Hillary Clinton: "Thrilled to be back"

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today that she is "thrilled to be back" at work after being sidelined for a month by a concussion and a blood clot near her brain.

"I am also grateful to this fabulous team that I have here at the State Department who never missed a beat for the time that I was away," she added, "and we are focused on continuing our work and finishing up everything we can and helping Senator Kerry with his transition."

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has been nominated by President Obama to succeed Clinton at the State Department.

Her departure will be "somewhat bittersweet," Clinton said, "but I'm very much looking forward to doing everything we can these last few weeks" to tie off loose ends and facilitate a "smooth, seamless transition" for Kerry.

• After illnesses, Hillary Clinton back at work
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Asked whether retirement is her next step, a question that has Washington abuzz, Clinton played coy.

"Well, I don't know if that's the word I would use," she said, "but certainly stepping off the very fast track for a little while."

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Hillary Clinton back at work

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until she is asked to testify, then she will be thrilled to be back in the hospital.