Laura Bush Opens Up (VIDEO): 'There's Great Relief ... When You Leave The White House'

How is life these days for Laura Bush? "Freedom," "relief," and "relaxed" were a few of the words Bush used to describe it in her interview with CBS' Maggie Rodriguez.

Bush has been keeping herself busy at her new digs in Dallas, Texas, writing her memoir and acting as chairwoman for the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. However, a running motif in the interview was the "great feeling of freedom" that comes with leaving the White House, and that she and former President Bush are "both a lot more relaxed."

"There's great relief, believe me, when you leave the White House after serving there for eight years. A lot of responsibility," Bush added.

Bush maintained a sunny disposition for most of the interview, even when it came to her replacement, Michelle Obama, who she said is using her podium as first lady "very well." The one time she expressed disapproval was when Rodriguez touched on President Obama's critiques of the Bush administration:

I can tell you, I don't like that very much. That he would say that, you know, blame everything on George. But I think that really the President of the United States needs to remember the duty that he has and the obligation he has, the responsibility he has to the office. Which is of course to treat it with respect and with dignity. I think that's probably not a really great thing to do. Especially, this is coming from the wife of the former President. So surely you understand me.

On the other hand, Bush was perfectly fine with Dick Cheney's swipes at the Obama administration. "Absolutely. This is a free country, and I think it's important for people to express what they think," Bush said.

WATCH the full CBS interview:

Watch CBS News Videos Online