President-elect Barack Obama on Friday selected the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Timothy Geithner, as his nominee for treasury secretary, choosing a vigorous advocate of government intervention in the troubled economy who nonetheless commands wide respect among conservatives.

On another Cabinet front, a spokes-man for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton said Friday that reports that she had definitively been offered and accepted the post of secretary of state were “premature.” But he said that discussions were “very much on track.”

Although Obama hasn’t formally announced any Cabinet choices, he is believed to have selected Eric Holder as his attorney general and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota as secretary of health and human services.

Formal announcements are expected to begin on Monday, starting with the treasury post. Read the complete story on page 2A.