WASHINGTON (AFP) — Barack Obama is "on track" to nominate former bitter foe Hillary Clinton to the prize post of secretary of state after next week's Thanksgiving holiday, an aide to the president-elect said Friday.
Making Clinton the face of US foreign policy abroad would represent another compelling twist in the gripping political drama of the Clinton family and add significant heft but also intrigue to the emerging Obama cabinet.
The nomination, the subject of intense 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.
There will be no formal announcement before the holiday break which starts next Thursday November 27, the Obama aide said on condition of anonymity, adding the full Obama's national security line-up was still being firmed up.
The aide said that New York Senator Clinton and Obama, who slugged out an acrimonious six-month Democratic primary campaign, were having substantive discussions about her future role.
Signs the Clinton nomination could be firming up followed conflicting reports, some suggesting the Obama team was frustrated with the Clinton camp, others saying Clinton was agonizing over whether to give up her Senate seat.
But details of the nominating process have been tightly held by both sides and it was unclear if any or all of the unnamed sources were speaking with authority for the two protagonists.
Latest 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 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.
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