Hillary Clinton denies pursuit of World Bank top job

Hillary Clinton says she is not pursuing the top job at the World Bank, despite news to the contrary.

Clinton is in Zambia on a five-day Africa trip, the first by a U.S. secretary of state since Henry Kissinger in 1976, ostensibly to encourage African nations to reduce their dependence on oil and to make more use of the duty-free agreement to expand exports in other areas besides oil.

"I have had no discussions with anyone, I have evidenced no interest to anyone and I am not pursuing that position," Clinton told reporters in Lusaka, Bloomberg reports. “It’s a very important institution and obviously we want to see the World Bank well led. We work closely with the World Bank but I am absolutely dedicated to my service as secretary of state.”

Clinton expressed interest in moving to the World Bank when the term of current bank president Robert Zoellick ends in mid-2012, Reuters reports, citing sources close to Clinton and the Obama administration.

Zoellick has not revealed an interest in a second term at the bank, which provides billions of dollars in loans and grants to developing countries.

The White House and State Department, however, denied the reports, while Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines told Politico called the them "Grade A bullsh*t." On Twitter Friday morning, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer called it: “One of the craziest things I have seen in my time at the WH.”