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April 20, 2004 -- DESPITE what his enemies leaked to the New York Times, Secretary of State Colin Powell is not in any trouble with President Bush for talking to Bob Woodward for Woodward's critical new book, "Plan of Attack" (Simon & Schuster).

"Powell is totally supported by the president," a D.C. insider said. "Not only did the president authorize Powell to speak to Bob Woodward, he encouraged him."

The Times reported yesterday that Powell's cooperation with Woodward had "aggravated long-festering tensions in the Bush cabinet" and said his critics "were startled by what they saw as his self-serving decision to help fill out a portrait that enhances his reputation as a far-sighted analyst."

Powell had warned that it would be hard to disengage once U.S. forces occupied Iraq.

"Look at it this way, Powell was right all along," the insider added. "He was always concerned about a follow-up plan for Iraq and wanted the United Nations to be involved. Everything he said turned out to be true. So are people inside the White House upset with him? Yes, but not the president."

One indication of Powell's standing with Bush is the fact that his former deputy, John Negroponte, was named U.S. ambassador to Iraq yesterday.

"The president picked Negroponte, who is currently the UN ambassador and got his job from Powell. Negroponte was Powell's deputy in the late '80s and is very close to him still. This shows how much the president wants Powell involved in the Iraq stuff - he picked his close friend."

The insider also denied the rumor that Powell would be replaced before the fall election. "Why would the administration get rid of Powell? He is the only person there who has an 80 percent approval rating, and only person giving [Bush] good advice.

"Right now, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld are being blamed for the mess we are in in Iraq, but swing voters love Colin Powell."

There is even talk of Powell replacing Cheney as vice president. Not that Cheney, who has a bad heart, would go easily. Cheney, determined to keep fit, even brought an exercycle on his recent trip to Asia.

"It was this ancient thing, like from the '60s, and he had people lugging it on and off planes wherever he went. It was hilarious."

A rep for Powell declined comment.

COKIE Roberts made an enemy at the pharmacy counter at Zitomer on Madison Avenue the other day when a crusty old lady mistakenly thought the ABC newswoman had cut in front of her on line. The D.C.-based political pundit told us: "I was raised by nuns, and would never cut off an old lady, as I'm fast becoming one myself." Roberts said she waited a half-hour and left empty-handed: "No one was getting any service as far as I could tell."

MULTI-millionaire modelizers take note - Elite is for sale. The ailing agency, which repped the likes of Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell, filed for Chapter 11 protection in February. The beauty shop never recovered from a $4.7 million judgment awarded to a former employee exposed to second-hand smoke and a Dept. of Justice class-action suit brought against it by a handful of disgruntled former models. Mark Claster, a partner in Carl Marks Capital Advisors, which has been hired to sell the agency, said Elite "is a great brand. It has sex appeal. It's like a sports team - it will attract a certain kind of buyer."

Liz Smith says - but personally, I'm asking this faltering government to appoint Welch to redesign the CIA and FBI and force them to begin working together. We can't wait the five years that CIA Director George Tenet says it will take to prepare against terrorism. (Did you write a column for Gorelick asking her to stop hindering the FBI and CIA Liz back in the good old days?)