Washington ? President Bush, eager to show he can take advice on Iraq, embarked on a round of public outreach Monday and promised Americans the unpopular war eventually would make their lives safer.

Preparing for a major speech on the war’s future, Bush took the short trip to the State Department to review options with advisers there, then hosted a handful of experts on Iraq policy in the Oval Office.

“Like most Americans, this administration wants to succeed in Iraq because we understand success in Iraq would help protect the United States in the long run,” Bush said after his State Department briefing.

The White House remained tightlipped on how Bush is likely to change strategy, saying the president is awaiting reports from his national security team before announcing a plan to the nation. That is expected to happen before Christmas.

The president said his aim is to coordinate advice from his diplomatic and military advisers “so that when I do speak to the American people, they will know that I’ve listened to all aspects of government.”

Indeed, the administration’s “new way forward” includes a visible attempt to show an openness to ideas.

Today, Bush will meet via video conference with senior military commanders, then talk with Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni leader, in the Oval Office. Bush met last week with the leader of the largest Shiite bloc in Iraq’s parliament, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim.

On Wednesday, Bush will confer with senior defense officials at the Pentagon.

Since the election, lawmakers of both parties have been to the White House to discuss the war with Bush.

President Bush, center, Vice President Dick Cheney, left, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meet with the media following their meeting at the State Department in Washington. Bush is meeting with government and military officials this week to craft a new strategy for the war in Iraq.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said he saw no “gigantic difference” in the pace of public strategy sessions on the president’s schedule. But he added that Bush’s travels to the State Department and the Pentagon sent a message.

“It’s important that the American people be aware both of his consultation and his level of concern about getting it right,” Snow said.

More than 2,900 U.S. military members have died in Iraq. The war has weighed down the Bush presidency and helped shift control of Congress to the Democrats, who have long accused Bush of being stubborn and isolated.

The administration has rejected calls for troop withdrawals until Iraq can govern and defend itself, warning that retreat could create a haven for terrorists and kill a fledgling democracy.

“I don’t think he’s looking for an easy answer. He’s looking for the right answer. And the right answer isn’t one person’s idea,” said Republican strategist Ron Kaufman, who worked in the White House under Bush’s father.

At the State Department, Bush met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her senior advisers on Iraq, and with diplomats who serve as leaders of U.S. joint civilian-military units called provincial reconstruction teams.

The U.S. ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, participated by videoconference. “It was a good give and take,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. “The president had questions throughout the entire set of briefings.”

Snow said Bush hoped to be able to announce his decisions by Christmas but that the timing could slip. “It’s something that we would like to see, but I’m not going to promise it,” Snow said.