U.S. President George W. Bush is no longer using the phrase "stay the course" when talking about the Iraq war, signaling flexibility, as violence increases in the country, The Washington Post said on Tuesday.

"He stopped using it," White House spokesman Tony Snow was quoted as saying.

"It left the wrong impression about what was going on and it allowed critics to say, 'well, here is an administration that is just embarked upon a policy and not looking at what the situation is,' when, in fact, it is the opposite," Snow said.

Bush used the slogan in a stump speech on Aug. 31, but has not repeated it for some time, the report said, adding that Snow's pronouncement was a stark example of the complicated line the White House is walking in this election year.

Democrats have increasingly pressed a case this fall, contending that Republicans are stubbornly proposing to "stay the course" in a failing effort to stem the violence in Iraq.

In the last few weeks, a number of Republican lawmakers and party elders have come forward to express doubts about whether the administration's approach to stabilize Iraq is succeeding and also to suggest new strategies, the report said.

With just two weeks ahead of the congressional elections, the Bush administration is seeking to release itself of anxieties about the security situation in Iraq.

Snow said on Monday that the United States would adjust its Iraq strategy, but rejected calls from U.S. lawmakers for a dramatic policy shift.

"Are there dramatic shifts in policy? The answer is no," Snow said.

A total of 86 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq this month, the highest casualty of any month this year. The Bush administration has been under mounting pressure to adjust its tactics in Iraq.

Source: Xinhua