But Ms. Rice and Mr. Lavrov, as well as Stephen J. Hadley, the United States national security adviser, played down the rancor that appeared to build as Mr. Bush made his way toward Russia.
Mark W. Lippert, a top foreign policy adviser, sat down with a small group of reporters Friday; Mr. Axelrod entertained questions from columnists in the Roosevelt Room on Wednesday.
But a senior Gore adviser played down concerns about Mrs. Clinton's fund-raiser, saying: "We welcome the event for Hillary.
And yet, one of the demands that Thomas Donilon, the President's national-security adviser, threw down on "Meet the Press" yesterday points to a way that we have sabotaged ourselves this week, without any help from them or any other country.
Upon request, the adviser toned down my lips as well, applying concealer to the lipstick that had overrun my lips and adding a neutral lip gloss to mute the bright pigment.
In 2007 his top adviser stood down over claims Campbell was dropping his historic insistence on voting reform, saying it was no longer a "deal-maker or a deal-breaker" for any future coalition deal.
Though Kushner, a senior White House adviser, stepped down from running the company, he still maintains a stake in projects.
But many Bush advisers played down the issue.
Mr. Obama's advisers play down that prospect for the long term, noting younger Americans' instinct for tolerance.
In 2001 he rose further to become Tony Blair's health adviser in Downing Street.
