With US President George W Bush making it clear that there will be changes in his team for his second term, there is speculation over who will leave.
The most intense debate is circled around Secretary of State Colin Powell, considered a moderate among hardliners in the administration.
But Powell has reportedly told friends that he would like to stay if Bush asked him to. Powell's deputy Richard Armitage has also made it clear that he would stay if Powell remained, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
US Ambassador to the UN John C Danforth is being mentioned as a replacement for Powell. Danforth is a former senator and an ordained minister popular with the religious conservatives who helped raise Bush's victory margin.
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice has made it known that she will not stay in the post. Neither is she interested in the secretary of state's chair. She is reportedly lobbying for the plum defence secretary's post, media reports said.
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, on the other hand, is trying hard to keep his job, projecting Iraq and the war on terror as his achievements.
In his first interaction with the media on Thursday after winning his second term, Bush said a reshuffle is 'inevitable'. "There will be changes. It happens in every administration."
If Rice moves to the Pentagon or leaves altogether, as some reports have said, there could be intense lobbying for her post. Her deputy Stephen J Hadley and Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz are considered the frontrunners for the job. The names of former US ambassador to India Robert Blackwill and Vice-President Dick Cheney's chief aide Lewis Libby are also doing the rounds.
Attorney General John Ashcroft, known for his tough tactics in fighting terrorism, has expressed his desire to step down.
The 62-year-old is said to be worn down by the intense demands of the job since the September 11 attacks.
His health has shown the strain and he was sidelined for about a month earlier this year to have his gallbladder removed after a severe bout of pancreatitis, the media quoted an unidentified aide as saying.
In fact, he could well be the first senior functionary to leave.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge or former New York mayor Rudolph Guiliani could replace him. Ridge has indicated to his friends that he wants to move on, the Post said.
Treasury Secretary John Snow is likely to be replaced, but will be given plenty of time to make a graceful exit, the Post said quoting administration officials involved in the discussions. Chief of Staff Andrew Card could possibly replace him.
Some reports said US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick is also interested in the Snow's job, but is unlikely to get it. However, he could replace Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, who has indicated that he plans to return to Texas to lead a quiet life, the report said.
