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The steadying influence of Laura Bush
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Laura Bush never cared to live a life in politics. Nevertheless, by the time of her husband's second term, she was the secret weapon for public relations and advocacy in the White House.
A love of reading guided the choices in her life, as she pursued a career as a teacher and then as a librarian. Improving the nation's literacy was her main focus during her time in the White House. She created the National Book Festival, and pushed hard for No Child Left Behind as a tool to raise literacy in schools. Her encouragement of education went beyond the normal First Lady platitudes about caring for our children. Her first-hand experience in elementary school classrooms gave credibility to her push for early childhood development and highly skilled teacher training..jpg)
Laura Bush maintained consistently high marks with the public throughout both terms as First Lady. Her approval ratings were significantly higher than any other high-profile figure in the administration. Laura's steady personal touch was recognized and respected. George Bush credited her with his decision to give up drinking, which led to his political rise. Texas, and later the entire nation, was thankful that Laura was around to help make George more presentable to the general public.
While Rove and Cheney got all of the credit, it was actually two women who drove the success of George W. Bush. His advisor Karen Hughes lent a softer touch to the abrasive pulic relation techniques of Karl Rove. And, obviously, not even Cheney could bend the president's ear in the way Laura could.
Laura hinted at issues where her and George's opinions diverged. She was, overall, a staunch defender of her husband's policies and echoed his mantra that history will vindicate his decisions. During George's last days in office, when he was subjected to a vicious shoe attack, Laura mused that the act was a sign of a budding culture of free expression in Iraq.
As much dirt as the legions of Bush-haters tried to dig up on Laura, the most damning tidbit they could conjure was that she smoked cigarettes. Other than that, attempts to portray her as a Stepford Wife rang hollow and false.
The aspect of the First Lady that overwhelmingly garners the most attention from the media and the public is her fashion sense. Laura Bush received consistent kudos from the style-savvy for her elegance and taste.
Whenever the subject of dining in the White House came up, it was Laura to whom the media would turn to regale them with stories of enchiladas and Texas-style feasts. Despite the gains made by women in the political establishment, the role of First Lady is still seen and mostly performed as an accessory role, America's Mom. Then again, no one would deny the power of a mother's influence.
During the 2004 election campaign, Teresa Heinz dispraged Laura Bush by commenting she didn't think Laura had ever had a real job. Advisors implored Bush to pounce on the obvious ignorance that Heinz displayed. Laura declined, instead choosing to empathize with Heinz and the difficulty of dealing with the rats in the media.
As Laura's profile rose during the second term of the administration, she frustrated the polite media who commonly damned her with faint praise. "Demure" was not an accurate word to describe someone who was becoming an active and vocal presence. Laura spoke up for women's rights and education around the world, including in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. Laura Bush was the voice of the administration in support of pro-democracy leader Aung San Su Kyi, who is being held as a political prisoner by the Burmese junta. This issue was not even a blip on the radar of the American conscience before Bush spoke up. She took the current neo-con approach of transformative democracy, and called on Burma to bring about political and social reforms.
Laura Bush was the first non-president to deliver the Presidential Weekly Radio Address, as the U.S. prepared for war in Afghanistan. She used this opportunity to call attention to the Taliban's oppression of women, and the ritual degradation of women throughout the terrorist world.
Bush stated that she would not favor an overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision. She promoted abstinence education as the only sure-fire way to reduce the number of abortions. This view may seem hopelessly outdated and naive, but it is hard to argue with the logic.
In an administration that had its' share of megalomaniacal blowhards, Laura Bush served as a crucial, calm counterweight. As a result, she remained a highly popular and respected First Lady.
Coming up next: Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.
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Condoleezza Rice
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http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-11800-Bush-Legacy-Examiner~y2009m7d4-The-Donald-Rumsfeld-paradox
Colin Powell
Dick Cheney
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