Meanwhile, President Bush emerged from a meeting on Iraq with top officials at his Crawford estate Thursday with a familiar message. The president said he needs more time to work out a plan.

President Bush: “I’ve got more consultation to do until I talk to the country about the plan. Obviously, we’ll continue to work with the Iraqi government. The key to success in Iraq is to have a government that’s willing to deal with the elements there that are trying to prevent this young democracy from succeeding. We want to help them succeed, and so we’ll continue to consult with the Iraqis.”