Washington, D.C.
A report in The Washington Post this week fueled feverish speculation about the future of Secretary of State Colin Powell. Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper declared that Powell and his deputy, Richard Armitage, had alerted the White House that they intended to step down even if President Bush was re-elected. The White House immediately denied that Powell was on the way out. “The president thinks he’s doing an outstanding job,” a Bush spokesman said. Powell dismissed the report as “nothing more than gossip.” National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz are considered to be the best bets to replace Powell, who has at times been at odds with others in the administration over key foreign-policy issues, the Post reported. State Department officials are worried that word of a Powell departure could undercut his influence.
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