"Bush was found out and, to his credit, admitted it without trying to excuse or minimize it."
If you get found out and it's something that's a matter of public record, you don't have much option to admitting it. And of course he's been trying to minimise it - what is saying that it doesn't really matter but minimising it?
"That, to my way of thinking, takes courage."
Not courage. A lot of nerve, maybe. Or Chutzpah - yes, I think that's the most fitting word.
Still, I suppose the number of voters who've driven when they are drunk outnumbers the number who have had family members killed by drunk drivers, so I imagine he'll gain votes rather than lose them over this...