The Bush Administration has for the first time dropped public hints that its hopes of seeing the US-India civil nuclear deal may be ebbing, suggesting that the next administration and Congress could take up the landmark pact if it fails to meet the deadline now. Putting out a mixed message on its prognosis for the deal, the State Department said on Thursday that time certainly was running out, yet denying it was giving up hope as the deal could still make it to the Congress in the remaining months.