Mr. Bush "waited way too long to go the Larry King route," one senior campaign official said.

Mr. Bush waited until the end of the meeting to turn down that suggestion.

Mr. Bush, on the other hand, waited until after the election, when the personal electoral risk would be nil.

Mr. Bush, perhaps sensitive to the potential criticism, has waited until now to take on his role as fund-raiser in chief.

If Mr. Bush had waited for advance guarantees, we would be waiting still.

Mr. Bush waited for the applause and laughter to subside.

Tonight, the administration official said Mr. Bush was simply waiting to see how the initial days of the war unfolded.

But they were evenly split on whether Mr. Bush should immediately begin hostilities or wait to give economic sanctions more time.

In 2001, Mr. Bush waited three days before making his way to New York.

But Mr. Bush should not wait until a final decision before conducting a conversation with Congress and the nation about Iraq.