Former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card said Tuesday morning that he is intrigued by the prospect of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton becoming President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of state.

Card, a Holbrook Republican, was on the set of MSNBC's Morning Joe Tuesday morning for more than an hour. Asked about the current speculation surrounding Clinton, a New York Democrat, Card said her selection would present an interesting opportunity for New York Gov. David Paterson.

"I'd be very interested if Hillary Clinton became secretary of state; I actually think she'd be a pretty interesting choice," Card said. "But that would create another interesting choice: Who will Gov. Patterson put in the United States Senate? Maybe he'll put Bill Clinton in there."

Card, who was President George W. Bush's chief of staff from 2001 to 2006, also said that the concerns about Bill Clinton's global travels could be dealt with. If Clinton were selected as secretary of state, Card suggested the Obama administration hire an in-house lawyer for the state department that would have to sign off on any planned travels of the former president.

Card also said that he expects the transition between the Bush and Obama administrations to be "historically smooth" because Bush has instructed his staff to fully cooperate.

"The transition will go well because the president has set the tone," Card said.

Asked about Edward Kennedy's return to the Senate Monday, Card said how much he respects the senator from Massachusetts.

"I respect Ted Kennedy," he said. "He and I have had a good candid relationship...I have tremendous respect for him. I've found that he's a man of his word."