Politics | George HW Bush Ex-President Bush to Spend Christmas in Hospital Doctors 'cautiously optimistic,' but want him to gain strength By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Dec 24, 2012 4:13 PM CST Copied In a Tuesday, June 12, 2012 file photo, President George H.W. Bush, and his wife, Barbara Bush, arrive for the premiere of HBO's documentary on his life. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) Former President George HW Bush will spend Christmas in a Texas hospital after developing a fever and weakness following a monthlong, bronchitis-like cough. A Bush spokesman said today that doctors remain "cautiously optimistic" the 88-year-old will recover, but they want to keep him in the hospital. A hospital spokesman had said last week that doctors expected Bush to be released in time to spend Christmas at home. The spokesman says Bush came down with a fever last week, but that he's largely overcome the painful, lingering cough that initially put him in the hospital on Nov. 23. No word on the cause of the fever or weakness. Read These Next Kirk suspect's trans roommate is cooperating with investigators. How a death row inmate helped track down a serial killer. Charlie Kirk suspect made jokes about his 'doppleganger.' The widow of country legend George Jones has quite a tale to tell. Report an error