Question for Bush: What about the political benchmarks? Do those no longer matter?

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Q What about the political benchmarks? Do those no longer matter?

BUSH: Of course they matter. They matter to the Iraqis a lot. It's a sign of reconciliation. I just mentioned they passed a pension law, which, of course, got a huge yawn in our press. But that's -- well, that's okay. (Laughter.) We can't pass -- we can't reform our own pension system, like Social Security, but they did. Is that the only answer? No. They got a lot more work to do, but they're passing law. And they're now in the process of a budget -- getting their budget passed, and a de-Baath law. And we expect them to work hard on the federalism issue. Yes, that's absolutely important, benchmarks.

Q Are they behind where you thought they would be -- the significant benchmarks?

BUSH: Are they behind -- I wouldn't say "significant." I think that's an exaggeration of what I think. I would say that I wish they had passed more law. Of course, in December, I was wishing our legislature had passed more law at times, too. But, no, they've got work to do, no question about it. There are two types of reconciliation: that which can be achieved by passage of national law; and the other kind is the bottom-up reconciliation, where people in neighborhoods are just -- who are sick and tired of criminality and violence, say, look, let's do something about it.

That's -- one of the interesting things, Martha, and you follow this a lot closer than a lot of the other folks have -- not to be blowing your horn or anything but -- these concerned citizen groups -- CLCs; people who have stepped forward and said, we've had enough of this, we're sick and tired of violence. Some 80,000 local citizens who are now helping provide local security so their children can have -- grow up in a free society and they can be peaceful. That's what you're seeing. And a part of the Iraqi surge was not only 100,000 additional troops and police, but local citizens coming forward and to -- helping to provide security for their neighborhoods. And that's bottom-up reconciliation.

I'm not making excuses for a government, but to go from a tyranny to a democracy overnight is virtually impossible. And so when you say, am I pleased with the progress -- what they have gone through and where they are today I think is good progress. Have they done enough? No. Are we going to continue to work with them to do more? Absolutely. Absolutely. Our message is very clear: It's in your interest that you pass good law.

And so I'm optimistic they'll get laws passed here pretty quick, and we'll continue to press to make it happen.


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