Bush Takes Few Questions at AP Luncheon

By: Greg Mitchell and Joe Strupp Speaking to a large gathering of newspaper editors, publishers and executives this afternoon, President Bush defended his policies on Iraq and the war on terror, saying "We're changing the world for the better."

Asked about an editorial in today's Washington Post noting that Sen. John Kerry now called for a stable Iraq but not necessarily a full democracy, Bush repeated his own view that democracy in that country "is necessary and it will change the world." He later added: "We're not gonna cut and run as long as I am in the Oval Office."

The whole issue of questions from the audience at the Associated Press annual luncheon was a running joke for the president during his talk. He opened his speech by saying, "I kind of like ducking questions," and said he would be "glad to duck any questions like my mother once told me to do" following his remarks.

In the end he only took three questions, from those submitted in advance by AP members, and read by Burl Osborne, the AP chairman. After replying to one question he apologized for "the long answer, but at least I answered it."

One question asked him to comment on an AP poll released today which showed that half of the respondents had doubts that we were winning the war on terror, and 60% felt they had less faith in the government's ability to protect them than before 9/11. "This is a big country. It is a hard country to defend," Bush answered. He then cited steps he has taken against terrorism, concluding, "We've got to stay on the offensive."

The speech was broken by applause only once, when Bush called for the end to the so-called "death tax," which he said unfairly taxed individual's assets twice. He also called for broadband service to be available in every home by 2007. At another point, he explained, "My job is to, like, think beyond the immediate."

Bush appeared fairly relaxed during his half-hour speech and sprinkled his remarks with humor. At one point he referred to the 31 leaders of the AP seated on the dais behind him as "The Politburo." He also revealed that the Japanese prime minister had told him that Gary Cooper's "High Noon" was his favorite movie, and that Bush reminded him of Cooper. Bush said he replied: "Me?"

The president also defended his economic policies and dealings with Korea, Pakistan, and Libya. Contrary to what anyone thinks, he said he was a believer in "alliances -- cooperation is good." Bush said, "we're making pretty good progress" on al Qaeda, having wiped out their "middle-management." He urged people to see the current movie "Osama" which he said spoke better than him about conditions in Afghanistan under the Taliban. And he said the world should have said "thanks Ariel" for the Israeli leader's offer to turn over Gaza to the Palestinians.

The luncheon was also attended by many members of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the Newspaper Association of America, groups that are both meeting in Washington this week.