'Stakes are high' for Obama, Bush says

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush said Monday his well-wishes to his successor isn't just a casual remark, saying he sincerely wants "all the best" for him.

"It's not a throwaway line," Bush said during his last news conference. "The stakes are high. ... I'm telling you there's an enemy that would like to attack America -- Americans -- again. There just is. That's the reality of the world."

Besides a terrorist threat, President-elect Barack Obama also faces a domestic economic crisis, Bush said.

Bush said he wouldn't speculate about any decisions Obama would make.

"He'll make the decisions he thinks (are) necessary," Bush said. "When I get out of here, I'm getting off the stage. I believe there ought to be one person in the Klieg lights at a time and I've had my time in the Klieg lights."

Bush said he hoped the tone in Washington was different for Obama than for him. While noting that the White House and Congress "did find some good common ground ... the rhetoric got out of control."

He said he considered himself "fortunate to have a front-row seat" for the historic inauguration of the first black president of the United States."

"President-elect Obama's election does speak volumes about how far the country has come," he said. "It's going to be an amazing moment."