Joe Biden's wife on Monday let slip that her husband had his pick of being Barack Obama's running mate or the secretary of state nominee.

Jill Biden's comment came during an appearance with her husband on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," taped at Washington's Kennedy Center. "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!" sending the audience into laughter. "OK, he did," Jill Biden said in her defense.

The vice president-elect blushed, grimaced and gave his wife a hug while the audience laughed. Jill 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," she said.

After the exchange aired, Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander denied Jill Biden's account. "To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only -- to be his running mate," she said. "And the vice president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer."

The statement doesn't rule out that Obama and Biden discussed the possibility of the other post.

The celebrity-filled show also included the premiere of "America's Song," performed by Faith Hill, Seal, Bono, Mary J. Blige, Will.i.am and David Foster. It is available for free download on Winfrey's website -- oprah.com -- for 24 hours.

WARREN'S ADDRESS SPARKS A PROTEST

In what could be a preview of what he will say at Obama's inauguration, conservative pastor Rick Warren spoke to a packed house for the annual King Day service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday.

"Tomorrow when I pray the invocation for my friend, Dr. King and a whole host of witnesses will be shouting," Warren said. "Martin Luther King was a mighty tool in the hand of God. But God isn't through. Justice is a journey and we're getting further and further along."

Obama's decision to give Warren a role in the inauguration sparked protests from the gay community and the National Organization for Women. Warren helped rally support in California to outlaw same-sex marriage. And Warren's appearance at the King holiday service also was not without controversy.

About 100 protesters gathered across the street, and there was an outburst from at least one critic before Warren addressed the audience. The protesters outside hoisted signs declaring: "We still have a dream. Equality."

Farris defended The King Center's choice of Warren as keynote speaker, saying he embodies many of the ideals espoused by King.

MORE OBAMA SUPPORT IN MCcain country?

"I voted for John McCain and still would," said Tim Driskill, in a declaration that still speaks for many in Oklahoma.

Not a single county in Oklahoma stirred from the orderly march behind McCain. Statewide, two out of three voters supported McCain -- the highest rate in the nation.

But that largely monolithic, conservative Oklahoma is harder to find now. While there are countless Tim Driskills -- and hardly anyone doubts that McCain would easily win in a redo --there are also new fractures as some voters have shifted toward accepting Obama's victory.

In interviews in the week leading up to the inauguration, many people said a tolerant spirit toward his presidency has been hastened, paradoxically, by some of the same groups that voted mostly Republican. Those include active or former military personnel, and people who identify themselves as evangelical Christians -- two groups with traditions of respecting hierarchical order and strong leadership.

"Oklahomans understand and respect the elections process," said Chris Benge, a Republican from Tulsa who serves as speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. "Once the president has been determined, the vast majority of people are willing to get behind him."

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