Joe Biden could have had Hillary Clinton's job, wife Jill tells Oprah Winfrey

WASHINGTON: Joseph Biden's wife, Jill, appeared to let slip a piece of prime political gossip yesterday, suggesting her husband was given a choice by Barack Obama to be vice-president or secretary of state - Hillary Clinton's new job.

2 min read

12:00AMJanuary 21, 2009.

Updated 3:36PMMarch 18, 2009

TheAustralian

The Vice-President immediately tried to hush Jill Biden's comment on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

"Joe had the choice to be secretary of state or vice-president," she said.

Her husband turned to his wife with his finger to his lips and a "shhhh" that sent the audience into laughter. "OK, he did," Dr Biden said in her defence.

The Vice-President blushed, grimaced and gave his wife a hug while the audience continued to erupt in laughter.

"That's right," he finally said to his wife. "Go ahead."

Dr Biden said she told him vice-president would be better for the family.

"If you're secretary of state, you'll be away, we'll never see you, you know," she said. "I'll see you at a state dinner once in a while."

After the exchange aired on television three hours later, a spokeswoman for Mr Biden denied Dr Biden's account in a statement. "To be clear, president-elect Obama offered vice-president-elect Biden one job only - to be his running mate," the statement said. "And the vice-president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer."

While the statement denies that Mr Obama offered Mr Biden the secretary of state job, it did not rule out that the two discussed the possibility.

Mr Obama's transition office did not respond to questions about their private discussions.

A spokesman for Senator Clinton declined to comment about the suggestion that she was the second choice.

On Winfrey's program, Mr Biden said he did not immediately take the vice-presidential offer as he was not sure it was the best place for him to serve. But Mr Biden, who ran against Mr Obama in the Democratic primary race, said he agreed after getting some assurances from Mr Obama about his role.

"This is a partnership," Mr Biden said. "He's President of the United States, but as I said to him when he asked me, I said: 'Barack, don't ask me unless the reason you're asking me is you're asking me for my judgment. I get to be the last guy in the room when you make every important decision. You're President. Any decision you make, I will back.'

"He said he wanted to have a confidant and somebody who wouldn't be a yes man. He's pretty sure about that last part."

The statement from Mr Biden's spokeswoman said: "Like anyone who followed the presidential campaign this summer, Dr Jill Biden knew there was a chance that president-elect Obama might ask her husband to serve in some capacity and that, given his background, the positions of vice-president and secretary of state were possibilities.

"Dr Biden's point to Oprah today was that being vice-president would be a better fit for their family because they would get to see him more and get to participate in serving more."

The Bidens made a surprise appearance on Winfrey's show. The celebrity-filled program also included the premiere of America's Song, performed by Faith Hill, Seal, Bono, Mary J. Blige, will.i.am and David Foster in honour of the occasion.