PALM BEACH, Florida – In the wake of Hillary Clinton's physical collapse on Sept. 11 – which her campaign blames on pneumonia – some journalists are reporting secret, high-level meetings are taking place among Democrats to consider a possible replacement for Mrs. Clinton at the top of the presidential ticket, should the need arise.

Among the reporters making the claim is David Shuster, an Emmy-award winning journalist based in New York City who formerly worked for MSNBC.

After Sunday's episode where Clinton apparently fainted in the arms of Secret Service agents after she was spirited away from a 9/11 ceremony, Shuster posted numerous tweets about the machinations of the Democrats.

Clarification from dem operatives @HillaryClinton pneumonia: Expect emergency DNC meeting to CONSIDER replacement. #HillarysHealth — David Shuster (@DavidShuster) September 11, 2016

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Dem operative: @HillaryClinton #BasketOfDeplorables, hiding pneumonia for 3 days, + fainting video = "unchartered political territory." — David Shuster (@DavidShuster) September 12, 2016

Top dem: "we can make contingencies, argue, plead with @HillaryClinton, but DNC bylaws are clear her nominee status now totally up to her." — David Shuster (@DavidShuster) September 12, 2016

Shuster has since tweeted on Monday that it appears Vice President Joe Biden would be the likely choice to run at the top of the Democrat ticket if Hillary withdraws, and that Bernie Sanders' team is "scrambling."

DNC delegate: If @HillaryClinton withdraws, every indication now committee will vote to replace with Biden. @BernieSanders team scrambling — David Shuster (@DavidShuster) September 12, 2016

Darrel Rowland, who is covering the presidential race for the Columbus Dispatch, tweeted Monday: "Tim Kaine 'ready to become the president' if that ever became necessary, ex-Ohio Gov Ted Strickland says in intro at Dayton Stivers High."

Tim Kaine "ready to become the president" if that ever became necessary, ex-Ohio Gov Ted Strickland says in intro at Dayton Stivers High — Darrel Rowland (@darreldrowland) September 12, 2016

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Radio host Rush Limbaugh speculated on the names that may be thrown into action.

"Would it be [Vice presidential pick Tim] Kaine? Would they automatically elevate Kaine since he's the VP? ... Or would they go out and get crazy Bernie [Sanders]?" asked Limbaugh rhetorically on his Monday broadcast. "If they didn't choose Kaine it's because they don't think he can win. They don't have much of a bench."

"They have to be talking about it," Limbaugh continued. "For all of this calm, my friends, there is panic no doubt going on in every sector of the Democrat Party. I don't care how you slice it. This is not a winning profile. Victories do not come from these kind of things."

Video of Hillary collapsing:

On NPR Monday morning, political commentator Cokie Roberts said Hillary's health is "taking her off of the campaign trail."

"It has them very nervously beginning to whisper about her stepping aside and finding another candidate," she said.

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Biden downplayed Hillary Clinton's health problems Monday, commenting on his own recovery from pneumonia.

"Hillary's health is good. I've had pneumonia," Biden said before commencing an education speech in Charlotte, North Carolina. "I've had walking pneumonia. What you do, you take antibiotics and you rest a little bit."

"I'm encouraging her – if the doctor says take three days off, take six days off."

"She's been transparent about her health. ... So we're in good shape."

Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain noted on his blog that the reports about the high-level meetings can be translated as: "Crazy Uncle Joe [Biden] is warming up in the bullpen, just in case we need to yank our starter."

But Cain says he doesn't expect Clinton to drop out before Election Day in November.

"If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on the idea that Hillary's a 'bitter clinger' when it comes to seeking the White House. She has no intention of dropping out. Even if she wanted to, she probably can't because she owes favors to so many people. To put it in 'mob-speak' she's simply 'in too deep.'

"So, while the story isn't going to go away, you shouldn't expect, hope for, or dream of a scenario where Hillary Clinton bows out. If you're looking for conspiracy theories, try this one on for size: Hillary has to stay in the race. The minute she's no longer a political force, any high-level protections that she and the Clinton Foundation have been enjoying will evaporate. She's running not just for president, but for self-preservation."

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The series of events on Sunday with Hillary being brought to her daughter's apartment has observers shaking their heads.

"This is a hospital event," said Limbaugh, noting that Clinton is "horribly sick" with something "potentially catastrophically wrong."

"That was a neurological episode."

Limbaugh also said he was amazed by how nonchalant everyone seemed to be in handling the physical collapse of a presidential candidate.

"Here you have a woman who we know the latest allegations and the speculation and now the admissions about her illness, and the one thing that's been curious about this is the people with her, her support staff, whenever something like this happens, don't seem to think it's anything unusual," Limbaugh explained.

"Like yesterday, they didn't take her to the hospital. They took her to Chelsea's place. And that's a major event that happened yesterday. So they must be used to seeing it. It must not be that abnormal or extraordinary, which is not a good sign for people dealing with this behind closed doors that we're not privy to. It means that this has been going on a much longer period of time than just the diagnosis of pneumonia on Friday."

Video of Hillary waving to the public Sunday afternoon:

Limbaugh also has doubts about pneumonia being the true cause of Hillary's health problems.

"If that video had not surfaced that showed her collapsing and being thrown in the van, they would have never announced the pneumonia," he added. "The deception continues."

He noted if such medical episodes were happening to Republican nominee Donald Trump, there would have been forceful calls to drop out of the race for the White House.

"The drumbeat would be quit and quit now," he said.

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Limbaugh also suggested the U.S. Secret Service violated numerous protocols when agents swept Clinton out of the 9/11 ceremony early.

"They never, they never take a subject away until the transportation is lined up and ready because the worst thing – trust me on this – the worst thing the Secret Service wants is for the subject to have to stop and stand around, i.e., as a sitting duck, until the transportation shows up. ...

"They had to get her out of there before the ground transportation, the van, before the van even showed up, and she was waiting for a few minutes. Maybe it was one minute or a little less. But that's a huge violation of protocol."

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