President Bush criticized his challenger John Kerry Monday for comments about terrorism the Senator made in an interview.
Mr. Kerry told 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.