The sentiments were expected and endorsed -- nobody in the dining room felt acquisitive about Iraq. There being no surprises in the matter of policy proposals, there was some banter on the matter of style. Why does the president persist in using the first person? "I sent American troops ... I sent American troops ..."
The use of the royal "we" is commendable, was the conclusion of at least several of the guests. The anthropomorphic imperative does this kind of thing. President Lyndon Johnson, when he initiated his drive to economize on electrical consumption in Washington, reported in an address to the nation that "I have turned out the lights ...," meaning that he had sent out directives to turn off the lights when offices were emptied at night, but giving the impression that he was contriving to appear at 100,000 light switches every night to turn them off, declaring one step forward in mankind's war against waste.
Mr. Bush is a man of modest manner. He is correctly firm when firmness is one part of the apparatus of leadership. But "We sent American troops to Iraq to defend our security ..." would perfectly convey the message intended, which, as it was spoken, encourages disrespectful arpeggios, rising to, "I sent American troops to defend my security."
The consensus was that the president had said not what needed to be said -- what needed to be said he can't say, namely when will it all end -- but what the American public wished to hear said.