Relying on self-deprecating jokes, candor and flattery, the President continues to woo lawmakers he must answer to in the final years of his presidency.

George W. Bush had not attended a Democratic congressional retreat since 2001. But the new political reality that has Democrats in charge of Capitol Hill for the first time in a dozen years changed his mind.

When he appeared before House Democrats at a Virginia resort, his first order of business was to put to rest one bone of contention between the White House and the new congressional majority: The “ic.”

Democrats found it demeaning when the president, in his State of the Union address, referred to the “Democrat majority,” not the “Democratic majority.”

“Now look, my diction isn’t all that good,” Bush told the 200 lawmakers at the retreat. “I have been accused of occasionally mangling the English language. And so I appreciate you inviting the head of the Republic Party.”

He got plenty of laughs - and managed to keep the “ic” firmly tacked on for the rest of his remarks.

While this was expected to be the toughest part of Bush’s foray onto Democratic turf, both he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi emerged with good things to say.

“We were honored by your presence,” Pelosi told Bush. “We’re also encouraged by your remarks.”

Speaking to reporters after the president had departed, she added:

“Let’s make no mistake. The choice is bipartisanship or stalemate. We have to work together.”

Still, divisions over the Iraq war were never far.

One of the primary topics at the retreat was how to legislate opposition to Bush’s overhauled Iraq strategy, which involves a troop surge of 21,500 service personnel to the 132,000 already in the country.

Democrats have not settled on a consensus approach for any anti-war resolution or on what action to take if Bush’s buildup fails.

Seeking to earn his bipartisan stripes, Bush said Saturday that opposing him on the war — as many in the room do — does not mean “you don’t share the same sense of patriotism I do.”

“You know, I welcome debate in a time of war and I hope you know that,” the president said. “These are tough times, but there’s no doubt in my mind that you want to secure this homeland as much as I do.”

But Pelosi heard nothing to suggest the president is bending to any criticism.

“The president really stood his ground on Iraq. He explained why additional troops would be needed and why it would work this time,” she said, adding “even though it had failed four times before.”

No matter the topic, the president insisted he wants to work together on “big things” and he respects that Democrats disagree on some issues:

• Balancing the budget and the spending blueprint for 2008 that he submits Monday to Congress: “Some of it you’ll like, some of it you won’t like, but it achieves the goal that we have said, which is a balanced budget,” he said.
• Addressing the looming insolvency of programs such as Social Security: “I’m under no illusions of how hard it’s going to be. The only thing I want to share with you is, is my desire to see if we can’t work together to get it done.”
• Making ake health insurance more available through changes in tax laws: “I’ve already heard from some members who thought it was a lousy idea, I understand that. But please look at it in depth.”

Bush brushed past the veto threats his aides have issued for one-third of the agenda that Pelosi’s caucus approved in the House’s first 100 hours of the Congressional sessions.

“I look forward to working with you,” said Bush, with Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (below). “I know you’ve probably heard that and you doubt whether it’s true. It’s true.”