Bush Backs Creation of Intelligence Czar

For example, Ridge said that his department's leadership has testified before Congress 140 times.

In addition to creating a new counterterrorism center, Bush said it "may also be necessary to create a similar center" to help prevent the trafficking and spread of weapons of mass destruction. He said he would examine the merits of establishing such a body.

"We are a nation in danger," Bush said. "We're doing everything we can in our power to confront the danger."

Bush said Congress can think about the recommendations over August, while it is in recess, and "come back and act on them in September."

He dismissed criticism of his performance from Kerry, who is on the campaign trail following his formal nomination as the Democratic Party's candidate last week.

"I believe that I can fight a more effective war on terror than George Bush is," Kerry said on CNN today. "I know I can fight a more effective war."

Kerry added: "I believe this administration, in its policies, is actually encouraging the recruitment of terrorists. We haven't done the work necessary to reach out to other countries. We haven't done the work necessary with the Muslim world. We haven't done the work necessary to protect our own ports, our chemical facilities, our nuclear facilities. There's a long, long list in the 9/11 Commission recommendations of things that are undone. This administration fought against the 9/11 Commission, and they haven't even moved rapidly to implement it. I think that we can do better. That's what I intend to do."

Asked about those comments, Bush said, "It is a ridiculous notion to assert that, because the United States is on the offense, more people want to hurt us. We're on the offense because people do want to hurt us."

Bush said that under the proposed reorganization, the national intelligence director "will assume the broader responsibility of leading the intelligence community across our government," while the CIA would be managed by a separate director. He said creating the new position would require "a substantial revision of the 1947 National Security Act" and that he looks forward to working with Congress on that reform.

Bush said the new counterterrorism center would prepare a daily terrorism threat report for the president and senior officials, with the center's director reporting to the new national intelligence director once that position is created. Until then, he said, "the center will report to the director of the CIA."