Reply #59: we'll never know...and you're right [View All]

[stillcool]

he gives AA, and sober alcoholics a bad name. I think he falls into this category: "They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty."

In His Own Words: 'I Made Mistakes'

The Washington Post
Sunday, July 25, 1999; Page A20

The following are excerpts of interviews with George W. Bush conducted by Washington Post reporters. The interviews took place May 11 and June 7, 1999, in Austin.

Why did you quit drinking?

A couple of things happened. One, you know, the Billy Graham visit in 1985. I met with Billy, but it's like a mustard seed. You know, he planted a seed in my heart and I began to change. . . . I realized that alcohol was beginning to crowd out my energies and could crowd, eventually, my affections for other people.

Yes, sometimes I would go to a party and drink too much. No, I would not drink too much on a daily basis. I never drank during the day.

You quit drinking and you became more spiritual. Talk about that a little bit.

To put it in spiritual terms, I accepted Christ. What influenced me was the spirituality, sure, which led me to believe that if you change your heart, you can change your behavior. There's a lot of drug rehabilitation programs and some that are based upon exactly what I went through, which is spiritually based – that's what AA is really based upon.

You never did AA?

I didn't, but I'm one of those that – I don't think I was clinically an alcoholic; I didn't have the genuine addiction. I don't know why I drank. I liked to drink, I guess.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bushtext072599.htm