Edwards, buttonholed by reporters Thursday evening outside a New York event, said he was not thinking about becoming U.S. attorney general, although he did not rule it out, ABC News reported. He said there was no deal involved in his decision to endorse Obama.

"I have no interest in running for VP," Edwards said.

He said he tried to reach Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y, before going public with his endorsement Wednesday.

"I called her," he said. "We kept missing each other."

Edwards dropped out of the presidential race after his campaign failed to get enough traction with voters. He served one term as U.S. senator and was Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's running mate in 2004.