Laura on George W Bush's fondness for the bottle

Talking for the first time about her husband's drinking habits, former United States First Lady Laura Bush has admitted that President George W Bush was a 'bore' when he had too much.

President Bush, who was in the White House from 2001 to 2009, has always denied that he was an alcoholic. He claimed that he gave up drinking when he turned 40 and didn't drink during his tenure.

He was arrested for drunk driving in 1976. But, in an interview to an US magazine about her life with President Bush, Laura said his love of alcohol left her 'disappointed', although she denied ever giving him an ultimatum about his drinking, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.

Laura said, "George drank the three Bs, a bourbon before dinner, a beer with dinner and then B&B (a mixture of Brandy and Benedictine liquor), a sweet after dinner drink. He didn't have three drinks every night, many times all he had was a beer. But when he poured enough, he could be a bore. Maybe its funny when other people's husbands have too much too drink at a party, but I didn't think it was funny."

Claiming that she did not threaten to end their marriage over her husband's drinking, Laura told the Ladies Home Journal, "I never said the line, 'It's either Jim Beam or me'. That joke came much later. I was not going to leave George, and I wasn't going to let him leave me with twins".

"Our marriage was enduring. We loved each other, and were two people who did not have divorce in our DNA. But I was disappointed. And I let him know that I thought he could be a better man," she said.

Laura had said in a recent interview that she secretly supported gay marriage and abortion -- two of the subjects most opposed by her husband's supporters.

Image: Former US President George W Bush with his wife Laura | Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters