We found it somewhat suspect when U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet announced the campaign manager for his 2016 campaign so early, before President Obama could even present the State of the Union address last week.

Turns out he truly did need to get his campaign off the ground and running, stat!

No, no, no. Not for reelection to his Senate seat, but as Hillary Clinton’s running mate!

No wonder he’s shown no interest in us Colorado schmucks, he’s been too busy seeking the vice presidency.

According to Politico, Hillary is in the final stages of planning a presidential campaign to launch in April and has already made decisions on most top posts. Bennet is at the top of the list for veep.

 The Clinton team knows it can’t campaign with the swagger of presumed nominee, because the air of inevitability was so damaging last time around. That said, some advisers are already privately talking up potential running mates, with Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia dominating the early speculation.

Some advisers expect a push for diversity on the ticket. So the short list also is expected to include HUD Secretary Julián Castro, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, and perhaps California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running for U.S. Senate.

The pieces of the puzzle that is Bennet’s behavior of late are starting to fall into place.

He’s hired a campaign manager very early on who hails from New York – the same state represented by Hillary Clinton when she served in the Senate.

He’s paid his Democratic dues by running the party’s national senatorial committee instead of focusing on Colorado’s needs.

And it also explains Bennet’s absentee problem that we reported on last month, while the Aurora Sentinel went so far as to call Bennet a “sometimes Colorado visitor.”

As if we need yet another sign that Bennet is done with Colorado and is instead seeking higher office, look for him to appear soon on those Sunday political talk shows produced in D.C. and participating in even more fundraising events outside of his adopted, yet soon-to-be-tossed-aside home state.