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Washington (CNN) -- Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign with the intent of being ready should Hillary Clinton not run, a source close to the governor told CNN.

O'Malley amplified 2016 speculation when he told the Washington Post last week that he can't wait for the former first lady and secretary of state to make a decision.

He told CNN on Monday that he was working toward offering "a better direction for our country."

Sounds like he's planning to go for it, right?

Not quite. O'Malley is angling to be the person who could step in should Clinton decide to forgo a second White House candidacy.

She's the odd-on favorite in early polls to capture the Democratic nomination should she throw her hat in the ring.

"The big question isn't what happens if she runs, it's what happens if she doesn't," the source said. "In that sense, he is trying to lay the groundwork so that Democrats aren't left without any potential candidates."

Though, there's always Vice President Joe Biden, whose considering a bid, and a number of other Democrats in and out of Washington who would probably take a shot.

But outside of Biden, who can probably wait a little longer than most due to his name recognition and certain advantages associated with his office, no one else outside of O'Malley is setting themselves up as he is for becoming Clinton's understudy.

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Hillary Clinton's understudy waits in the wings

Washington (CNN) Hillary Clinton gave a full-throated endorsement of early childhood education on Tuesday, including crediting New York Mayor Bill De Blasio a Clinton confidant for his efforts to make universal pre-kindergarten the law in America's biggest city.

The former Secretary of State's remarks came as part of an event that brought Too Small to Fail, a childhood development project Clinton launched last year, into a partnership with Univision, the Spanish speaking television network. "I am especially pleased that the mayor and the first lady and the speaker could be with us today," Clinton said of de Blasio. "They have put early childhood education at the top of the cities agenda and it is an important goal that everyone of us must be committed to achieving."

De Blasio, the newly minted Democratic mayor of New York, has drawn attention for his progressive policies, especially his plan to hike taxes on the rich in order to pay for early childhood education. "Asking those at the top to help our kids get on the right path and stay there. That's our mission. And on that, we will not wait. We will do it now," de Blasio said in his inaugural address earlier this year.

During her short remarks at the roundtable discussion about urging parents to talk with their young children from birth, Clinton said she as "someone who has worked on this for a very long time" applauds the leadership the de Blasio has shown on the issue.

De Blasio, in return, described Clinton as an "inspiration" and a "guide" during his brief remarks and credited Clinton for her early work on the issue of early childhood education. The New York Mayor has long been close with the Clintons he was a Housing and Urban Development official during the Bill Clinton presidency and was Hillary Clinton's campaign manager during her successful 2000 Senate bid.

Clinton's partnership with Univision is focused on encouraging Hispanic families and caregivers to speaking and engages with their children from a young age as a way to develop their language skills. At Monday's event, Clinton watches Spanish-language PSAs about the issue and chatted with Univision President Randy Falco.

Hispanic children, Clinton said, "are less likely, because of where they live and the circumstances they live in, to have access to preschool, to have access to formal child care."

"Our Spanish language partnership will help Hispanic parents, grandparents and caregivers help to get their own children ready for school," Clinton added. "What we want to do is help bring that information to families so that while they are caring for the children they love they are talking to them, singing to them, helping them succeed."

In addressing the small group of assembled education advocates and parents in a classroom at the East Harlem Council for Human Services Head Start Program, Clinton also spoke how she used to sing "Moon River," a song made famous by Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," to her daughter Chelsea Clinton.

"I even sang to her until she developed an ear, Clinton said. "Before I put her to bed, I would sit in a rocking chair and I would read to her. And then I would sing to her. I would sign Moon River. And then, literally, when she was about maybe 16 months, she takes her little finger and she puts it on my lip and she says, 'No sing mom, no sing.'"

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Clinton lauds New York City's early childhood education efforts

Also...

OReilly vs. Obama, Part 2

Hillary, Bill and the media: The under-the-radar marriage issue

Forget about foreign policy and Fox News: Is Hillary Clinton going to face an excruciatingly personal issue in 2016?

Shes sitting on the biggest lead ever for the Democratic presidential nomination, with 73 percent support in a Washington Post/ABC poll. Shes confident enough that she sent out a funny tweet during the Super Bowl: Its so much more fun to watch FOX when someone else is being blitzed & sacked! (That garnered more than 50,000 retweets.)

She hugged President Obama a bit closer in a letter to a former Senate colleague, saying the administrations sanctions are responsible for driving Tehran to the negotiating table and that in the nuclear talks we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed.

National Journal says that since Hillary hasnt been in a political role since 2008, theres a huge gap in what we know about her views on more recent issues:

When the National Security Agency was found to be spying on foreign leaders, the former secretary of State was mum. Americans cringed recently on learning that Clinton hasn't driven a car since 1996 but can only guess at the former senator's views on fracking in New York, her home state. Her position on Obama's executive order delaying deportation of children brought to this country illegally? Who knows?

And Clinton will have to address those one by one if she runs. But the response to a segment on Sundays Media Buzz made me think there is more of an elephant in the room than I realized.

We were examining Rand Paul bringing up Monica Lewinsky on Meet the Press, and whether the senator should have resurrected Bills awful misconduct as a potential 2016 issue for his wife. While that brought Paul, who is weighing his own White House run, plenty of attention, it seemed to cast Hillary as somehow being responsible for her husbands sins. (Yes, Paul was responding to a question about something his wife had said, but he clearly chose to escalate the issue.)

Read more from the original source:

KURTZ: Hillary, Bill and the media: The under-the-radar marriage issue

NEW YORK For a stateswoman-celebrity whose public life has been a whirl of black-tie galas and glitzy awards ceremonies, Hillary Rodham Clintons event here Tuesday morning was a stark departure.

The prospective 2016 presidential candidate came to an East Harlem classroom, sat beneath crayon posters and alphabet letters and urged Hispanic parents to read and sing to their children to help develop their language skills.

Every child every single child in our country deserves to have a fair chance to live up to his or her God-given potential, Clinton said.

The appearance was tied to the beginning of a multi-year partnership between Too Small to Fail, a charitable initiative that Clinton started last year, and Univision, an influential Spanish-language media company.

Branded in Spanish as Pequeos y Valiosos (Young and Valuable), the campaign will include public-service announcements on Univision encouraging Hispanic parents to help their preschool children better develop their language skills.

Tuesdays event was Clintons first significant appearance outside the paid-speaking circuit and into a more campaign-like environment. The agreement with Univision provides her with a bridge to the nations fast-growing and politically influential Hispanic community.

Early childhood development has been a passion of Clintons throughout her adult life. Since stepping down as secretary of state a year ago, she has leveraged her star power to promote her Too Small to Fail initiative and attract corporate and nonprofit partners.

Bill and I probably took it to an extreme reading to our poor little baby girl, Clinton said. I even sang to her until she developed an ear. We had a little house in Little Rock, and before Id put her to bed Id put her in a rocking chair and read to her. And then Id sing to her. Id sing, Moon River.

And then, Clinton continued, literally when she was about 16 months, she took her little finger, she put it on her lip and she said, No sing, Mommy, no sing.

Clintons appearance here was carefully choreographed. She spoke for about five minutes and aides said she would take no questions from reporters. Journalists were escorted out of the room after the opening remarks so that Clintons conversations with parents and nonprofit advocates could take place in private.

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Hillary Clinton begins partnership with Univision to reach Hispanic parents

Cruz on 2016: Hillary Clinton Faces Rocky Path
Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, discusses the 2016 elections and his own political aspirations on Bloomberg Television #39;s "Mark...

By: Bloomberg

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Cruz on 2016: Hillary Clinton Faces Rocky Path - Video