Bush: 'I Am Relevant'

"QUESTION: Can you give me your version of it, sir?

"BUSH: No. Whatever the law says."

Bush has consistently refused to say what he means when he says "we don't torture," rendering the phrase essentially meaningless. Saying "whatever the law says" doesn't clear things up at all. It just means that if we do it, his lawyers have found a way not to call it torture.

World War III Watch

For the first time in public, Bush warned of the risk of "World War III" if Iran gets nuclear weapons.

"I believe that the Iranian -- if Iran had a nuclear weapon, it would be a dangerous threat to world peace. It would -- this is -- we got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel. So I told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon. And I take this very -- I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously."

On Putin

Washington Post reporter Peter Baker noted that there are signs Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to continue ruling Russia after his term expires next spring, possibly by becoming prime minister.

Baker asked if Bush should get tougher with Putin -- and "what it would mean for Russian democracy if, when you leave power -- assuming you do in January 2009 -- (laughter) -- that Vladimir Putin is still in power?"

Bush responded vaguely: "My leadership style has been to try to be in a position where I actually can influence people. And one way to do that is to have personal relationships that enable me to sit down and tell people what's on my mind, without fear of rupturing relations."

Bush added that Putin doesn't like it. "You know, nobody likes to be talked to in a way that may point up different flaws in their strategy."

Questions for Mukasey

How deferential will attorney-general designate Michael Mukasey be to his White House bosses -- Vice President Cheney in particular? That's the underlying question today as Mukasey faces a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Nobody will roll over as fast as the last guy did. But that's not saying much.

The Los Angeles Times editorial board writes that there are two fundamental questions: "Will Mukasey resist the intrusion of partisan politics into the administration of justice? And does he share the administration's troubling view that the war on terror has rendered traditional restraints on presidential power obsolete?"