However, Bush acknowledged that the Arizona senator “has got some convincing to do to convince people that he is a solid conservative.” The president, who has not taken sides in the nominating contest, added that he would help McCain make that case to conservatives, if the senator is chosen to carry the party’s banner.

“Primaries tend to divide up the parties, and there’s a period of time in which the candidate who is in the process of becoming the leader of a party must work to bring as much of the party together as possible,” Bush said. “That’s just the normal course of primary politics.”

He also answered questions about the Democratic race, defending former President Bill Clinton, who has been accused of attacking Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

“I understand why President Clinton wants to campaign hard for his wife,” Bush said.

The president, who had predicted last year that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) would be the Democratic nominee but backed away from this on Sunday, also stated that he did not know what Obama believes in.