Bush's exit: In last news conference, president defends legacy

WASHINGTON -- A wistful and introspective President Bush devoted a valedictory news conference Monday to a robust defense of his "good, strong record," going further than he has gone before in conceding errors -- but making it clear that he has few major regrets about his handling of Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and the other major events of his eight years in office.

But Bush, seemingly freed to speak his mind as his tenure draws to a close -- he jokingly called the conference the "ultimate exit interview" -- offered a bit more nuance and soul-searching than he usually does in such settings, pounding the lectern for emphasis at certain points.

Asked about mistakes he had made while in office -- a question that once famously stumped him -- Bush rattled off several examples, saying that he regretted his decision to focus on Social Security reform after the 2004 elections, a drive that proved unsuccessful, instead of first addressing immigration issues.

Bush also said hanging a "Mission Accomplished" sign on an aircraft carrier after the toppling of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 was a "mistake." He described the scandal surrounding the treatment of detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq as a "huge disappointment," as he did the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in that country, which the administration had claimed, based on faulty intelligence.

But there were limits to Bush's contrition. "I have thought long and hard about Katrina," Bush told reporters gathered in the White House briefing room for his 47th full-scale news conference. "You know, could I have done something differently, like land Air Force One either in New Orleans or Baton Rouge?"

Although "things" could have been done better, Bush said later, "Don't tell me the federal response was slow when there was 30,000 people pulled off roofs right after the storm passed. I remember going to see those helicopter drivers, Coast Guard drivers, to thank them for their courageous efforts to rescue people off roofs. Thirty thousand people were pulled off roofs right after the storm moved through. It's a pretty quick response."

Throughout the 47-minute session, the president's fundamental point was that he had done the best he could under trying circumstances -- two wars, a natural disaster and the biggest economic calamity since the Great Depression -- and that history will be the final judge. "I don't think you can possibly get the full breadth of an administration until time has passed," Bush said at one point.

He opened the news conference by expressing appreciation for the media, and borrowed one of his famous malapropisms, that the press corps "sometimes misunderestimated me."

At another point, Bush pursed his lips and mocked the suggestion that the burdens of office are too great. "It's kind of like, why me? Oh, the burdens, you know. Why did the financial collapse have to happen on my watch? It's just -- it's pathetic, isn't it, self-pity?" Bush said.

One question that seemed to touch a nerve involved the suggestion by some of his critics that America's moral standing in the world has been damaged by harsh interrogation tactics, the creation of a detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the decision to go to war in Iraq without a mandate from the United Nations. "It may be damaged amongst some of the elite," Bush replied, "but people still understand America stands for freedom, that America is a country that provides such great hope."

"You go to Africa, you ask Africans about America's generosity and compassion; go to India and ask about ... their view of America. Go to China and ask," Bush went on. "Now, no question parts of Europe have said that we shouldn't have gone to war in Iraq without a mandate, but those are a few countries. Most countries in Europe listened to what 1441 said, which is disclose, disarm or face serious consequences," he said, referring to the U.N. Security Council resolution.

Bush’s last address Thursday

President George W. Bush will give a 10-15 minute farewell address to the nation at 5 p.m. PST Thursday, billed by the administration as a chance to reflect on his tenure and welcome Barack Obama.