WASHINGTON - President Bush, delivering a televised farewell to the nation last night, attempted to summon a collective sense of "gratitude" for years of safety following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that shaped his presidency.
In a measure of the impact the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon had on his administration, Bush touted one signal success during his time in office: No further attacks occurred.
The president acknowledged that his anti-terror policies had prompted "legitimate debate." But, he said, "there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."
He also acknowledged "setbacks" in office that he did not detail.
"There are things I would do differently if given the chance," he said. "Yet, I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. ... You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."
Speaking from the East Room of the White House, Bush noted that he had first addressed the nation from the White House on Sept. 11, 2001.
"As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11," Bush said. "But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe."
The president's prime-time address, broadcast by television networks, marked his final planned public appearance before traveling to the Capitol Tuesday for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
He spoke not only to a television audience, but also to an invited audience that included his wife, Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and relatives of Sept. 11 victims, including the mother of a police officer whose badge he said he still keeps.
It was one of several self-assessments that Bush has offered in recent days in interviews and in a news conference, efforts to shape perceptions of his controversial administration and its legacy.
Earlier this week, with his 47th and final planned news conference at the White House, Bush delivered a more critical assessment of his own record, acknowledging several "mistakes" and "disappointments."
In that appearance, the mistakes he cited included the "Mission Accomplished" banner strung across an aircraft carrier where he declared that major combat operations in Iraq had been completed shortly after the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
