It has been a rough couple of weeks for U.S. President George W. Bush, but it would be hard to tell from his performance at a press conference last week. Mr. Bush showed no doubts or hesitation about the decisions he has made concerning Iraq or the wider war against terror. He and his administration will stay the course.

That clarity and certainty is reassuring -- to a point. Determination is important, but so is readiness to acknowledge when expectations are wrong and changes are required. The Bush administration has shown precious little readiness to admit mistakes and is losing the trust and confidence of its friends and allies as a result.

Perhaps the most revealing moment in the press conference was when he was asked about his greatest mistake since taking office. Mr. Bush first said he wished he had gotten the question ahead of time so that he could have prepared an answer. That seems to be a recurring theme for this presidency: It likes to have a ready-made script for every occasion. It does not handle spontaneity well. Unfortunately, as has been amply demonstrated during Mr. Bush's tenure, world events rarely comply. Surprise prevails and adaptation is a must. Yet flexibility is not a word easily associated with this administration.