorina waves to supporters as she walks hand in hand with her husband Frank during the Milford Labor Day Parade in New Hampshire 

Carly Fiorina waves to supporters as she walks hand in hand with her husband Frank during the Milford Labor Day Parade in New Hampshire 

The Republican hopeful is hoping to get a spot on the prime time debate alongside other candidates on CNN in two weeks after the network changed the poll criteria 

U.S. Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich holds a young child before the start of the Milford Labor Day Parade in New Hampshire

U.S. Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich holds a young child before the start of the Milford Labor Day Parade in New Hampshire

The Republican hopeful greeted a large fan base that had come to greet him for the procession 

The Republican hopeful greeted a large fan base that had come to greet him for the procession 

Scott Walker arrived in style on a motorcycle with a New Hampshire State Police escort at the Salem-Derry Elk's Lodge in New Hampshire 

Scott Walker arrived in style on a motorcycle with a New Hampshire State Police escort at the Salem-Derry Elk's Lodge in New Hampshire 

The Wisconsin Governor shunned a day off to carry on campaigning ahead of the primary season 

The Wisconsin Governor shunned a day off to carry on campaigning ahead of the primary season 

Joe Biden rouses crowd at Pittsburgh rally

Vice President Joe Biden revved up the crowd at a steelworkers union event in Pittsburgh on Sunday

Joe Biden rouses crowd at Pittsburgh rally
Joe Biden rouses crowd at Pittsburgh rally

Biden was greeted with shouts of 'Run, Joe, run!' encouraging him to run for president

The 72-year-old exuberantly jogged through the crowd of supportive well-wishers, who were urging him to join the race for president

'Give it a go, Joe!' shouted one woman.

Recent polls suggest that those who are abandoning Hillary Clinton back Biden for president, according to CNN.

But Biden deflected questions as to whether or not he would enter the fray, only saying 'I am definitely going to run part of this parade, I feel like I am home right now.'

But he had much more to say in his speech in front of the union.  

'It used to be when productivity went up in America, everybody got a chance to share,' said Biden. 'They got a piece of the action... Why in God's name should a man or a woman working in a steel mill make $50,000 a year when someone on Wall Street makes millions of dollars a year?'

In introducing Biden for his speech, Trumka and United Steelworkers union chief Leo Gerard gave strong praise to Biden, who was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Joe Biden rouses crowd at Pittsburgh rally
Joe Biden rouses crowd at Pittsburgh rally

The adoring crowd flocked around the sprightly 72-year-old, who is still reeling from his son Beau's death in May, but who looked happy and healthy at the rally

Fans clamored for selfies with the VP, who tends to be known for his verbal gaffes

Fans clamored for selfies with the VP, who tends to be known for his verbal gaffes

'He has never let us down,' said Gerard.

Biden, in his speech, said the tax code is to blame for the rich getting a bigger piece of the economic pie.

'The tax code's not fair. It's simply not fair,' Biden said in a city long associated with organized labor. 'The wealthy aren't paying their fair share. There used to be one America.'

Biden greeted United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard (right) who said Biden has never let steelworkers down

Biden greeted United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard (right) who said Biden has never let steelworkers down

Biden was cagey about whether he would run for POTUS but he had no issue with jogging through the streets of Pittsburgh 

Biden was cagey about whether he would run for POTUS but he had no issue with jogging through the streets of Pittsburgh 

When asked point-blank by young local business owner Chris Fuget asked whether he would announce a 2016 run, the Vice President coyly said, 'I haven't made that decision yet,' according to CNN.

There was some disappointment in the crowd that he didn't throw his hat into the ring.

'We thought today might have been the day,' said Pittsburgh union worker Jack Gaffrey. 

'It's hope,' the VP said about the enthusiastic response the crowd gave him 

'It's hope,' the VP said about the enthusiastic response the crowd gave him 

His entry could jumble a Democratic contest that has seen front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton's lead diminish in early states against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who describes himself as a democratic socialist. 

Biden, however, said last week he wasn't certain if he and his family had the 'emotional energy' for another campaign. Biden's eldest son, Beau, died of brain cancer in May. 

Biden blamed America's ills on the tax code which favors the wealthy as well as low and stagnant wages

Biden blamed America's ills on the tax code which favors the wealthy as well as low and stagnant wages

But AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who walked the parade route with Biden, said the vice president got a strong response from the city's workers.

'If you're looking for energy, this is a great place to get energy today,' the labor leader said.

Asked what he made of the overwhelmingly warm response Pittsburgh gave him, he replied, 'It's hope.' 

'I am definitely going to run part of this parade,' Biden said and then made good his promise

'I am definitely going to run part of this parade,' Biden said and then made good his promise

In a new NBC/Marist poll of New Hampshire primary voters released on Sunday, Biden had support from 16 percent of Democratic voters. 

That's half the total of Clinton, who herself trailed front runner Sanders by nine points in New Hampshire, a state where Bill and Hillary Clinton have deep ties.

In Iowa, Clinton saw her lead over Sanders decline by half and now leads him by 37 percent to 20 precent with Biden at 20 percent. 

But Biden still isn't as quite popular as GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.

The reality star billionaire beats him by a narrow margin in a new national poll 44 percent to 42 percent, according to SurveyUSA.

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