President Barack Obama is acknowledging that he and former President George W. Bush disagreed about the Iraq war from the beginning. But in his nationally televised address on the Iraq war, he pays tribute to Bush by calling him "a patriot."
Obama spoke by telephone with Bush hours before Tuesday night's Oval Office address. The White House did not disclose what was said.
In the address, Obama said that although it is widely known that the two disagreed about the war, no one could doubt Bush's support for U.S. troops, his love for the U.S. and his commitment to the nation's security.
Obama said there are patriots who supported the war and patriots who opposed it.
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