George Bush: “I Doubt I’d Be Standing Here If I Hadn’t Quit Drinking Whiskey”
I heard that…me neither.
In an exclusive interview with ABC News, President Bush spoke more candidly than ever before about his past alcohol addiction.
“I doubt I’d be standing here if I hadn’t quit drinking whiskey, and beer and wine and all that,” the president disclosed Tuesday to ABC News’ Martha Raddatz during an exclusive tour of the White House residence.
The president told ABC News he quit drinking over 20 years ago — cold turkey.
“I had too much to drink one night, and the next day I didn’t have any,” Bush said. “The next day I decided to quit and I haven’t had a drink since 1986.”
“And you did it just cold turkey?” asked ABC News’ Martha Raddatz.
“I’m a better man for it,” Bush said.
The president said his alcohol problem wasn’t severe, but said he still had a hard time quitting.
“I wasn’t a knee-walking drunk,” Bush said. “It’s a difficult thing to do, which is to kick an addiction.”
Earlier in the day after briefing the media on a report on teen drug abuse, Bush told a teenage girl who had struggled with drug addiction that he too had kicked an addiction.
“Your president made the same kind of choice,” he told her. “I had to quit drinking. … Addiction competes for your affection … You fall in love with alcohol.”
Later, Bush told ABC News he opened up to the girl about his alcohol abuse, because he was touched by her story.
“I was trying to encourage her to stay strong,” Bush said. “I wanted her, this young girl who’s struggling with drug addiction, to know that others who might be famous have the same issue, that she’s not alone.”
Bush said in his case, he made the decision to quit when he realized drinking was interfering with his family.
“Alcohol can compete with your affections. It sure did in my case,” Bush said, “affections with your family, or affections for exercise.”
“It was the competition that I decided just wasn’t worth it,” he said.
(ABC)
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Hehe…whiskey…diabolical.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:20 pmThat said, it must strike others how much more compassionate AND sane a guy like GW is versus one of his “rivals.”
December 11th, 2007 at 10:21 pmHe’s the coolest!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:19 pm“I Doubt I’d Be Standing Here If I Hadn’t Quit Drinking Whiskey”
Reminds me of the ol classic line from the movie Airplane…
Looks like I picked a bad time to quit drinkin….
December 11th, 2007 at 11:49 pmI drink, but I don’t let it interfere in my life. There’s nothing inherently evil about alcohol. My view is that being unable to handle booze is weakness.
Let the flames begin…
December 12th, 2007 at 2:13 amDidn’t hold back that POS lard ass kennedy.
December 12th, 2007 at 6:29 amSome people can handle drinking, some can’t. What’s important is, he recognized that he was one of the ones that couldn’t and did something about it.
This article just brings back to my mind the reason I always liked our President, he always made out like he put his pants on the same way we all do. Very human, very compassionate. I guarantee you we’re not going to get that if Mrs. Clinton becomes our next POTUS. We’ll get stints in ‘rehab’, ‘re-education’ all of that, but compassion? I can’t see it.
And I can’t even envision Mrs. Clinton sharing anything as personal as this without some gain for herself behind it.
I’ve been a businesswoman for many years, long before it became fashionable and sexual harassment in the workplace became illegal. I know for a certainty that Mrs. Clinton is absolutely about power and she will step on/put up with whatever she has to step on/put up with to get it. I’ve seen it a kabillion times on the workforce.
December 12th, 2007 at 7:07 amMaybe W should be sharing this with Ted Kennedy …
I think Teddy likes his whiskey with a splash.
December 12th, 2007 at 7:22 amI like how he took responsibility for himself instead of using the crutch of going to rehab or whining about it. Maybe I’ll make something out of myself when I quit drinking, but for now…bottoms up!
December 12th, 2007 at 8:09 am@KBoomr113
I like how he took responsibility for himself instead of using the crutch of going to rehab or whining about it. Maybe I’ll make something out of myself when I quit drinking, but for now…bottoms up!
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The man gets credit for nothing … He really is at peace with himself. No other “politician”/President would ever have endured the shit this man has … and not sniped back.
Good luck to you.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:21 ammmmmmmmm, whisky.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:34 amI give the MAN credit for being forthcoming with the young lady. There aren’t many public figures and particularly politicians who would lay their past out there for the media turds to play with.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:56 amThe MAN is a credit to himself, his family, his religious conviction, and his political beliefs.