Asked if it reflected a wait and see attitude, Clinton responded with an emphatic 'No, no, no, no.'

'Well, I am saying no, because I have a very committed attitude toward the job I'm doing now, and so that's not anything that is at all on my radar screen,' she said adding, 'I have absolutely no belief, in my mind, that that will happen.'

Clinton also declined comment on the presidential prospects for outgoing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who was Republican contender Senator John McCain's running mate in last year's race. Pressed on whether she thought Palin had the right attributes to be president, Clinton replied: 'That is up to the voters to determine.'

'I am just going to leave it at that,' she said. 'I do want to see a woman elected. I hope it is a Democratic woman who represents the type of approach that I happen to favour.'

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)