Does Condoleezza Rice want to be John McCain's choice for Vice President?

It depends on who you ask.

According to one Republican strategist, the Secretary of State is actively campaigning for it.

Amid a torrent of rumors that Condi Rice wants to be John McCain's running mate, Senator "Straight Talk" says he won't talk about that yet.

"I'm a great admirer of Secretary Rice just like all people," said McCain.

Rice carries the baggage of being associated with an unpopular Iraq policy, but polls have long shown her to be one of the more respected members of the Bush administration.

She's well known and experienced in national government, all potential pluses for the GOP ticket.

So when she showed up at a weekly meeting of influential conservatives, she raised eyebrows.

Dan Senor is a Republican strategist.

"(It's) The first time the Secretary of State has visited the Wednesday meeting," stated Senor.

The man who organized that meeting, Grover Norquist, says Rice talked about foreign policy.

"But the people who walked out of the room said two things," recalled Norquist, with 'Americans for Tax Reform.'

"She articulates Bush's vision and what he's trying to do better than he does, and second, you know, she would make a good President and therefore a good Vice President."

Rice has said repeatedly she is not interested, and her State Department team says, "if she is actively seeking the Vice Presidency then she is the last one to know about it."

They all insist when she is done being Secretary of State, Rice will likely leave government work and go into academics.

Still, with the Democrats set to nominate a woman or a black man Rice raises intriguing possibilities for her party, a political pro who might also draw voters influenced by race or gender.

Rice's staff says the notion that she is interested in being McCain's running mate is pure fiction.