Bush stands by Cheney, Rumsfeld

WASHINGTON —  President Bush reached out Wednesday to conservative audiences, delivering pared-down versions of his campaign speech in interviews with radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network.

And, in a separate interview with news agencies, he gave a vow of support for Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, two heroes to conservatives, and said he wanted them to remain in their posts.

With control of the Senate and House at stake in Tuesday’s election, the president has focused on delivering a sharp-edged message intended to draw contrasts between Republicans and Democrats and energize his most loyal conservative voters to get to the polls.

Rumsfeld and Cheney have become focal points for critics of the administration’s policies in Iraq. Democrats, and some Republicans, have called in increasing numbers for Rumsfeld’s removal as the death toll in Iraq has climbed.

Bush told news services Wednesday that “both those men are doing fantastic jobs, and I strongly support them,” the Associated Press reported. When he was asked whether he wanted them to remain until the end of his term, he said yes.

The president also said he did not anticipate an increase in the approximately 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, saying that U.S. commanders there had assured him that “they’ve got what they can live with.”

In the interview with Limbaugh, Bush said the fundamental issue in the campaign was whether voters would elect a Congress that supported him on national security issues.

“People come up to me all the time and say, ‘Thank you for protecting us,’ ” Bush said. “And my answer in this campaign is, ‘I’m going to continue to protect you, but I need a Congress that understands the stakes.’ ”

In its interview, the Christian Broadcasting Network asked Bush: “What’s your prayer for the country?”

“My prayer is that this world be peaceful so that children can grow up understanding the benefits of freedom,” the president said.

james.gerstenzang@

latimes.com