George H.W. Bush spending Christmas in hospital

Former president George H.W. Bush is spending Christmas night at Houston Methodist Hospital where he was being cared for after experiencing shortness of breath two days ago.

"President Bush had another terrific day and is in great spirits,'' spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon.

McGrath said the former president, "asked that his sincere wishes for a very Merry Christmas be extended to one and all.''

He offered no more details on the former president's condition.

Bush, 90, spent nearly two months in the same hospital and was discharged in January 2013 after treatment for a bronchitis-related cough and other health issues.

The 41st president suffers from a form of Parkinson's disease and now uses a wheelchair or a motorized scooter. He most recently appeared seated in a wheelchair at an event in November at Texas A&M University with his son, former president George W. Bush.

Still, the elder former president also skydived on at least three of his birthdays since leaving the White House, including a tandem jump for his 90th birthday in June.

Bush was hospitalized Tuesday evening as a precaution and held for observation, McGrath said.

Contributing: William M. Welch, Paste BN