Bush’s ‘Cracked Egg’

ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports: While conceding that "too many" Iraqis have died as a result of sectarian violence, President Bush told PBS’ Jim Lehrer in an interview set to air later today that "I hear all kinds of different numbers" when asked about a new United Nations report which says that 34,000 Iraqi civilians have died in violence in the last year.

"I don’t quite view it as the broken egg; I view it as the cracked egg," President Bush said about Iraq while expressing optimism that his decision to ask an additional "21,000 kids" to go into the war-torn country can "keep the egg from fully cracking."

In the PBS interview which is set to air later today on the "News Hour with Jim Lehrer," President Bush defended some of his war-time decisions while anticipating that his justifications might only serve to provide his critics with more fodder.

"Well, actually, I will sound defensive," said President Bush, "but some of my decisions actually have worked like getting rid of Saddam Hussein and helping the Iraqi government form a unity government that is based on a novel constitution for the Middle East."

When asked why he has not asked "more Americans and more American interests to sacrifice something" for the war effort, President Bush said he "thought through compulsory national service" but ultimately decided not to go that route preferring instead to set up the volunteer-based USA Freedom Corps.