By James Tillman

LOS ANGELES, California, May 13, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com)—In an interview on Larry King Live this Tuesday, former first lady Laura Bush said that she disagreed with her husband regarding the legality of both gay “marriage” and abortion.

Mrs. Bush, known for her previous reticence on controversial issues, has been promoting her memoir “Spoken from the Heart” in recent weeks.

Larry King pointed out that, in her memoir, she admits asking her husband during the 2004 presidential campaign not to make gay “marriage” a significant issue.

“Do you think we should have it?” King asked.

“Well, I think that we ought to definitely look at it,” Mrs. Bush responded. “When couples are are committed to each other and love each other—they ought to have, I think, the same sort of rights that everyone has.”

While claiming that she could “understand totally” those who disagreed with her, she said that same-sex “marriage” is “a generational thing” to which older people feel more resistance, and will therefore come with time.

Mrs. Bush also recounted how Katie Couric asked her if Roe v. Wade should be overturned in 2001.

“Sort of everything went through my mind,” she said, “and I thought, ‘Do I really want to start my husband’s presidency suggesting that a Supreme Court ruling be overturned?'”

At that time, the first lady-to-be said that Roe v. Wade should not be overturned, and again on Tuesday said it was important to preserve legal abortion “for medical reasons and for other reasons.”

She emphasized, however, that neither issue caused argument between her and her husband.

“I understand his viewpoint. I really do,” she said. “I understand his viewpoint. And he understands mine.”

President Bush did not endorse any “gay rights” legislation while in office and threatened to veto the Matthew Shepard Act, which would have included sexual orientation among groups protected by hate crime legislation. Congress passed the measure last October under President Obama.

Mr. Bush also became known as a champion of pro-life initiatives during his presidency, signing a number of pro-life measures, including the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.