WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama has settled on former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of State, following a high-stakes courtship that is expected to lead to a formal announcement after the Thanksgiving holiday, aides to both said.
After an extensive examination of her husband's complicated financial dealings, the Obama transition team is satisfied that the nomination will not pose any conflicts of interest, an aide to the president-elect said.
On her end, Clinton is ready to give up her Senate seat and become the nation's top diplomat, friends and advisors said Friday. They added that she had not yet accepted the job.
The developments came amid leaks Friday that Obama was close to naming other members of his Cabinet, among them New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson for Commerce secretary and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano for Homeland Security, both Democrats.
As recently as a few days ago, Clinton was prepared to return to her role as the junior senator from New York. Democrats in the Senate considered creating a new leadership position for Clinton in recognition of her stature within the party.
Obama's overture surprised her, colleagues said. The two met face to face Nov. 13 in Chicago.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said she had spoken privately with Clinton about the Cabinet prospect during a Democratic organizational meeting Tuesday in the old Senate chamber.
"I kept saying I thought it was such a good fit for her," Boxer recalled. "And she said: 'I just wasn't thinking about this. This wasn't in my mind.' She was a bit thrown off by it. My strong impression was she really didn't expect it. She was planning her role in the Senate. Hillary is a very thoughtful person, and I could see she was really thinking it through."
The Obama transition team and Clinton's Senate office both said the nomination was "on track."
Richardson, who abandoned his own presidential candidacy in January, and Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, have also been mentioned as possible candidates for the job.
After a blistering presidential primary campaign, bringing Clinton into Obama's circle was a feat of diplomacy in itself. The two had competed hard for the nomination, with loyalists trading tough charges.
