Transformed By Her Bond With Bush

During a trip to Europe early in her tenure as secretary, Rice sported a dramatic outfit at a U.S. military base in Germany: a black skirt that hit just above the knee, along with a black coat with seven gold buttons that fell to mid-calf -- and hung open to reveal sexy, knee-high boots.

The trip was notable for the administration's move to support European efforts against Iran's nuclear program, but the photographs of Rice dominated the news. Talking with Wilkinson, Rice professed puzzlement about the fuss over her boots. Wilkinson said he didn't feel comfortable explaining the reason.

"Oh, Jim, you're like my little brother," Rice teased. "Tell me."

Wilkinson finally answered. "Men like these," he admitted.

Rice leaned over and whispered: "We know that."

In March 2005, before Rice sat for an interview with the Washington Times, Wilkinson slipped a note to the editorial page editor, Tony Blankley, suggesting that she be asked whether she would consider running for president. It was an audacious proposal -- she had been secretary for only six weeks -- but such speculation would bolster Rice's image as a leader. (Wilkinson and Blankley said they do not recall the incident, but others present said they saw Wilkinson's note.)

"I never wanted to run for anything," Rice said in the interview, giving a classic non-answer. "I don't think I even ran for class anything in school."

Her remarks generated headlines and talk about a "Condi versus Hillary" race in 2008.

'A Great Country'

Rice had a long history as a foreign policy "realist" -- believing that a balance of power among leading states would help ensure stability. As a young academic, she had even disapproved of President Ronald Reagan's moralistic approach to the Soviet Union. In the administration of Bush's father, when Rice was a midlevel staffer for national security adviser Brent Scowcroft, working on German reunification issues, she consistently appeared pragmatic and non-ideological.

A traditional realist would not seek to bring democracy to autocratic allies, instead dealing with regimes as they are. But in the current administration, few officials have appeared to be more fervent believers in the president's message of spreading democracy in the Middle East than Rice, who echoes that message in public and in private.

In May 2005, as Rice departed Baghdad after her first trip to Iraq as secretary, she reflected on all she had seen in Iraq: great rivers, fertile fields, monuments with their sense of history. The nation had oil, water, an educated public. On an impulse, she called Bush.

"Mr. President, this is going to be a great country," she told him.