President Bush criticized his challenger John Kerry Monday for comments about terrorism the Senator made in an interview.
Mr. Kerry told The New York Times Magazine that Americans must get back to a place where "terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but a nuisance."
He compared terrorism to prostitution and illegal gambling as activities government will never end but can reduce so they are not a daily threat to people's lives.
Campaigning in the state of New Mexico Monday, Mr. Bush said the U.S.-led war on terror war cannot be treated as a nuisance, and must be pursued until the terrorists are defeated.
The Kerry campaign says the Bush team is taking the comments out of context. The quote appeared in an 8,000-word article about Mr. Kerry published Sunday.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Kerry appear in their third and final presidential debate on Wednesday.