(CBS) 
Much of his presidency unfolds at the retreat named for President Eisenhower’s grandson. By our count, this was Bush’s 365th day at Camp David, one year out of his six years in office so far, living and working at the camp first set up by FDR.

60 Minutes wondered why he seems so determined to go his own way when most of the nation doesn’t back his plan.

"I’m not gonna change my principles. I'm not gonna, you know, I’m not gonna try to be popular and change my principles to do so," Bush explains.

"You’re not very popular in the country right now, to be frank," Pelley remarks.

"I’m afraid you're right," Bush acknowledges.

Asked if that gets to him, the president says, "Not really."

"You know that there's a perception in some quarters of the country that you're stubborn," Pelley says.

"Oh, yeah. Well," Bush replies.

Asked if agrees with that, the president asks, "Do I agree that I’m stubborn or do I agree that people think I’m stubborn?"

"People think you do. What do you think?" Pelley asks.

"I think I’m a flexible, open-minded person. I really do. I really do. Take this policy. I spent a lot of time listening to a lot of people because, Scott, I fully understand the decisions I make could affect the life of some kid who wears the uniform. Or could affect the life of some child growing up in America 20 years from now," Bush says.

"You know, a lot of people have asked me to ask you whether all of this is just crushing. It has to be. You read the polls, you know what people are saying, the war has not gone the way you had hoped it would, and they wonder whether it's just crushing on your spirit," Pelley asks.

"Quite the contrary. My spirits are strong, and I’m blessed to be the president," Bush says. "I really am not the kind of guy that sits here and says, ‘Oh, gosh, I’m worried about my legacy.’ I’m more worried about making the right decisions to protect the United States of America. See, we're in a war. People wanna come and attack you and attack our country. I understand criticism. But I’ve got a pretty thick hide."

60 Minutes had some questions that might test that presidential hide.

"You know better than I do that many Americans feel that your administration has not been straight with the country, has not been honest. To those people you say what?" Pelley asks.

"On what issue?" the president replies. "Like the weapons of mass destruction?"

"No weapons of mass destruction," Pelley says.

"Yeah," Bush says.

"No credible connection between 9/11 and Iraq," Pelley says.

“Yeah,” the president replies.

“The Office of Management and Budget said this war would cost somewhere between $50 billion and $60 billion and now we're over 400,” Pelley says.

“I gotcha. I gotcha. I gotcha,” Bush replies.

“The perception, Sir, more than any one of those points, is that the administration has not been straight with…,” Pelley says.

“Well, I strongly disagree with that, of course,” Bush says. “So I strongly reject that this administration hasn’t been straight with the American people. The minute we found out they didn’t have weapons of mass destruction, I was the first to say so.”

“You seem to be saying that you may have been wrong but you weren't dishonest,” Pelley remarks.

“Oh, absolutely. Everybody was wrong on weapons of mass destruction and there was an intelligence failure that we’re trying to address. But I was as surprised as anybody he didn't have them,” Bush tells Pelley.

Produced By Harry Radliffe, Shawn Efran and Graham Messick
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