Hillary Clinton preparing to leave State Department

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's plans to return to private life haven't changed as President Obama readies for a second term, an official said.

Speaking to reporters during her daily briefing Wednesday, a day after President Barack Obama was re-elected, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland was asked about Clinton's plans.

"I don't think the secretary's plans have changed," the State Department on its website quoted Nuland as saying. "You've heard her say many times that she intends to see through a transition of a successor and then she will go back to private life and enjoy some rest and think and write and all those things."

Asked about new foreign policy initiatives during Obama's second term, Nuland said the elections have only just ended and declined to say anything more.

"Well, I think we need to -- we just had an election last night. There are people who were up a lot of the night counting and enjoying it, so I'm not going to stand here and make any big predictions on the second term. I think we'll let the President take the lead on those things," she said.

Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. senator and first lady, took over as the nation's top diplomat during Obama's first term. In the past, she has expressed her intention to leave the job after her four-year term ends and return to private life.