To inoculate himself against the too-rosy charge while still emphasizing his steadfastness, maybe Bush should have said right up front in his opening, “We had awful news out of Iraq today. 35 children were killed in bombings. That is truly horrific. Some say I ignore the bad news out of Iraq. Believe me, I don’t. It’s just when I hear about these sort of killings by terrorists desparate to derail us in Iraq, it steels my resolve even more to see this thing through…”