President George W. Bush denounced some critics of the Iraq war as irresponsible today and and called for an election-year debate that "brings credit to our democracy, not comfort to our adversaries."
In a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Mr Bush made clear he was keen for battle with Democrats in the run-up to the mid-term congressional election in November, when he will try to keep the US Congress in the hands of his Republican Party.
"There is a difference between responsible and irresponsible debate and it's even more important to conduct this debate responsibly when American troops are risking their lives overseas," Mr Bush told the veterans organization.
The president predicted more tough fighting and more sacrifice ahead in Iraq in 2006 but said he believed progress will be made against the insurgency and on the Iraqi political process and reconstruction.
He also urged all governments to follow through on promised aid to Iraq, saying $13 billion had been pledged but not all of it delivered to date.
Mr Bush, who has faced a barrage of criticism over his handling of Iraq, said Americans know the difference between honest critics who question the way the war is being handled "and partisan critics who claim that we acted in Iraq because of oil, or because of Israel, or because we misled the American people."
He added, "So I ask all Americans to hold their elected leaders to account and demand a debate that brings credit to our democracy, not comfort to our adversaries."
Mr Bush did not mention names, but aides said he was referring to Democratic Party chief Howard Dean, along with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, and Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said it was irresponsible for Democrats to claim, as Dean, Reid and others have done, that Mr Bush has no strategy for Iraq.