US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has hinted that she might make a late run for the White House in an audacious bid to "out-do Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton" by becoming America's first black, female president.

Dr Rice, whose black/female profile has long been an awkward topic of discussion at Republican Party conventions, insists that she is "just as black, if not blacker, than senator Obama" and "more womanly and glamorous" than Senator Clinton.

"Why shouldn't I run?" Said Rice.

"After all, I combine the selling points of both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton and am vastly more experienced than both candidates".

Meanwhile, Republican front-runner John McCain says America "is not ready" for its first black or female president and certainly not both at the same time.

"I respect Condi a great deal, but in my belief America is still not ready to vote against the ageing white man. I can assure people right now that my frail heart is in this fight until the very end".

However, President George W Bush insists he would endorse Dr Rice as a nominee, declaring; "I like her policies, she's a mighty fine negotiator and most important of all, she'd give me a job...an under-the-table job".