Bush's 'Total Confidence'

Two thirds of his constituents think he's doing a lousy job, four out of five crave a new direction, American troops are bogged down in Iraq, al Qaeda and the Taliban are on the rebound, the U.S. economy is tanking -- you'd think maybe President Bush would be experiencing some moments of self-doubt by now.

It would only be human.

But no, Bush continues to display -- at least in public -- an inexplicable cockiness.

The latest exhibition comes in a jaw-dropping interview with Roll Call Executive Editor Morton M. Kondracke. Kondracke writes (subscription required): "Bush enters his last year in office expressing total confidence that he's been doing the right things.

"He told me in an Oval Office interview that 'absolutely, we are stronger' as a nation than when he took office and that, even in areas where he failed to get what he wanted -- as in Social Security and immigration reform -- his ideas eventually will prevail.

"He said his biggest disappointment as president was his inability to be a 'uniter not a divider' and he agreed that politics is 'polarized.' On the other hand, he was adamant that he would never compromise on some of the principles -- such as cutting taxes and promoting democracy -- that have made him so polarizing. . . .

"When I asked him whether he thought America was a stronger country than when he arrived in office -- in view of a weakened dollar, increased debt, rising oil prices and dependency and international polls showing a steep decline in America's reputation -- he batted the question back.

"'We're stronger because our military is stronger . . . and becoming more modern. We're stronger because we recognize the threats of the 21st century and are dealing with them.

"'We're stronger because we've added jobs. More Americans are working. . . . Real wages are up. . . . We're still a flexible economy with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. We have more debt, but we've also got more assets. We're stronger because America is in the lead, using its influence.'"

Kondracke concludes: "The bottom line on Bush is that he seems utterly convinced in the rightness of what he's been doing these seven years. 'We must be confident in what we stand for and not feel like we have to subsume our interests, our beliefs, in order to reach a kind of unanimity in the world,' he said.

"'And that also applies at home. So, people say, "You can unify." But I will not unify if I have to compromise my beliefs.'"

(UPDATE: The full transcript of the interview is now available on washingtonpost.com.)