Obama-Clinton Ticket in 2012? White House, Clinton Dismiss Woodward Remark That It's "On the Table"

Updated at 12:30 p.m. ET

Longtime Washington reporter Bob Woodward said Tuesday night that the possibility of a Barack Obama- Hillary Clinton presidential ticket in 2012 was "on the table," but the White House is shooting down that idea.

"Some of Hillary Clinton's advisers see it as a real possibility in 2012," Woodward said on CNN. "President Obama needs some of the women, Latinos, retirees that she did so well with during the 2008 primaries and, so they switch jobs, not out of the question."

However, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said today that reports the secretary of state will replace Vice President Joe Biden are "absolutely not true," CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports. Gibbs said that President Obama thinks Biden is doing an "extraordinary job" and that choosing Biden to be vice president was one of the best decisions he's made. Gibbs added that the president is "quite pleased" with Clinton's performance.

White House senior adviser David Axelrod was more blunt: "It's complete bulls**t," he said, CBS News White House correspondent Chip Reid reports.

Meanwhile, a source close to Clinton said the rumor is "the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Reid reports. The source said no one close to Clinton is pushing for that change.

There has long been chatter in Washington that Mr. Obama should make Clinton the next in line. Columnist Sally Quinn wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post in June entitled, "Hillary Clinton should be Obama's vice president."

A recent Gallup poll showed that voters may even be open to the idea of Clinton replacing Mr. Obama: 37 percent of Democrats surveyed said they would support Clinton if she were to challenge the president in 2012. Clinton has said unequivocally in previous interviews that she has no intention to run for president again, but that hasn't stopped her supporters from hoping. In fact, the first 2012 presidential ad to air on television was in support of Clinton.

Update: At the 12th Annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit today, Clinton brushed off speculation that she would replace Biden, CBS News State Department reporter Charlie Wolfson reports.

"I think the vice president is doing a wonderful job," Clinton said. "He's a great friend of mine. We work together closely. He's an expert on foreign policy, he chaired the foreign relations committee in the Senate for years and we have a great relationship, and I have absolutely no interest and no reason for doing anything other than just dismissing these stories and moving on because we have no time. We have so much to do, and I think both of us are very happy doing what we're doing."

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Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[houstontx006]

Barack Obama is poised to lose the Congress. Things are not looking good for him in 2012. The best thing in the world that could happen in 2012 for Obama would be for Palin to win the GOP nomination. Suppose though the GOP mounts a serious campaign and nominates someone who can beat Obama...Clinton as VP starts looking better and better.

[nearl451]

Woodward has become such a political gossip writer.

[kenhamlett]

A change would be pure foolishness. Biden is actually a good guy. Much better than any VP in my memory and a better man than many of the presidents. I suspect this revelation is simply a publicity stunt. A change from Biden to Clinton could sink the entire Democratic Party.

[nmcginni]

Biden is better liked according to the polls than Obama. Clinton has great respect around the world. What they have is working great for us!

Why is everyone listening to Woodward, he is just selling his book with these headlines.

[djseavy]

As if anybody can believe what comes out of the Whitehouse. They claim something is absolutely not true, then down the road, guess what?

[slatep]

I really would hate to see this happen. I would really like to see Hilary run against Obama in 2012. We've had almost two years of Obama and his goons and the US has never been in worse shape.

[pragmatist1]

..that moment can never be duplicated...and why would she want a subservient position anyway, when she deserved the presidency to begin with...

[inketolstoy]

Joe Biden as secretary of state. You have to be kidding me. The fact that he is a heartbeat away from being President makes me have cold chills.

[steveherb1]

President Obama please do not sign H.R. 3808

[consciousnes]

Obama is going to loose bad enough, would they really want to make it worse the it will be?

[yaliktono]

I like Hillary. The question is, why on earth would she want to expend so much of her own political capital and prestige to shore up this man's election prospects. She is more capable, more intelligent, and more of a centrist than our current president. She is more electable, in her own right, and should pursue that without saddling up with Obama's baggage. If she does this, she will NEVER be President of the United States.

[slatep]

DITTO!