"'I can say with certainty that [the president] knows what the real score is,' Weyrich says. 'He feels he has to say these things -- and maybe if you and I were president, we'd have to do the same thing.'

Weyrich says if the president actually declared that America is in a war against Islam, there might be more Muslims taking up arms against the U.S. -- a 'real jihad,' as he puts it. So Bush, according to Weyrich, is soft-peddling his rhetoric in order to 'tamp down' any worldwide activity that might occur.

'I know the president has to say certain things -- and I understand that,' the conservative icon says, 'but I also know that he doesn't believe it.'"