Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, August 05, 2003
Bush Administration Denies Report that Powell Plans to Leave
The White House expressed President Bush's support Monday for Secretary of State Colin Powell in response to a report that he did not plan to serve in a second term.
The White House expressed President Bush's support Monday for Secretary of State Colin Powell in response to a report that he did not plan to serve in a second term.
"The president thinks he is doing an outstanding job and appreciates the job that he is doing," Press Secretary Scott McClellan said. "The president looks forward to Secretary Powell continuing to work with him in our foreign policy realm."
The praise was in response to a report in The Washington Post that Powell's deputy, Richard L. Armitage, had told National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that neither he nor Powell would stay on if Bush was re-elected.
At the State Department, deputy spokesman Philip T. Reeker said Powell "serves at the pleasure of the president and will continue to do so."
Powell and Armitage were to fly to Texas on Tuesday for dinner with Bush and further talks with him on Wednesday on foreign-policy issues.
Bush probably will meet with other Cabinet officers, as well, while he is in Texas, Reeker said. The meetings with Powell and Armitage were planned weeks ago, the spokesman said.