Bush Stresses ‘Steady and True’ Convictions

President Bush sought Thursday to shift the focus of the presidential race back to leadership and consistency, telling voters they deserved a commander-in-chief who does not “blow in the wind.”

Bush, whose decision to wage war in Iraq and handling of its aftermath have come under relentless attack by Democratic challenger John Kerry, said he was willing to adjust his course in response to changing circumstances, but not to compromise his principles.

“The world looks looks to America for leadership, and it is important for the president to be consistent,” the president told a cheering crowd of supporters in Saginaw, Mich., the first of four stops during a day of campaigning in the battleground states of Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“Tactics and strategy must be flexible,” he said. “But a president’s convictions must be steady and true.”

Bush’s remarks appeared to be an attempt to return to the theme of presidential leadership in times of crisis, which polls suggest is one of his strong suits, and to portray Kerry as an opportunistic flip-flopper whose positions shift along with the latest opinion polls.

“A president,” he said, “cannot blow in the wind.”