Bush blames bureaucracy for Katrina failures

Despite increasingly lackluster poll ratings and widespread concerns about the way his administration is prosecuting the war in Iraq, President Bush Tuesday said he is satisfied with his current staff, blaming "government bureaucracies" for problems such as the flawed response to Hurricane Katrina.

Bush, at a White House news conference, continued to express optimism about the Iraq war, although he suggested U.S. troops would have to remain there for the balance of his administration. Asked if there would "come a day when there will be no more American forces in Iraq," Bush replied, "That, of course, is an objective, and that'll be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq."

Asked specifically if Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should resign, Bush said he should not and that Rumsfeld has "done a fine job" in Afghanistan, Iraq, and with reforming the military. "We've been a remarkably stable administration, and I think that's good for the country," Bush said.

But the president appeared to express a bit of frustration with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in referencing reports of 11,000 empty trailers in Arkansas that are supposed to be for Katrina victims. "I've asked Chertoff to find out, 'What are you going to do with them?'" Bush said. "I mean, the taxpayers aren't interested in 11,000 trailers just sitting there. Do something with them."

Bush said he was disappointed but "not surprised" that Congress did not pass a Social Security overhaul last year, noting the issue is "fraught with political peril." Democrats were nearly unified against Bush's Social Security proposals, and the president said a solution would require bipartisanship.

"It's simply not going to be an issue where, you know, one party without the cooperation of the other party kind of tries to move a bill, at least that's how I view it," Bush said. He said he remains "committed to moving the issue," pointing to his "new tactic" of trying to form a bipartisan commission to study changes in Social Security and Medicare.

In other comments, Bush dismissed as "needless partisanship" a proposal by Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., to censure Bush over his domestic eavesdropping program. Bush also called for Congress to provide him with a line-item veto, explaining his failure to veto any appropriations bills by saying lawmakers had met spending "benchmarks" proposed by the administration, even if Bush did not like "slices within the pie."

Bush opened the news conference reciting a list of his priorities, including making permanent tax relief passed earlier in his administration, restraining federal spending, promoting math and science education, and reducing dependence on foreign oil by developing hybrid cars and advanced ethanol fuel.