Outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush delivered his prime-time farewell address to the nation Thursday night, acknowledging “setbacks” during his tenure.

U.S. President George W. Bush delivers a nationally-televised farewell address from the White House in Washington Jan. 15, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

“Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks,” he said at the White House.

“There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind,” Bush said.

“I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions,” he added.

Bush also congratulated President-elect Barack Obama, saying his inauguration will be a “moment of hope and pride for our whole nation.”

“In a tradition dating back to our founding, the presidency will pass to a successor chosen by you, the American people,” he said.

“Standing on the steps of the Capitol will be a man whose story reflects the enduring promise of our land. This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation. And I join all Americans in offering best wishes to President-elect Obama, his wife Michelle, and their two beautiful girls,” he added.

He also touched upon on the 9/11 terror attacks, saying that “as the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. But I never did.”

“Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. And I vowed to do everything within my power to keep us safe,” he said.

“America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil,” he added.

As for international relations, Bush said, “we must continue to engage the world with confidence and clear purpose. In the face of threats from abroad, it can be tempting to seek comfort by turning inward. But we must reject isolationism and its companion, protectionism.”

“The decades ahead will bring more hard choices for our country, and there are some guiding principles that should shape our course,” Bush said concerning the country’s future challenges.

“While our nation is safer than it was seven years ago, the gravest threat to our people remains another terrorist attack. Our enemies are patient, and determined to strike again,” he added.

“In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad. If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led,” Bush said.

“As we address these challenges - and others we cannot foresee tonight — America must maintain our moral clarity. I have often spoken to you about good and evil. This has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise,” he added during the 13-minute address.

The president will spend the weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, before his term ends on Tuesday with the swearing-in of Obama as the country’s 44th president.

A USA Today/Gallup poll, released on Wednesday, found 34 percent of Americans approved the overall job Bush did as president and 61 percent disapproved.

But the president brushed off the low ratings as usual.

“Look, opinion polls are nothing but a shot of yesterday’s news,” he said in an interview with CNN earlier this week. “You can’t make decisions based on popularity polls.”

The presidential farewell address is a tradition dating back to George Washington’s departure from office in 1797.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet