Odds on Hillary Clinton become President-Elect Barack Obama's Secretary of State were long at   Paddy Power  but news was surfacing Thursday night that this is exactly what could happen.  Paddy has since removed its Secretary of State betting odds but still offered plenty of Obama wagers (none of which were available to US customers).

ABC News and CNN were both reporting that Mrs. Clinton was seriously being considered for the position.

Her selection as top U.S. diplomat could also mean a more hawkish foreign policy than that advocated by Obama during his presidential campaign. On the campaign trail, Clinton was more reluctant than Obama to commit to a firm timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.

But both Obama and Clinton were adamant about improving the image of the United States abroad and correcting what they considered the "failed policies" of the outgoing Bush administration.

Clinton was described by her office as having flown to Chicago on Thursday on personal business.

Neither her aides nor aides to President-elect Obama would say whether she was interviewed for the job by Obama, who spent a great part of the day behind closed doors in transition meetings at his Chicago office.

"Any speculation about cabinet or other administration appointments is really for President-elect Obama's transition team to address," said Clinton's senior adviser, Philippe Reines.

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Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com