Pelosi: Bush thinking on Iraq 'impaired'

Story Highlights

• Vice President Dick Cheney accused Pelosi, Dems of validating al Qaeda
• Pelosi shot back that Cheney's comment insulted troops
• America's first female House Speaker called Cheney "out of touch"

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that she believes President Bush's judgment on the Iraq war "is a little impaired."

She also said his approach to Iraq is based on personal conviction, rather than political judgment.

"What I don't think is that it is a political decision on the part of the president. This is what he firmly believes," Pelosi said in an interview with CNN's "Larry King Live." (Watch more of Pelosi's interview )

"I just would hope that whatever he thinks about the war that he would also value the fact that the American people have lost confidence in him." (Watch how the Iraq war has changed public perception of Bush )

"I think his judgment is a little impaired on this war, with all due respect to the president and his good intentions," she told King.

Pelosi also blasted a comment made last week by Vice President Dick Cheney that legislative moves by Pelosi and other House Democrats to oppose Bush's war policy would "validate" al Qaeda's strategy.

"What the vice president said is beneath the dignity of his office and beneath the dignity of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform," Pelosi said.

"The vice president is in a place that is out of touch with the American people, out of touch with what so many generals are saying and out of touch with even a bipartisan majority in the Congress."

The speaker confirmed she called Bush to complain about Cheney's comments.

"The president had said to me ... that he would not tolerate any undermining of anybody's patriotism or our intention to protect the national security," she said.

"He said, 'Could you let me know if this happens?' So I wanted to let him know that it happened."

Pelosi, a California Democrat, became the first female speaker in American history in January.

Asked by King what about the job has most surprised her, she replied "the overwhelming show of enthusiasm across the country from women of all ages -- young girls to women my age -- who say they never thought that they'd see the day."