National Enquirer: "A Washington source said: 'The sad fact is that he has been sneaking drinks for weeks now. Laura may have only just caught him but the word is his drinking has been going on for a while in the capital. He's been in a pressure cooker for months.

'The war in Iraq, the loss of American lives, has deeply affected him. He takes every soldier's life personally. It has left him emotionally drained.

The result is he's taking drinks here and there, likely in private, to cope. 'And now with the worst domestic crisis in his administration over Katrina, you pray his drinking doesn't go out of control.'

Another source said: 'I'm only surprised to hear that he hadn't taken a shot sooner. Before Katrina, he was at his wit's end. I've known him for years. He's been a good ol' Texas boy forever. George had a drinking problem for years that most professionals would say needed therapy. He doesn't believe in it [therapy], he never got it. He drank his way through his youth, through college and well into his thirties. Everyone's drinking around him.'

Another source said: 'A family member told me they fear George is 'falling apart.' The First Lady has been assigned the job of gatekeeper.' Bush's history of drinking dates back to his youth. Speaking of his time as a young man in the National Guard, he has said: 'One thing I remember, and I'm most proud of, is my drinking and partying. Those were the days my friends. Those were the good old days!'"