Hillary Clinton is ready to accept Barack Obama's offer to be secretary of state, a report said Friday, raising the prospects of a remarkable political union between two once bitter rivals.
The New York Times suggested the former first lady had decided to give up her Senate seat to become the face of US diplomacy abroad, hours after the president-elect's team said her nomination was "on track."
"She's ready," the paper's quoted an unnamed Clinton confidant as saying, on its website, adding that the former first lady had made her decision after follow-up consultations with Obama on his vision for foreign policy.
But amid a frenzy of speculation about the make-up of Obama's cabinet, the New York senator's aides later downplayed reports that she had already signed up to the job.
"We're still in discussions, which are very much on track, any reports beyond that are premature," senior Clinton advisor Philippe Reines told AFP.
Obama's team said that there were no plans for a formal announcement on Clinton's appointment until after the Thanksgiving holiday late next week.
The nomination, the subject of fierce speculation since Clinton flew to Chicago to meet Obama last week, moved forward after financial disclosure issues were worked out with ex-president Bill Clinton.
Some analysts had expressed fears that the former US leader's myriad business interests abroad and donor lists to his charitable foundation could pose a conflict of interest if his wife became secretary of state.
Separately, NBC News reported that president-elect Obama was set to appoint New York Federal Reserve chief Timothy Geithner as his Treasury secretary amid the deepening economic crisis, sending stocks soaring on Wall Street.
Geithner, 47, has been on the front lines of the US central bank's battle to shore up the markets by overseeing its intervention operations from his berth at the New York Federal Reserve.
There was no immediate comment from Obama's transition office.
More speculation about the president-elect's emerging cabinet on Friday surrounded former four-star general and the NATO head James Jones, after ABC News said he was a top candidate to become national security advisor.
Jones is respected on Capitol Hill and across the political aisle, and may be particularly sought by Obama for his expertise on the Afghan war, which the president-elect has vowed to make a priority during his administration.
Another candidate for national security advisor is James Steinberg, who held the number two post in the president's national security council during the Clinton administration.
Ex-president Clinton reportedly offered to submit names of donors to his global charity to an ethical review, following concerns his high profile role could prove a conflict of interest if his wife is secretary of state.
There have also been concerns that the president's myriad business dealings in foreign countries could also prove a hitch to his wife's prospects.
The idea of making Clinton secretary of state has been welcomed across the political spectrum, and sparked talk of a "team of rivals" cabinet modeled on that of Obama's hero Abraham Lincoln.
But some commentators have wondered whether uniting two such bold political egos as those of Obama and Clinton could be destructive and foster political infighting.
It is not clear if Clinton or Obama would get to dictate the make-up of the State Department under her watch, or whether they have yet spoken of how their relationship would work in terms of authority and access.
Obama, who has spent most of his time cloistered in his Chicago transition headquarters since his historic victory on November 4, has been methodically filling out his White House staff, but has yet to name cabinet appointees.
But a Democratic official said that former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle will serve as Health and Human Services secretary and be charged with the formidable task of pushing through healthcare reform.
Reports also indicated that Arizona governor Janet Napolitano will serve as secretary for homeland security.
There is also speculation that President George W. Bush's Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be asked to stay on at the Pentagon, and former Justice Department official Eric Holder is in line to be Attorney General.
