January 17, 2006	Tuesday	Zilhaj 16, 1426

MONROVIA, Jan 16: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday she was flattered that US First Lady Laura Bush thought she would make a good president, but her response is still ‘thanks but no thanks’.

With both women in Liberia to attend the inauguration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, thoughts turned inevitably to Ms Rice’s prospects for succeeding George Bush.

Laura Bush told CNN on Friday that Ms Rice would make a great leader. But the chief US diplomat, a close aide and family friend of the Republican president, was not biting.

“Obviously it’s flattering that people say things like that,” Ms Rice told reporters en route to Monrovia. “The first lady is not only a terrific person, she’s my friend. I was honoured that she said it, of course.”

But Ms Rice added: “I know what I’m good at. I know what I want to do and that’s not it.”

Asked whether she might be tempted by a try at the vice presidency on a Republican ticket, Ms Rice also turned thumbs down. “The two are the same,” she said.—AFP