Laura Bush: George Bush 'Owes' Obama Silence

June 8, 2009 — -- While she said it is former Vice President Dick Cheney's right to challenge the Obama administration, former first lady Laura Bush said her husband, former President George Bush, believes he "owes President Obama his silence on issues, and that there's no reason to second-guess any decisions that he makes."

"I think [Cheney] feels obligated. You know, these are issues that are really important to him, and he knows a lot about them," Bush told "Good Morning America" today in an exclusive interview from the former first family's Dallas home, referring to Cheney's recent criticisms of the current administration's national security policies. "So you know, I understand why he wants to speak out."

As for those who criticized her husband's controversial national security policies, the former first lady said the result of those policies is telling.

"It's easy to say when we're so much further along after Sept. 11 that, well nothing else happened. There are different times, and it's easy to look back and say, 'We should have done this' or 'We should have done that.' But, in fact,we are safe, and we didn't have another attack. And I think that's important," she said.

The former first lady has a similarly patient attitude about the current state of the Republican party, noting that in-fighting is "probably not bad."

"It's like creating tension within a party for people to talk about ... how they want to be represented as a party member and how they want to see our party represented. And I think that one way to do that is to discuss," she said. "It comes and goes in cycles, so that's what I think this is ... just a very typical political cycle."

Bush called Sonia Sotomayor, Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, "a very interesting and good nominee."

"You know, as a woman, I'm proud that there might be another woman on the court and so, we'll see what happens, but I wish her well," Bush said.

Another woman Bush said she would be watching is the current first lady, Michelle Obama.

"I like to watch her. I think she's doing great," she said. "I mean, I remember what it's like, those first few months that you live at the White House where you're still looking for the light switches. ... And then to be there with their little girls reminded me a lot of being there with my big girls. ... It's a very, very nice place for family life."