Condi Says No

AP: Rice: I Don't Want to Run for President---

WASHINGTON - For Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, no means no — and no again — when it comes to whether she will run for president.

"It's not what I want to do with my life, it's not what I'm going to do with my life," Rice said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

A group pushing for a Rice candidacy has run a television ad in New Hampshire — traditional site of the first presidential primary — and plans to air it soon in Iowa, where the first party caucuses take place.

At least two Web sites are promoting Rice even though Rice herself has said for months that she is not interested in running.

Asked on NBC and on "Fox News Sunday" whether she would run for president in 2008, Rice said she is flattered but would decline.

"I'm not somebody who wants to run for office. I haven't ever run for anything," Rice told NBC. "I think I'm doing what I need to do, which is to try and promote American foreign policy, American interests, the president's democracy agenda at an extraordinary time."

Pressed by host Tim Russert, Rice said, "I don't know how may ways to say no."

"So," asked Russert, "no ...?"

A few seconds of silence followed. "Tim," Rice said, "I don't know how many ways to tell people that I have no interest in being a candidate for anything. ... No."

She told Fox host Chris Wallace, "I'm quite certain that there are going to be really fine candidates for president from our party, and I'm looking forward to seeing them and perhaps supporting them."

I do hope she's right about the "really fine candidates" for the 2008 election. Would she mind naming a few?