Clinton On Track For State Department Nod

Obama Aides Say He Will Nominate His Former Rival As Secretary Of State After Thanksgiving

(CBS/ AP)  President-elect Barack Obama is on track to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state, an aide to his transition said Thursday.

CBS News has learned that Mr. Obama is likely to make the nomination official after Thanksgiving.

One week after the former primary rivals met secretly to discuss the idea of Clinton becoming the nation's top diplomat, the two sides were moving quickly toward making it a reality, barring any unforeseen problems.

The transition aide told The Associated Press that the two camps have worked out financial disclosure issues involving Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, and the complicated international funding of his foundation that operates in 27 countries. The aide said Mr. Obama and Hillary Clinton have had substantive conversations about the secretary of state job.

Clinton has been mulling the post for several days, but the transition aide's comments suggested that Mr. Obama's team does not feel she is inclined to turn it down.

Some Democrats and government insiders have questioned whether Clinton is too independent and politically ambitious to be an effective secretary of state. But Mr. Obama is said to admire her talents and experience, as do many other Democrats.

A senior adviser to Mr. Obama said the president-elect believes Clinton would bring instant stature and credibility to U.S. diplomatic relations and that the advantages to her serving far outweighed potential downsides.

Clinton would have to surrender her New York Senate seat, which she has held for eight years, to take the job.

Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines would not comment Thursday night, except to say that anything about Cabinet appointments is for Mr. Obama's transition team to address.

The nomination would be a remarkable union between the former first lady who was an early favorite to win the presidency and the first-term senator who upset her in the primary and cruised to a general election victory. Such a high-profile seat in the Cabinet for Clinton also would be another achievement for the most accomplished former first lady in U.S. history, who has been the first presidential spouse to serve in the Senate and run for the White House herself.

The president-elect also is likely to choose Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to be secretary of homeland security, top Obama advisers and several Democrats said Thursday as the shape of Mr. Obama's Cabinet begins to emerge.

The Obama advisers cautioned that no final decision has been made on putting Napolitano in charge of the Homeland Security Department, the massive agency created by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But the advisers said she was easily the top contender.

Thus far, Mr. Obama has informally selected Washington lawyer Eric Holder as attorney general and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as health secretary. The plans could be sidetracked by unexpected glitches in the final vetting process, officials note.

Among other Cabinet posts: Senior Democrats say there is a strong possibility that Defense Secretary Robert Gates would stay temporarily and later give way to former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig. Even so, Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island also are said to be under consideration.

Democrats also say that several people remain in the running for treasury secretary, including Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Lawrence Summers, former treasury secretary and one-time Harvard University president; and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.

Several news organizations reported Thursday that Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker, who was Mr. Obama's national campaign finance chairman, was his leading choice to become commerce secretary. However, Pritzker issued a statement Thursday saying she is not a contender for the post.

Officials say Laura D'Andrea Tyson, the former chair of White House Council of Economic Advisers in the Clinton administration, is in the running for the Commerce job.

The Obama advisers and Democrats discussed the Cabinet positions only on grounds of anonymity because of the private nature of the screening process.

Mr. Obama appears to be assembling a team that includes a mix of longtime aides, Washington insiders and a sprinkling of Democratic governors. Besides Napolitano, strong contenders for Cabinet posts include New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Sebelius and Napolitano, who once was Arizona's attorney general, were among the first governors to commit to Mr. Obama's candidacy. Richardson endorsed Obama after ending his own presidential bid, angering the Clintons.

As governor, Napolitano has fought to curb illegal immigration, but she has been skeptical that building a fence along the border will solve the problem. She once said, "You build a 50-foot wall, somebody will find a 51-foot ladder."

Last year, her state passed a law that requires all Arizona businesses to use the federal online database, E-Verify, to confirm that new hires have valid Social Security numbers and are eligible for employment. This has been a cornerstone of the Bush administration's immigration policy.

As governor, she has overseen wildfires and severe flooding and worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, now part of the Homeland Security Department.

[firstcavgrun]

ya all have no fear hillary learned alot from monica, she knows how to get ahead

[jowand]

The Clintons are back just like Freddie Kruger.

[used2bfedup1]

lol I thought she would have been a great VP but after the last 8 years this is a bigger job than VP.

Hope she can repair trust and international relations.

[nikosk11]

Good move.

She will be a great S.o S.

[nikosk11]

Good move.

She will be a great S.o S.

[wdrussell1]

Lets hope, whoever it turns out to be is someone who does more than show up for a photo-op, then leaves.

[specialty8]

She will do a great job here. All of the other countries know her and they sure do like Bill for giving them all our jobs and sensitive technical information.Obama has a way with picking sure winners.

[armydog2]

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[o2brich]

Having one of the two notorious Clintons in a presidential administration is laughable. This woman is supposed to represent America to foreign nations? It%u2019ll be like handing any foreign power a free lobbyist. All they%u2019ll have to do is dangle a little money in front of them and watch them jump thru any hoop they want. It%u2019ll be giving the shop away.

[actornaught]

This is exactly the kind of Change BO promised, change from the architects of w''s disasters. What pisssss off the phony conservatives more than anything is that the Clinton presidency was the most successful conervative administration in about 50 years. No wonder BO wants to bring back what worked.