WASHINGTON—Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's aides manage her image carefully, with attention to visual details more reminiscent of White House operations.
Press conferences with foreign visitors have been moved from outside the department's front entrance to more regal digs on the eighth floor. Rice is met on the airport tarmac at foreign stops by greeters—such as a South Korean rock star or traditional Thai dancing girls—chosen for the statement that the pictures will make to foreign audiences.
In Washington, Rice's day starts at 4:45 a.m. After a workout, she gets to the office by 6:30 a.m., holds a daily 8 a.m. meeting with her leadership team, followed by an expanded 8:30 meeting with department officials. There's an early evening wrap-up meeting with senior staff.
Rice delegates much, focusing her time on a few priorities, including North Korea and Israel's upcoming disengagement from the Gaza Strip, department officials say.
She traveled overseas 64 out of her first 182 days, or 35 percent of the time, according to statistics compiled by her staff. She logged 170,000 miles and visited 38 countries.
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(c) 2005, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
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