Bush insists he'll "sprint to the finish line"

By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With 15 months to go in office, President George W. Bush wants the U.S. Congress to know he has no plans to fade quietly away.

He might not have been "dialed in" on a children's health bill pushed through this month, but, in his own words at a news conference on Wednesday, he's sprinting to the finish line with the help of a bully pulpit and a veto pen.

On a collision course with the Democratic-led Congress on issues like domestic spying, the budget and Iraq, the Republican president rebuffed a questioner who asked if he was becoming irrelevant.

"Quite the contrary," he declared. "I've never felt more engaged and more capable of helping people recognize -- American people recognize -- that there's a lot of unfinished business."

Bush is finding himself in the familiar role of U.S. presidents toward the end of their term who struggle against perceptions of irrelevancy as media attention shifts to the candidates vying to succeed them.

Bush faces added difficulties as his approval ratings are mired in the 30 percent range -- the lowest of his presidency.

Reflecting his growing competition for the political spotlight, Bush, not known for relishing news conferences, told reporters that "believe it or not" he was looking forward to taking their questions.

He later gleefully reminded reporters that the news conference was "not my first rodeo," as he easily sidestepped a question he did not want to answer about reports that North Korea might have helped Syria develop a nuclear weapon.