Report: Obama's Consideration Of Hillary For Cabinet Includes Reviewing Bill Clinton's Records

November 17, 2008 10:37 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The Obama transition team is scouring financial and other records of former President Bill Clinton as part of its vetting of his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), for the post of secretary of State, according to a report.

President-elect Barack Obama is "likely" to ask Clinton to accept the post, but his team is first review of the former president's activities and financial dealings, the New York Times cites Obama advisors as saying.

During the general election campaign, Clinton had been reported as a potential running mate for Obama. Pundits had said at the time that Obama risked having Bill Clinton driving from the back seat if he included his former rival in the ticket.

Clinton, who reportedly met with Obama on Thursday in Chicago, was silent on whether she was being vetted for the job during a press conference on Friday at the the New York State Public Transit Industry Fall Conference. "I'm not going to speculate or address anything about the president-elect's incoming administration... I'm going to respect his process and any inquiries should be directed to his transition team," she said, according to CNN.

Several Republicans have signaled their support for having her serve as secretary of State.

"She is a lady of great intelligence, demonstrated enormous determination and would be an outstanding appointment," former secretary of State Henry Kissinger is quoted by Bloomberg as saying during the World Economic Forum's India Economic Summit in New Delhi on Sunday.

The same day, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) told Wolf Blitzer on CNN's 'Late Edition,' "I think that she is well qualified. She does have a certain standing in the world that is required in order to be able to demand the respect from other countries to deal with issues that are going to be affecting not only us but other of our allies, our trading partners. And I think that she would be a well placed in that position."

The president-elect is also reportedly considering Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), an early Obama endorser, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Kerry is a decorated Vietnam War veteran who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East and South and Central Asian Affairs. Richardson served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Energy secretary during the Clinton administration.