Hillary Clinton denies rumors that she’s eying top spot at World Bank

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton adamantly denied a report today that she has held discussions with White House officials about taking over as chief of the World Bank next year.

"She has not had any conversations with the President, the White House or anyone about moving to the World Bank," Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines said by e-mail Friday.

"She has expressed absolutely no interest in the job," Reines continued, adding that "she would not take it offered."

Clinton "has been in discussions with the White House about leaving her job next year to become head of the World Bank," Reuters' Lesley Wroughton reported Friday, citing "sources familiar with the discussions."

"Associates say Clinton has expressed interest in having the World Bank job should the bank's current president, Robert Zoellick, leave at the end of his term, in the middle of 2012," the Reuters report continued.

Clinton has said she plans to serve only one term as secretary of state, even if President Barack Obama wins a second term.


Polls show Clinton to be by far the most popular person in the Obama cabinet, ranking ahead of the president, her former Democratic party presidential primary rival.

Clinton's wide popular appeal has prompted several rounds of speculation in recent months over her plans and intentions.

Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward said last year that Obama may ask Clinton to run as his running mate in 2012--a report that Clinton, Obama and current Vice President Joe Biden all vehemently denied.

For her part, Clinton has said in several interviews that she would like to go home in 2012 and work to advance women's and children's development as a private citizen. That role would be similar to the position her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has staked out as head of his eponymous philanthropic foundation.

But former Clinton administration officials have long speculated that Clinton might be interested in the World Bank job.

Speculation on who would succeed Clinton as secretary of state if she bows out in a year and Obama wins a second term has long focused on Obama's ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, and Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

(Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a news conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates following the Libya contact group meeting on Thursday, June 9, 2011: Susan Walsh, Pool/AP)