For years, Condoleezza Rice has largely escaped the kind of criticism heaped on others in the administration — especially President Bush and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld — for the foreign policy disasters of the last seven years, including the Iraq war and the failure to halt the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea.

Obviously, no one bears the same responsibility as Mr. Bush, or even — in the case of Iraq — Mr. Rumsfeld. But as national security adviser and now as secretary of state, Ms. Rice has been central to policy formulation and execution. Yet, while Mr. Rumsfeld was almost run out of Washington on a rail, her name still surfaces now and again as a potential vice presidential candidate.

That unearned coating of teflon may be flaking away.

With reports recently by ABC News and Associated Press that Ms. Rice, as national security adviser, chaired White House meetings during which top officials selected specific torture techniques, several liberal groups have launched a campaign to force her out as secretary of state.

The multi-pronged effort — including a web site CondiMustGo.com, a television ad and a petition drive — is spearheaded by TrueMajority.org founded by Ben & Jerry’s ice cream founder Ben Cohen; Democracy for America, founded by Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean; and Brave New Films, headed by producer and political activist Robert Greenwald.

Ms. Rice’s direct involvement in the torture decisions is “an embarrassment to our nation” and “her shameful tenure as secretary of state must come to an end,” said Jim Dean, chair of Democracy for America.

However energetic their campaign, it’s unlikely to work.

Ms. Rice is one of Mr. Bush’s closest aides and confidantes, and the president is known for two things: he doesn’t care what his critics have to say, but he does care a great deal about loyalty.

Still, Ms. Rice’s critics are hoping that they can at least thwart or damage any political aspirations she may have. While Mr. Bush’s political career will end in January 2009, Ms. Rice could well be asked to serve in a future government. As Mr. Bush proved by tapping Republican retreads like Vice President Dick Cheney and Mr. Rumsfeld for his administration, “people come back who you thought you were done with,” said Matt Holland of TrueMajority.org.