CHICAGO (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama has selected Timothy Geithner to be his Treasury secretary, putting the respected head of the New York Federal Reserve in a key role as the U.S. economy staggers toward recession, NBC news reported on Friday.

Geithner, 47, was seen as one of two main candidates for the Treasury job along with former Clinton administration Treasury chief Lawrence Summers.

The New York Times, meanwhile, reported that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton had accepted Obama's offer to become his secretary of state, bringing his onetime chief Democratic rival for the presidency into a pivotal role in his new administration.

"She's ready," the Times quoted one of two Clinton associates who confirmed the deal as saying.

But Clinton senior adviser Philippe Reines told Reuters: "We're still in discussions, which are very much on track. Any reports beyond that are premature."

If confirmed as Treasury secretary, Geithner would be at the helm of efforts to pull the country out of a financial crisis which some analysts predict could lead to the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

U.S. stocks jumped sharply higher after reports that Obama had picked Geithner, sending major indices up more than 4 percent within minutes.

A further cabinet job appeared locked up as NBC reported that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson -- who also had sought the Democratic presidential nomination -- had received Obama's nod to become commerce secretary.

Richardson's elevation to the cabinet would give the Obama administration its first high-profile Hispanic member as its main liaison to the business community.

Obama, who beat Republican John McCain in the November 4 election, takes over from George W. Bush on January 20. He has criticized the Republican's administration sharply for harming the United States' stature in the international community.

Retired Marine Gen. James Jones emerged as a leading contender for White House national security adviser, according to Democratic sources. Jones is a former top operational commander of NATO.

Obama is also leaning toward keeping Robert Gates as secretary of Defense.

(Editing by Frances Kerry)

By Jeff Mason and Caren Bohan

Publié le 21 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Reuters