US President George W Bush found himself almost wistful, conjuring a rocking-chair moment at his Texas ranch when he will reconcile his unpopularity with the knowledge that he honoured his own personal principles about the war.

In a notable departure from his typical approach, during a White House news conference beamed out to the world, the president acknowledged the personal toll of sticking with his beliefs when they were so profoundly in opposition to those of the American people.

"You know, I guess I'm like any other, you know, political figure - everybody wants to be loved," the president said.

"Just sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don't enable you to be loved.

"And so when it's all said and done ... if you ever come down and visit the old, tired me down there in Crawford, I will be able to say I looked in the mirror and made decisions based upon principle, not based upon politics. And that's important to me."

Since the war began, his script has rarely varied: America must take the fight to the terrorists or the terrorists will bring the fight to America. Insurgents in Iraq are terrorists. Al-Qaeda is supporting insurgents. The fight must continue because to leave Iraq would make America more vulnerable. And unfailingly he argues that the war can be won.

The caucus that shares that view seems to shrink with each passing week.’

I Guess I Just Want To Be Loved: Bush

Decisions based on “principle”?

This rotten, despicable little criminal wouldn’t recognise a “principle” if it smacked him in the eye.

Spoilt little rich kid; draft dodger; deserter; liar; thief; cheat; war monger; corrupter; murderer; war criminal; torturer; security risk; a swaggering, grotesque tyrant; phoney; dopey, delusional & dangerous; a sociopath; a psychopath … the list goes on … responsible for the murder of a million innocent Iraqis & still lying to try & cover-up his crimes … not enough words available to describe this evil creature; a sickening excuse for a human being.

The stench around him & his henchmen speaks for itself, including the bald little lapdog & the rest of the dangerous crazies in Canberra & London.