No peace talks expected

President Bush is hoping by the time he arrives here on Wednesday that he’s laid to rest the campaign flap he sparked when he said he didn’t think we could win the war on terrorism.

Bush tried to reassure delegates to the American Legion convention in Nashville, Tenn., that his administration would “win.”

“We may never sit down at a peace table, but make no mistake about it, we are winning and we will win,’’ Bush insisted.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Bush wanted to make it “crystal clear” that the United States will prevail in the open-ended conflict.

“I probably need to be more articulate,” Bush admitted in a radio interview with conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

The campaign of Democratic challenger John Kerry didn’t let Bush off the hook.

“The president has gone from mission accomplished to mission miscalculated to mission impossible on the war on terror,’’ said Kerry campaign spokesman Phil Singer. “We need a leader who knows we can win the war on terror and has a plan to do it.”