George W. Bush gets candid on McCain, Obama, alcohol in memoir

In his memoir, set for release Tuesday, George W. Bush criticizes fellow Republican John McCain, “I thought it looked defensive for John to distance himself from me” during the 2008 presidential election.

The ex-president, however, refused to slam McCain’s rival, President Barack Obama, in an interview with Oprah set to air Tuesday.

“I want to treat my successor the way I’d like to have been treated,” he said. “He’s got a plenty tough job. Trust me.”

Another interview, this one between Bush, 64, and the “Today” show’s Matt Lauer, set to air Monday as part of the Texan’s media blitz to promote his book “Decision Points.”

In the tome, Bush rehashes his struggle with booze, asking, “Was alcohol becoming my god?” He writes about being snubbed by rapper Kanye West, Hurricane Katrina and arguing with Vice President Dick Cheney about absolving Cheney aide Scooter Libby in a CIA scandal. He also reveals that his mother, Barbara Bush, showed him the fetus of her miscarried child, helping to form his anti-abortion stance.