Hillary was second choice, Biden's wife blurts it out

Washington: Hillary Clinton was revealed to have been Barack Obama's second choice for Secretary of State.

The embarrassing disclosure was blurted out on live television by vice president-elect Joe Biden's wife Jill.

Jill Biden proudly described how her husband had been given a choice last summer of being either Obama's running mate and eventual VP or to become the Cabinet member responsible for foreign policy, the job later given to Clinton. Joe had the choice to be secretary of state or vice president," she enthused during an appearance with her husband on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

An aghast Biden quickly shushed his wife with his finger to his lips. Flushing, he then grimaced and gave her a hug while the audience erupted in laughter. "That's right," he finally said.

Jill Biden then told how she urged him to be vice-president. "If you're secretary of state, we'll never see you," she said.

Biden later tried to deny the story. His spokeswoman said in a statement: |President-elect Obama offered vice president-elect Biden one job only ‹ to be his running mate."