WASHINGTON (AP) --

President Bush said Wednesday the biggest accomplishment of his three months in office has been changing the tone in the nation's capital.

"That's very important, because Washington can be a very acrimonious and bitter place, where people are here to further their own political agendas as opposed to doing what's right for the people," Bush said on CBS' "The Early Show."

The interview was one of several granted by Bush to mark the 100-day point of his presidency, which comes Sunday.

Bush also emphasized movement by the House and Senate on a major tax-cut plan.

"Some might say that the fact that we've got two significant tax-relief bills out of the House and Senate that will be reconciled shortly is a pretty good accomplishment, particularly since most people didn't think there would be any tax relief during the course of the campaign," he said on CBS.

Tax relief is "a lot closer than anybody believed, especially the punditry," Bush said on NBC's "Today."

He defended his administration's record on the environment, which has included reversal of some Clinton administration initiatives. "We deeply care about the environment. And we have taken steps necessary to make that clear," Bush said.

He told ABC's "Good Morning America" his biggest mistake as president was "allowing people to define me as somebody who's not friendly toward the environment. Somehow I get tagged for not wanting to reduce arsenic in drinking water."

And, on CBS: "I think one issue that has got some people concerned is whether or not we ought to be drilling for more oil and gas in America. And the answer is, if you want energy, we should be."

Even in Florida, where his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush, has sought to block some drilling? the president was asked.

"Oh, I don't think off the coast of the -- down the Keys, in that area, I think you're going to find that we won't be drilling down there, nor off the coast of California. But I think we ought to be drilling in a place like Alaska, and I know we can do so in an environmentally friendly way," he said.

On other issues, Bush:

- Praised Navy Cmdr. Scott Waddle, who was disciplined after the USS Greeneville was involved in a fatal accident, as "this fine American patriot ... (who is) taking the heat ... an officer who bears all of the responsibility, and to me that says something about the man's character."

- Told The Washington Post he believes China is "making progress toward more freedom, albeit not at the pace we'd like to see in America" and that he does not regard China as an enemy. When a Navy surveillance plane made an emergency landing in China, "both nations worked hard to make sure that an accident didn't turn into an incident."

- Said his administration's priorities on abortion should be on policies that "can actually pass the Congress such as banning partial- birth abortion."

"I think it is unrealistic to assume that America is going to ban abortions at this point in our history because people got to understand the preciousness of life before the politics change," Bush said. He added that abortion would not be used as a litmus test for appointing Supreme Court justices.

- When asked about his leadership ability, replied, "If I gave myself a good grade, people would just say I was bragging."