President Bush empathized with Abraham Lincoln on Monday, saying they both stood by their principles in the face of criticism during wartime.
The president took seniors and advocacy group leaders on a tour of the Oval Office after a meeting on Medicare's drug benefit. Though the war in Iraq was not openly discussed, its presence was obvious.
Bush told the group there is great pressure in Washington to change principles for the sake of political popularity, but he said he would not.
"It's a struggle for some. It's not for me," he said.
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He showed the group a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. He said Lincoln was unpopular during the Civil War but maintained his belief that all men are created equal.
"Look what would have happened to history" if Lincoln had abandoned that principle, Bush said.