WASHINGTON POST: Why do you think bin Laden has not been caught?
DUBYA: Because he's hiding.

Sometimes, words have consequences you don't intend them to mean. "Bring 'em on" is the classic example, when I was really trying to rally the troops and make it clear to them that I fully understood, you know, what a great job they were doing. And those words had an unintended consequence. It kind of, some interpreted it to be defiance in the face of danger. That certainly wasn't the case.

It's important for people to know that I'm the president of everybody.

WASHINGTON POST: In Iraq, there's been a steady stream of surprises. We weren't welcomed as liberators, as Vice President Cheney had talked about. We haven't found the weapons of mass destruction as predicted. The postwar process hasn't gone as well as some had hoped. Why hasn't anyone been held accountable, either through firings or demotions, for what some people see as mistakes or misjudgments?
DUBYA: Well, we had an accountability moment, and that's called the 2004 election. And 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, for which I'm grateful.

We've got to make sure education systems actually educate willing workers for the jobs which exist. And that's why I'm here at the community college system today.

I'm also mindful that it takes a while for democracy to take hold. Witness our own history. We weren't — we certainly were not the perfect democracy and are yet the perfect democracy.

I'm also mindful that man should never try to put words in God's mouth. I mean, we should never ascribe natural disasters or anything else to God. We are in no way, shape, or form should a human being, play God.

I also believe that some of the decisions I've made up to now have affected our standing in parts of the world. I remember in the debates, somebody asked me about Europe. And I said, well, they wanted us to join the International Criminal Court, and I chose — I said, that's not the right posture for the United States of America, or some saying I should have negotiated with [Yasser] Arafat for the four years I was president — obviously, prior to his death.

WASHINGTON POST: Will you talk to Senate Democrats about your privatization plan?
DUBYA: You mean, the personal savings accounts?
WASHINGTON POST: Yes, exactly. Scott has been —
DUBYA: We don't want to be editorializing, at least in the questions.
WASHINGTON POST: You used partial privatization yourself last year, sir.
DUBYA: Yes?
WASHINGTON POST: Yes, three times in one sentence. We had to figure this out, because we're in an argument with the RNC [Republican National Committee] about how we should actually word this. [Post staff writer] Mike Allen, the industrious Mike Allen, found it.
DUBYA: Allen did what now?
WASHINGTON POST: You used partial privatization.
DUBYA: I did, personally?
WASHINGTON POST: Right.
DUBYA: When?
WASHINGTON POST: To describe it.
DUBYA: When, when was it?
WASHINGTON POST: Mike said it was right around the election.
DUBYA: Seriously?
WASHINGTON POST: It was right around the election. We'll send it over.
DUBYA: I'm surprised. Maybe I did. It's amazing what happens when you're tired.

WASHINGTON POST: Why should [the District of Columbia]... have to spend 12 million dollars from their budget — from their homeland security budget they get from the federal government — to provide security for the inauguration?
DUBYA: The inauguration is a high-profile event, like a lot of other events that, unfortunately, in the world in which we live, could be an attractive target for terrorists. And by providing security, hopefully that will provide comfort to people who are coming from all around the country to come and stay in the hotels in Washington and to be able to watch the different festivities in Washington and eat the food in Washington. We've got people coming from all around the country, and I think it provides them great comfort to know that all levels of government are working closely to make this event as secure as possible.

I want to thank the astronauts who are with us, the courageous spacial entrepreneurs who set such a wonderful example for the young of our country.

The North Koreans made a decision. And the decision they made was to ignore international norm, ignore treaties that they had — agreements that they had reached, and start building potential nukyular weapons, enriching uranium. And now they have expelled — are in the process of kicking out IEAE people.

I think that one of the greatest contributions to Poland to our country is Polish Americans — people who are enterprising, hardworking, God-fearing, family-loving people. One of the great strengths of our country is our diversity, and part of our diversity is the fact that a lot of our citizens were born in Poland and/or their fathers and mothers were born in Poland or their grandparents were born in Poland. Truly, one of the great blessings and gifts from Poland to this country is the Polish heritage.

It's amazing to me that we've got an enemy, on the one hand, that's willing to convince young males to commit suicide on behalf of a cause that's empty and, at the same time, try to escape the justice of America in caves.

The first condition to make sure that people can find work is to make sure our nation is secure, secure against an enemy that wants to attack us.

The California crunch really is the result of not enough power-generating plants and then not enough power to power the power of generating plants.

Redefining the role of the United States from enablers to keep the peace to enablers to keep the peace from peacekeepers is going to be an assignment.

She's just trying to make sure Anthony gets a good meal — Antonio.

We must all hear the universal call to like your neighbor just like you like to be liked yourself.

This is still a dangerous world. It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mential losses.

We must all hear the universal call to like your neighbor just like you like to be liked yourself.