Nancy Pelosi on Jay Leno: 'I Respect' Bush

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday on NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" she has no plans to back down on her differences with the president over funding for the war on terror.

Bush "wants a blank check on the war," she said.

The nation's first woman House speaker steered away from questions about the 2008 presidential race and spoke cautiously about her relationship with the president.

"I respect the office he holds, and I respect him," she said.

Pelosi also defended her recent trip to Damascus, Syria, and said her decision to wear a scarf over her head as she entered a historic mosque was in keeping with tradition.

Leno asked Pelosi whether she had thought about running for higher office.

"No, I like speaker of the House," she said. "I think there are people who want to do that, and I wish them all well."