At a recent campaign speech in Iowa, President Bush told his audience that if re-elected, he would spend the next four years making America a safer place from terrorism.

Bush then went on to stress the benefits of his tax reform plan over Democratic opponent John Kerry's proposed tax-cut plans.

So how do tax reforms fit into Bush's overall plan to stop terrorism in America?

They don't.

Instead of concentrating on his current duty as president to protect his nation from potential terrorist attacks, Bush is choosing to concentrate on issues that will affect his re-election campaign, such as tax reform and gay marriage.

Yet is it fair that pressing issues of national security should take a backseat to Bush's campaigning strategies?

Instead of trying desperately to have Congress pass a bill that would ban gay marriage, the president should be working with Congress to develop ways of fixing our nation's problems with security; officials have been warning about the possibility of attacks prior to November's election.

And it's not as if solutions to security problems haven't been suggested already.

In a final report issued last week from the Sept. 11 commission, the panel recommended the creation of an intelligence center and high-level intelligence director that would work together to protect the nation from future terrorist threats.

The creation of this center and director would certainly be a big step in further preventing any terrorist breach of national security, something that is no doubt a priority to the government.

However, the president seems unfazed with the urgency of national security improvement.

In response to the 9/11 panel report and recommendations, a senior administration official made a statement that the White House plans to study more than 40 of the commission's proposals, including the recently added report.

Though this response seems to be a step in the right direction, the official added that some of the proposed recommendations may happen within days, whereas others may take more time. The official would not add which recommendations were likely to be adopted, offer a more precise timing of the proposal review, or allow himself to be identified due to the lack of an official statement from the president.

According to the official, the president is apparently trying to keep a low profile on the subject because of this week's Democratic National Convention in Boston.

President Bush did, however, have time to personally make a call to Lance Armstrong yesterday and congratulate him on his Tour de France win.