Washington: US President George W Bush today said that he was confident his Republican Party would retain the White House in next year's presidential election. "I'm confident we ll hold the White House and I'm confident we can pick up seats in the Senate and the Congress," Bush said at a press conference.

"I believe ours is a party that understands the nature of the world that we live in and that the government's primary responsibility is to protect American citizens from harm," he added. Bush said he would not comment on the primaries between the candidates seeking the Democratic and Republican party presidential nominations for the November 2008 vote.

"I will wait and reserve judgement," he said. "I will be patient, and after the primaries are over, I will help my party unify." Bush also said the most important quality in a candidate for the White House should be a "firm set of principles."

"You can't be the president unless you have a firm set of principles to guide you as you sort through all the problems the world faces," he said. "I would be very hesitant to support somebody who relied upon opinion polls and focus groups to define a way forward for a president."

Source : PTI