ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President Bush said his re-election was a ratification of what he did in Iraq and there is no reason to hold any administration officials accountable.
"We had an accountability moment, and that's called the 2004 elections," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post aboard Air Force One. "The American people listened to different assessments made about what was taking place in Iraq, and they looked at the two candidates, and chose me."
Bush set no timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops, unlike Secretary of State Colin L. Powell who said the number of U.S. troops serving in Iraq could be reduced by the end of the year,
In addition, Bush said he would not ask Congress to expand the National Guard or regular Army, the Post reported Sunday.
Bush said he would not push senators to pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and he had no plans to cut benefits of Social Security recipients who collect disability and survivor payments as he prepares his plan for partial privatization.
The interview was conducted Friday.
