Live blogging the Bush pre-vacation press conference

Bush is starting with an economic push. He wants that to be the subject, not Iraq. Meanwhile, the Dow has already dropped almost 200 points today. He's all about taxes -- again. Democrats bad on taxes. According to today's Washington Post, Bush wants to cut corporate taxes. He's said "competitive" about 30 times...but just saying it doesn't make it true. And, the Senator from New Mexico is Jeff Bingaman, not Bingamam.

10:41 a.m. UPDATE: Bush wants the Democrats to set priorities for spending money...because he basically admitted that the GOPers were just pork barrel spending in past sessions. And, yeah, Americans should fee safe going over bridges. What a concept. Glad Bush has clued into that.

10:44 a.m. UPDATE: On Tillman cover-up, Ed Henry noted that when it was his turn to step up, Tillman did. Will Bush step up and get the truth. Bush, "I can understand why Pat Tillman's family has significant emotions." You can? Bush is confident that the Pentagon will get to the truth, but Henry said seven investigations haven't gotten the truth yet. Like every other member of the Bush team, Bush himself can't recall details of when he learned Tillman was killed by friendly fire. That "can't remember" and "can't recall" thing is pervasive in the Bush White House.

10:52 a.m. UPDATE: On lack of progress on political reconciliation in Iraq, Bush told us to wait til next month's report from Petraeus and Crocker. Sure, there's not enough political progress, "we're watching leaders learn how to be leaders." Unfortunately, Bush is teaching them how to be leaders. Bush wants us to know he's asking questions. He wanted to know if Iraq has a budgeting system...and he found interesting that there is "revenue sharing." That surprised him, because the impression you get from people who are reporting out of Iraq is that it's dysfunctional. That's a classic blame the media ploy from Bush. But is Bush saying that he gets his news about Iraq from the media? Sounded like that. Should Bush be surprised about anything in Iraq? Doesn't he have people on the ground over there?

10:57 a.m. UPDATE: Asked if he had a message for Iran? Our ambassador told Iran there would be consequences for sending weapons to Iraq that kill Americans. Bush also noted that al-Maliki is in Tehran to give the message to stabilize, not destabilize. Apparently, the Prime Minister of Iraq is now an emissary of the American government -- that's how Bush made it sound anyway.

11:00 a.m. UPDATE: Oh yeah, "we don't torture."

11:07 a.m. UPDATE: Apparently, al-Maliki isn't our emissary in Iran based on reports and photos -- which Bush hasn't seen. But, hey, al-Maliki has to be cordial. Your president said, "don't want the picture to be duking it out" Yuk. Yuk. "Put up your dukes." Bush is convinced that al-Maliki shares his views on Iran. Hmmm. Bush wants us to know we had a very "robust operation" going after shia extremists yesterday in Sadr City...and al-Maliki approved. But, gotta say, this is clearly something that makes Bush uncomfortable.

11:13 a.m. UPDATE: Bush smacks Congress again after a question about whether we can spend on bridges and still fund the Iraq war. The trouble in Congress is they have trouble setting priorities. Again, the GOP ran the Congress for the first six years of Bush's administration. He hopes to sustain the level of spending on Iraq. (He's never going to leave Iraq, that's sure clear.)

11:18 a.m UPDATE: Bush's entire view of accountability can be summed up in this one line: "Lewis Libby was held accountable." Okay, he was held accountable by a judge and jury - and Bush removed that accountability. And as for accountability in Iraq. Oh, Iraq hasn't made as much progress as we had hoped. Wow. Nothing gets past him. He even managed to work in a 9/11 angle on the accountability question. Because that helps show Iraq was worth it. Now he just said, for those of us who think Iraq was worth it, we'll see progress. So, you have to have that pro-Iraq war perspective to see progress in Iraq. That's why most Americans are missing it.

It's over. Bush can now go on vacation. It really is quite painful watching him.