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Question of the Day | 11/20/2008 11:00 pm

Are you interested in reading Laura Bush's upcoming autobiography? Why or why not?

© Shutterstock
Joan Ganz Cooney

Joan Ganz Cooney | 11/21/2008 12:00 am

Laura Bush to Tell All? Not According to Joan Ganz Cooney

No. She does not interest me at all. She is the most guarded person I’ve ever met and would not dream of writing what she really thinks about anything or anyone, starting with her husband.
Marlo Thomas

Marlo Thomas | 11/20/2008 11:00 pm

Marlo Thomas: Mr. Bush Is Bad for Laura's Book Sales

Laura Bush wrote an essay in one of my books, and I was happy to discover that she’s a pretty earthy woman. Her story was about one of her earliest memories of lying on a blanket with her mother on their front lawn, looking up at the sky. "And what a sky it was," she wrote. "Mother knew some of the constellations, and she would point them out to me. But mostly we would just gaze up and talk." She carried on that tradition of enjoying the galaxy with her own daughters years later. That gave me a peek into what seems a very good woman and mother. Still, I probably won’t read her book. I’m really not interested in hearing one word more about HIM.
Liz Smith

Liz Smith | 11/20/2008 11:00 pm

Liz Smith Warns Michelle Obama: 'The Wives of Presidents Have a Tough Row to Hoe'

Of course, I am interested in reading Laura Bush’s autobiography. I am interested in anything Mrs. Bush does because she seems to be one of the rare members of the Bush dynasty with great common sense. I even read the novel written about her, American Wife, and I liked her better and better after that. Mrs. Bush is a driving force behind the Texas Book Festival. I think she is a  wonderful woman who married a man she loves, but of whom she sometimes disapproves.  The wives of presidents have a tough row to hoe. She did well in her attitude of disengagement from the negatives. Mrs. Bush’s favorite thing other than reading is to hang out with her Texas girlfriends. This shows an excellent realistic take on life. 

Click here on this text to read my New York Post column.

Sheila Nevins

Sheila Nevins | 11/21/2008 9:00 am

Sheila Nevins Wants Only the Deepest, Darkest Truths

Under Sodium Pentothal or any truth drug, I would want to delve deeply into her sub-conscience. Be this truth serum is not the impetus for the novel; I would not want to read it. It’s her deepest darkest secrets that interest me.

Julia Reed

Julia Reed | 11/21/2008 11:55 am

Julia Reed: Laura Bush Has a Thankless Job

Yes, I’m interested in reading Laura Bush’s autobiography. She’s a lovely, strong, interesting woman who handled a thankless job incredibly well. I also don’t think she’s been given enough credit for some of her activities while in office. She has done far more than read to grade-school children. She has actively supported the people of Burma, speaking out against the prolonged detainment of Aung San Suu Kyi and protesting the treatment of peaceful protesters by the ruling junta. She has urged the international community not to buy Burmese gemstones — which prop up the regime — and has visited the refugee camps on the Thai-Burmese border. Her own private library foundation is responsible for the rebuilding and restocking of countless libraries on the Katrina-ravaged Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans, where she has made 23 visits and also driven school recovery efforts. She has focused attention on two of her husband’s better ideas, the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest international health initiative in history to fight a single disease, and has visited ten of the 15 PEPFAR focus countries and ten of the 15 countries aided by PMI.

I could go on about her work, but that’s not what makes her interesting to me. She is warm, has a great sense of humor that few have seen and has a core group of good friends she has known since childhood and to whom she is extraordinarily close and supportive. The first time I did a story on her for Newsweek when she was still First Lady of Texas, we went to lunch with two of these women and I had a blast. They were as bright and warm and hilarious as she is. Every year they take a trip together and go hiking in some national park or whitewater rafting, which I don’t think most people can imagine her doing. 

Also, no matter what you think of the administration, it’s important to have a record of people’s time in the White House. I was at lunch at the White House about three weeks ago. There were some writers like me, some historians, Cokie Roberts, Dee Myers. It was very relaxed and we sat around in the exquisitely restored Green Room downstairs, where she has hung some beautiful 20th-century works of art, and one of the historians urged her to write her memoirs because, he said, the president’s and First Lady’s official papers aren’t released for years, and it is vital for them to put down in their own words their experiences.

Further, it is absurd to transfer the feelings one might have about the president to his wife — or to be rude to her because of him. Once, about two years ago, I had dinner with Mrs. Bush and two other women at Galatoire’s in New Orleans. She had instructed the Secret Service to hang back as she just wanted to relax and have a few laughs before getting up at dawn to go to some schools along the Gulf Coast. And we had barely sat down before the parade started. A man came up and told her that he wished her husband would be tortured like they tortured the prisoners at Abu Graib. It went on and on. When one guy came by and told her that while he thought the president was a monster, he had always liked her, she waited until he had walked off and looked at me and said, "And that’s supposed to make me feel better?" I was embarrassed to my core for my city — hell, for my fellow man. I have enormous respect for her and now I would love to hear what she has to say.

183 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Irish Eyes NY
Carmel-by-the-cesspool Like I said not matter what you post. And aren’t you the elite limo liberal with your nose in the air, talking about Texas hicks. So the rest of the country that doesn’t abide in your little corner of Calif can be looked down upon. How typical of a Liberal, Marxist.
By Irish Eyes NY on 11/22/2008 11:45 am
Delete This
Aren’t you wasting time you could be spending watching your alter ego Ann Coulter? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nveiuLxc9Eo&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7IhR0ccgo
By Delete This on 11/22/2008 1:34 pm
Irish Eyes NY
Carmel-by-the-cesspool: Is that the best answer you could come up with?? Actually tho, Ann is a brilliant writer and funny as hell.
By Irish Eyes NY on 11/22/2008 7:41 pm
HA BIBI
Irish, Look at that part of the country she’s in,Soddom and Gomorrah of the west. That neck of the woods is well noted for being the land of fruits and nuts.
By HA BIBI on 11/22/2008 6:46 pm
Delete This
California is the world’s 7th largest economy, accounts for 13%+ of the US GNP, and pays in more to the federal system than it receives in benefits. It is the rich, educated Blue states that have to support all the red states. Although rich in benefits for its citizens, California’s overall tax burden of $10.66 per $100 of personal income is just slightly higher than the $10.43 average for the United States. California leads the US on the environment. San Francisco ranks #1 walking city in the US, and #2 green city in the US after Portland. Forbes list of the top 12 world cities with the highest number of billioniares per capita, California ranks second in the world behind NY as having the most billionaires in the world: 1. New York City 2. Los Angeles 3. Moscow, 4. London 5. Hong Kong 6. Chicago 7. San Francisco 8. Dallas 9. São Paulo, Brazil 10. Paris 11. Tokyo, 12. Houston California’s agriculture is twice the size of any other state’s agriculture. And though California is the world’s #5 largest supplier of agricultural products, they account for under 3% of California’s $1.55 trillion gross state product. California exports 95% of US wines, and Napa is the states #2 tourist destination after Disneyland. New York and California are the top 2 travel destinations for overseas travelers according to the US Commerce Dept. New York 7.6 million foreign visitors last year. California (LA and San Francisco) 6.2 million. Florida 4 million. Las Vegas 1.7 million. Honolulu 1.6 million. Washington 1.2 million. California cities are among the richest on the planet in per capita average income: Belvedere$113,595. Rancho Santa Fe $113,132. Atherton $112,408 Rolling Hills $111,031 Woodside $104,667 Portola Valley $99,621 Newport Coast $98,770 Hillsborough $98,643 Diablo $95,419 Fairbanks Ranch $94,150 Hidden Hills, California $94,096 Los Altos Hills $92,840 Tiburon $85,966 Sausalito $81,040 Monte Sereno $76,577 Indian Wells $76,187 Malibu $74,336 Del Monte Forest $70,609 Piedmont $70,539 Montecito $70,077 Los Altos, California $66,776 (note the majority are in Nothern Ca) States weath in millions: 1 California 1,622,116 2 Texas 989,443 3 New York 957,873 4 Florida 673,274 5 Illinois 560,032 6 Pennsylvania 489,025 7 Ohio 440,923 8 New Jersey 431,079 9 Michigan 376,243 10 Georgia 363,839 11 Virginia 351,903 12 North Carolina 346,640 13 Massachusetts 325,917 14 Washington 267,308 15 Maryland 246,234 16 Indiana 238,568 17 Minnesota 234,552 18 Tennessee 229,215 19 Colorado 216,537 20 Arizona 216,528 21 Wisconsin 216,322 22 Missouri 216,065 23 Connecticut 193,745 24 Louisiana 168,204 25 Alabama 151,610 26 Oregon 144,278 27 Kentucky 140,501 28 South Carolina 140,019 29 Oklahoma 121,490 30 Iowa 113,552 31 Nevada 111,342 32 Kansas 105,574 33 Utah 90,778 34 Arkansas 86,752 District of Columbia 81,830 35 Mississippi 81,290 36 Nebraska 70,676 37 New Mexico 68,870 38 Delaware 56,483 39 New Hampshire 55,061 40 Hawaii 54,019 41 West Virginia 53,050 42 Idaho 47,189 43 Maine 44,971 44 Rhode Island 43,787 45 Alaska 39,314 46 South Dakota 30,919 47 Montana 29,885 48 Wyoming 27,269 49 North Dakota 24,397 50 Vermont 23,065 For evil values, little morals, and what damages the US and the world the most that locus would be the Bush administration.
By Delete This on 11/23/2008 4:32 am
Kryssi K
Hah, that’s weird - you posted this just as I posted my comment about how California is my favorite place, with Texas coming in a close second! I don’t understand why/how anyone who’s actually been there [Cali, that is] could possibly denigrate it. It represents - well, usually - the Progress and Freedom our founding fathers strived toward!
By Kryssi K on 11/23/2008 4:36 am
Delete This
Kryssi, I love Northern California and nothing those two say could possibly impact my opinion on anything. Am proud to not be them with their loves of two of the worst people in the world, Bush/Coulter. Ugh.
By Delete This on 11/23/2008 5:18 am
Kryssi K
Hey, I love California! Have you ever been there? I go there at least once or twice a year. It’s so beautiful (THE most variety of scenery) and as a result the people there tend to have higher quality of life, which makes them pretty happy, which makes them open-minded and thus less nosy and oppressive (comparing them to the Midwest, where I am) etc. At least that’s been MY experience - no other part of the country seems/feels so liberated… My health actually improves every time I go there. Strangely enough, though, Texas is my second favorite part of this country.
By Kryssi K on 11/23/2008 4:33 am
Delete This
Kryssi, I thought by now the Demos would have sold TX [except Austin] back to Mexico to help pay down our debt and ex-communicate Bush in one move. lol
By Delete This on 11/23/2008 9:21 pm
Irish Eyes NY
Susan, It’s a cesspool if she abides there. She is a narrow-minded, marxist who believes that only her way of thinking is correct. She has branded Laura Bush with her hatred of W. No good can come from that kind of hatred. Its eating away at her soul, if she still has one.
By Irish Eyes NY on 11/22/2008 7:47 pm
Delete This
Irish, You use the words ‘bitch’ ‘shit’ ‘cesspool’ etc. I never use or even think the word ‘hate’ but yes, GWB/Cheney are among the most vile individuals in history and they will be and have been judged as such. They will be burning in hell for eternity for their crimes. And their supporters have blood on their hands, including his wife, and are divorced from their own humanity that they support an illegal, immoral war. If you want to be concerned with souls….be concerned with your own for supporting all of this evil. Bush has been selected in polls by Gallup, CNN, Associated Press, etc as having the worst approval rating of any US president. Has been chosen the #1 villian of the world over other choices of Satan, OBL, Saddam, Kim Jon II, and the Prez of Iran. He is by any definition evil……people who lie to start illegal, immoral wars that kill 1 m innocent people, displace miilions more, use WMD on civilians (depleted uranium) and bankrupt our nation are evil. She’s married to that….she sleeps with that. Someone married to a sociopath has serious problems. Even the worst among GOP dirty tricks operatives, Roger Stone, deeply regrets that he helped get Bush elected. Too bad that you and Elaine and your brethern can support what Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman so rightly called ‘The Monster Era.’ A small fraction of all the dead and destroyed because of this idiot mass murderer/war profiteer’s lies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsUuLl1rxj0&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZwnDVsbgWc&NR=1 —————————— Senator Byrd’s pre war Congressional floor speech predicting the disaster to come…..while tens of millions of us were out protesting and doing all we could to stop the disaster of it……it was people like you fighting for it…..and still defending it. And also claiming moral high ground. ‘RECKLESS ADMINISTRATION MAY REAP DISASTEROUS CONSEQUENCES’ Senate Floor Speech - Wednesday, February 12, 2003 Senator Robert Byrd “To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human experiences. On this February day, as this nation stands at the brink of battle, every American on some level must be contemplating the horrors of war. “This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption — the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future — is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter. And it is being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our — or some other nation’s — hit list. High level Administration figures recently refused to take nuclear weapons off of the table when discussing a possible attack against Iraq. What could be more destabilizing and unwise than this type of uncertainty, particularly in a world where globalism has tied the vital economic and security interests of many nations so closely together? There are huge cracks emerging in our time-honored alliances, and U.S. intentions are suddenly subject to damaging worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism based on mistrust, misinformation, suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from U.S. leaders is fracturing the once solid alliance against global terrorism which existed after September 11. “Here at home, people are warned of imminent terrorist attacks with little guidance as to when or where such attacks might occur. Family members are being called to active military duty, with no idea of the duration of their stay or what horrors they may face. Communities are being left with less than adequate police and fire protection. Other essential services are also short-staffed. The mood of the nation is grim. The economy is stumbling. Fuel prices are rising and may soon spike higher. “This Administration, now in power for a little over two years, must be judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal. I”n that scant two years, this Administration has squandered a large projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the next decade and taken us to projected deficits as far as the eye can see. This Administration’s domestic policy has put many of our states in dire financial condition, under funding scores of essential programs for our people. This Administration has fostered policies which have slowed economic growth. This Administration has ignored urgent matters such as the crisis in health care for our elderly. This Administration has been slow to provide adequate funding for homeland security. This Administration has been reluctant to better protect our long and porous borders. “In foreign policy, this Administration has failed to find Osama bin Laden. In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again marshaling his forces and urging them to kill. This Administration has split traditional alliances, possibly crippling, for all time, International order-keeping entities like the United Nations and NATO. This Administration has called into question the traditional worldwide perception of the United States as well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the patient art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the sort that reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our leaders, and which will have consequences for years to come. “Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant — these types of crude insensitivities can do our great nation no good. We may have massive military might, but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism alone. We need the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored allies as well as the newer found friends whom we can attract with our wealth. Our awesome military machine will do us little good if we suffer another devastating attack on our homeland which severely damages our economy. Our military manpower is already stretched thin and we will need the augmenting support of those nations who can supply troop strength, not just sign letters cheering us on. “The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37 billion so far, yet there is evidence that terrorism may already be starting to regain its hold in that region. We have not found bin Laden, and unless we secure the peace in Afghanistan, the dark dens of terrorism may yet again flourish in that remote and devastated land. “Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing forces. This Administration has not finished the first war against terrorism and yet it is eager to embark on another conflict with perils much greater than those in Afghanistan. Is our attention span that short? Have we not learned that after winning the war one must always secure the peace? “And yet we hear little about the aftermath of war in Iraq. In the absence of plans, speculation abroad is rife. Will we seize Iraq’s oil fields, becoming an occupying power which controls the price and supply of that nation’s oil for the foreseeable future? To whom do we propose to hand the reigns of power after Saddam Hussein? “Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in devastating attacks on Israel? Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear arsenal? Will the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled by radicals, bolstered by Iran which has much closer ties to terrorism than Iraq? “Could a disruption of the world’s oil supply lead to a world-wide recession? Has our senselessly bellicose language and our callous disregard of the interests and opinions of other nations increased the global race to join the nuclear club and made proliferation an even more lucrative practice for nations which need the income? “In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous consequences for years. “One can understand the anger and shock of any President after the savage attacks of September 11. One can appreciate the frustration of having only a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on which it is nearly impossible to exact retribution. “But to turn one’s frustration and anger into the kind of extremely destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is currently witnessing is inexcusable from any Administration charged with the awesome power and responsibility of guiding the destiny of the greatest superpower on the planet. Frankly many of the pronouncements made by this Administration are outrageous. There is no other word. “Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent. On what is possibly the eve of horrific infliction of death and destruction on the population of the nation of Iraq — a population, I might add, of which over 50% is under age 15 — this chamber is silent. On what is possibly only days before we send thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined horrors of chemical and biological warfare — this chamber is silent. On the eve of what could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in retaliation for our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States Senate. “We are truly “sleepwalking through history.” In my heart of hearts I pray that this great nation and its good and trusting citizens are not in for a rudest of awakenings. “To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. And war must always be a last resort, not a first choice. I truly must question the judgment of any President who can say that a massive unprovoked military attack on a nation which is over 50% children is “in the highest moral traditions of our country”. This war is not necessary at this time. Pressure appears to be having a good result in Iraq. Our mistake was to put ourselves in a corner so quickly. Our challenge is to now find a graceful way out of a box of our own making. Perhaps there is still a way if we allow more time. “
By Delete This on 11/23/2008 5:06 am
Irish Eyes NY
Cesspool: How do you even begin to know whom I supported or voted for in the past several elections. Because, YOU DON’T KNOW. I thought it was rude & hateful the way you tore into Laura Bush. I don’t agree with your assessment of her and neither do alot of other women on this site. I guess its the usual shit from you libs, which is YOUR OPINION COUNTS AND NOT ANYONE WITH A DIFFERING OPINION COUNTS. Remember 48% of this country did not vote for Barry.
By Irish Eyes NY on 11/23/2008 6:04 pm
Kryssi K
It’s not so much the OPINION, it’s HOW IT IS EXPRESSED that matters. Again, WHY don’t you agree with her assessment of Laura Bush…instead of just complaining that it is incorrect.
By Kryssi K on 11/23/2008 11:20 pm
Dona Howlett
Suzanne, Thanks for the link………….I hadn’t seen that. How shocking is that. He didn’t even attempt to shake hands and the other people seemed to not even look at him. Embarassing that the So Called most Powerful Man in the World would act that way. Furthermore appalling that the other World leaders showed him absolutly no respect.
By Dona Howlett on 11/22/2008 5:25 am
HA BIBI
If you had listened to the entire report, you would have known that Bush in fact had already previously met withand shook the hands of all these world leaders. As usual, you and all the others that spend an insumountable amount of time spewing forth non truths and in this case, had you watched the entire CNN report with Rick Sanches, he himself said this at first looked as though Bush was the kid nobody liked. He in all fairness (his words) had to state that Bush had previously met with, shook hands and had discussed buisness with all of them. What the news reels put out there was the aftermath of those meetings, not the beginning of them. So typical of those who don’t like him, to only see what they want to and most, I say most, is not the truth. People who do that, are as untrustworthy as those they themselves claim others to be. Try listening and watching the whole story before putting “your so called truths” out there, as anything less causes you to lose credibility.
By HA BIBI on 11/22/2008 8:55 am