KANSAS CITY, Mo. – President Bush devoted just one sentence of a lengthy speech Wednesday to giving support to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, yet the president’s folksy endorsement sucked the wind out of his latest justification for the war in Iraq.

Having appeared to have distanced himself from al-Maliki the day before and under pressure to reaffirm his backing for the Iraqi leader, Bush uttered a few words that stole the spotlight: “Prime Minister Maliki is a good guy, good man with a difficult job, and I support him.”

Bush’s validation of al-Maliki, inserted at the last minute into his speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, detracted from his attempt to buttress support for the war by likening today’s fight against extremism to past conflicts in Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

The president’s latest speeches are intended to set the stage for a crucial report next month on the progress of the fighting and steps toward political reconciliation in Iraq. Democrats in Congress and some Republicans are pressing to start the U.S. withdrawal.

Arguing that the buildup of U.S. forces was showing results, Bush said, “Our troops are seeing this progress that is being made on the ground. And as they take the initiative from the enemy, they have a question: ‘Will their elected leaders in Washington pull the rug out from under them just as they’re gaining momentum and changing the dynamic on the ground in Iraq?'”