WASHINGTON – President Bush will work to defuse two issues in his prime-time news conference on Tuesday: rising casualties in Iraq and his response in 2001 to a terrorism warning the White House had in hand before the Sept. 11 attacks.
Both issues are critical to Bush’s re-election strategy, which is focused on the president’s record on national security.
Bush plans to open the 8:30 p.m. EDT news conference — the 12th of his presidency, but only his third televised in prime evening viewing hours — with a statement on Iraq, White House communications director Dan Bartlett said Monday. He said the president will be prepared to address questions about a memo, titled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.,” that Bush received on Aug. 6, 2001.