It has become conventional wisdom to say that no one has left the Bush administration with their reputation higher than when they joined it. With approval ratings for President George W. Bush languishing at stubbornly low levels for almost two years, even close friends openly doubt whether he can restore his fortunes.
But three senior Bush officials, two of them relatively new to their jobs, are operating as though they believe they can still leave office in January 2009 with higher standing. The trio in question - Bob Gates, defence secretary, Hank Paulson, Treasury secretary and Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state - are playing a quiet but central role in pushing through what one official described as a "course -correction".
