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Nov 13, 2008 9:46 pm US/Central
Obama Advisor Bill Daley Mum On Hillary Clinton
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley on Thursday declined to comment on reports that Sen. Hillary Clinton may be named secretary of state in the Obama White House.
CBS
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton reportedly was in Chicago Thursday as CBS News reported she is a contender to be Barack Obama's secretary of state when he becomes president next year.
CBS 2's Dana Kozlov got reaction Thursday from one of Obama's advisers, Bill Daley, brother of Mayor Richard Daley. He declined to comment but praised Clinton.
"The president-elect has got a lot of major offices (to fill)," Daley said. "Sen. Clinton is obviously someone that's known around the world, well-respected (and) proved a formidable political person in her own right and someone that I consider a great American."
Clinton isn't only recognized around the world as the former first lady, she's also known for her work on international women's issues and human rights.
Potential secretary of state candidates also being mentioned are Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel.
Choosing a secretary of state, like all cabinet positions, is one of the president-elect's many tasks during this transition time. That's likely one reason Obama announced his resignation from his U.S. Senate seat, effective Sunday. Daley said he supports that decision but hopes Obama's seat doesn't sit vacant for too long.
"I would hope that the governor would move rather quickly," he said.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich has the sole responsibility of naming Obama's replacement. He has not indicated when he'll do that. The Senate reconvenes Monday.
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