WASHINGTON — The White House on Thursday ruled out dropping Vice President Joe Biden, and told former Republican nominee John McCain that with his track record he was in no position to give advice on running mates.

Several prominent Republicans suggested the gaffe-prone Biden should be replaced on President Barack Obama’s Democratic ticket after he enraged Republican candidate Mitt Romney with an attack this week.

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McCain, the Republican candidate in 2008 who chose the much criticized Sarah Palin as his running mate, said on Fox News on Wednesday that it might be “wise” to swap Biden for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The comment prompted a sardonic response from White House spokesman Jay Carney.

“While I appreciate, I have great admiration for and respect for and a long relationship with Senator John McCain … one place I would not go for advice on vice presidential running mates is to Senator McCain.”

Asked whether Biden, was certain to be renominated as vice president at the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina next month, Carney said: “Yes. That was settled a long, long time ago.”

Biden on Tuesday triggered a furious response from Romney when the vice president told a crowd in the former slave-owning state of Virginia, that the Republican would put them back “in chains” with his banking policies.