Barbara Bush: President Never Had Drinking Problem

Former first lady Barbara Bush said Wednesday that her son, President Bush, never really had a drinking problem, though he might have given that impression with some offhanded comments during the 2000 presidential campaign.

Asked whether first lady Laura Bush had played a key role in helping her husband turn his life around, the president's mother told CNN's "Larry King Live: "George was never a problem. He wasn't."

"He really was not all of these horrible things," Mrs. Bush continued. "He brought that on himself, I think, truthfully, with all his Jack Daniels - 'Choose me or Jack Daniels' or whatever it was he said on maybe CNN."

Mrs. Bush also weighed in on recent criticism from Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, who charged last week that her son had lied to the American people to get the U.S. into the Iraq war.

Asked about plans by the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library to honor Kennedy next month, Mrs. Bush said, "It's a little bit difficult since Ted spoke out rather indiscriminately. ... But he has served for many, many years as a senator and I think George [Sr.] felt he deserved it."

Mrs. Bush also rebuked Larry King when he broached the topic of abortion, noting, "it's often been said that one area where you disagreed with many in the Republican Party was on the question of choice."

"It's often been said - a lot of things," Mrs. Bush shot back.

When King asked her to clarify, the former first lady replied, "It's not your business. ... I'm not an elected public official and I support my husband and my children."

When King continue to talk about abortion, Mrs. Bush finally ordered him to "move on."

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