Clinton ready to jump politics 'high wire'

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton repeated her desire to leave public life at the end of President Obama's first term.

During a meeting with State Department employees Thursday, Clinton said she is ready to leave "the high wire of American politics," Politico reported.

"I think after 20 years -- and it will be 20 years -- of being on the high wire of American politics and all of the challenges that come with that, it would be probably a good idea to just find out how tired I am," she said.

She also told employee she hadn't paid attention to the Republican presidential nominating process or watched any of the debates, Politico reported.

Clinton acknowledged she finds it "a little odd for me to be totally out of an election season" after being in her own campaigns for president and the U.S. Senate, as well as being a proxy when her husband, Bill Clinton, campaigned for president and then ran for re-election.

Clinton avoided a question about being Obama's running mate this year, speculation that has been circulating for months, Politico reported.

"I am happy to work with Vice President [Joe] Biden, who does an excellent job," she said.