Hillary Clinton hints at plan to step down

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday that after 20 years “on the high wire of American politics,” she’d like to find out how “tired” she really is.

Her statement comes on the heels of persistent whispering that she may trade jobs with Vice President Joe Biden ahead of the 2012 election and join the ticket as President Barack Obama’s running mate.

Speaking to State Department employees, Clinton said she will “certainly stay on until the president nominates someone,” but added that after two decades of service, “it would be probably a good idea to just find out how tired I am.”

Her remarks came after a reporter asked if she might be persuaded to join Obama on the campaign trail as his running mate, to which she replied: “Oh my goodness.” Clinton said that she hadn’t even watched a single Republican debate, but noted that it might be a good thing they’re out there getting “a lot of the attention.”

“[Maybe] we can get even more done if they are not paying attention, so just factor that in,” she joked, adding that Biden had done “an excellent job” in his role as vice president.

Clinton entered the political realm with her husband was elected attorney general of Arkansas in 1976, just one year after their marriage. She’s since been the first lady of Arkansas, the first lady of the United States, a U.S. Senator from New York, a Democratic presidential candidate in 2008 and finally the Secretary of State.

The long serving Democrat is not the only Obama official this week to signal plans for a change in 2012: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Wednesday that while he’s confident President Obama will win his reelection bid, the second term would see a new face in his job.

(H/T: Washington Post)