President Bush seemed to decide 'the risk' of 'missing the mark' was too much risk.
Democrats aren't as politically calculating as the Republicans. The party is not interested in being politically driven, it is interested in governing. Republicans treat governing as an option if it works to their advantage politically.
When I listen to this news conference answer to a legitimate answer, I hear a President resigned to excuses and justification. He completely justifies his position on bin Laden. He sees broader picture, one that is focused on 'terror.' It is a matter of what he stated to the country long before this. He didn't ask the nation to believe in the war because it was necessary to address 'terror,' he stated the nation wanted bin Laden dead or alive.
Personally, Bush was more interested in reducing the political risk than the continued war in Iraq while abandoning Afghanistan.
We know where Osama bin Laden was and he was practically living in the Palace basement of Pakistan. It is that reality which undoes all the justification of Bush at this moment. The USA was supporting a regime in Pakistan protecting bin Laden. The USA was spending millions and millions to Pakistan while they were 'providing comfort to the enemy.'
George W. Bush was afraid of damaging any politics while turning his back on his own directives. Pakistan was giving comfort to the enemy and to that end he should have acted against Osama bin Laden regardless of the political cost. I am confident the USA military was up to it. They certainly were when finally asked.
