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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

Delete This
I did listen to the entire report and the tape is from CNN. Further, Associated Press did a global poll and thee FACT IS that Bush was selected as the most despised villian on Earth over all the other choices and by such a wide margin that ALL OF THEIR NEGATIVE NUMBERS TOGETHER DIDN”T ADD UP TO HIS. He outpolled Satan, OBL, Saddam, Kim Jong II and the Prez of Iran combined. That you love evil is your problem.
By Delete This on 11/22/2008 10:49 am
Delete This
Laura Bush’s Freedom Fowl Receipe: INGREDIENTS: 1 Large Butterball Turkey Freedom Fowl (can substitute Oscar Mayer ballpark franks) 2 boxes of NicoDerm CQ nicotine patches Orville Redenbacher extra-butter popcorn PREPARATION: As with any chore, the first thing to do is fill a coffee mug with your favorite adult beverage of the day. Remember that cooking can be even duller than childrearing without proper libations. Scoop out the nasty stuff they stick inside the bird. Gals, this will make you feel like the turkey’s freedom fowl’s gynecologist if you don’t use Rubbermaid gloves! Leave the giblets and anything else you find in there on the floor for the dogs. Peel the protective covers off of the NicoDerm patches. Use them to completely cover the bird. Put the Level 1 patches on the white meat and the Levels 2 and 3 patches on the dark meat. (Hostess Tip: Remember to serve yourself breast meat for an added kick at dinner!) Plaster any unused patches up your inner thigh where nosy photographers won’t see them. Save a couple to apply directly to your tongue while you mash the potatoes. Remember: Any chore can be turned into fun with the right prescription! Give the bird 30 minutes to absorb all the nicotine. Your adult beverage is probably gone at this point, so by all means pour another! Sometimes, I’ve had so many adult beverages, I forget to preheat the oven to 375. And if you have gotten this far in the recipe and not done so, you have, too! Silly! So, preheat the oven to 375 and have some ciggies while you flip through a Kountry Krafts magazine while you wait for the oven to warm up. Stuff the popcorn into the nasty, moist center of the bird. Your turkey freedom fowl should be thoroughly smoked now, so peel off all the nicotine patches. Place the turkey freedom fowl in your now hot oven. When you hear popcorn flying out of your turkey’s freedom fowl’s a$$, you know that your delectable smoked turkey freedom fowl is ready! Bon Appetite! Laura’s Famous ‘Refined” Hot Cocoa: -1 C Nestles Quick chocolate syrup - 4 T Sweet n Low artificial sweetener -5 C Amaretto Carnation Coffee-Mate nondairy creamer - 3 C Everclear grain alcohol - A pinch of salt - A pinch of cinnamon -1/2 t Sam’s Club imitation vanilla flavoring Mix, heat, then top with Cool Whip (or Miracle Whip if you don’t have a sweet tooth) and marshmallows. —————- Laura’s Texas Two-Step Vodka Gravy: Peel the plasticy outer layer off of 15 Slim Jims with a sharp knife or your teeth Scrape out the wonderful filling with a grapefruit spoon and place in ¼ cup of boiling water. Cook until the water turns a brownish-yellowish-green (like used chewing tobacco in the bottom of a Styrofoam cup). Put 4 Tablespoons of the “Slim Jim Nectar” in a pan Blend in 4 Tablespoons of flour, using a low heat, and stir until smooth Slowly stir in 2 cups of water and the rest of the Slim Jim Nectar Boil for 5 minutes, stirring with the hand you are not smoking with. Add 1 teaspoon of Gravy Master (my secret!) Turn off the heat and add 2-3 cups (to taste) of Gordon’s Vodka. Serve! ——————————— Bushie’s Carrot Head [the onoly vegtables he’ll eat] Cover about 2 inches of the bottom of a CorningWare dish withtraditional lard if you are not serving liberal food-Nazis! Sprinkle with a fistful of Morton’s salt Slide a fingernail into the pouch of a Winn Dixie frozen baby carrots and dump them onto the counter. Place the carrots into the lard in the design of a face smiling or frowning depending on whether your Xanax is waxing or waning. Sprinkle about 5 Tablespoons of Diet Tang onto the carrot face Microwave for 5 minutes. —————- Skoal Mint Chewing Tobacco Cowboy Cookie Recipe 3 C. all-purpose flour 1 T. baking powder 1 T. baking soda (just scoop out from the box in the back of the fridge used to absorb odors - no one will know!) 3 tins Skoal Long Cut Mint chewing tobacco 1 T. artificial hickory smoke flavor 1 tsp. salt 1 1/2 C. animal lard (at room temperature) 1 1/2 C. Sweet’N Low sweetener 1 1/2 C. caramelized Equal® sweetener 3 eggs 1 T. vanillin extract 3 C. semisweet chocolate chips 2 C. sawdust 2 T spittle PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, chewing tobacco and salt in bowl. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in artificial sweeteners; beat to combine, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in artifical vanilla extract. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips and sawdust. Drop 1/4 cup dough onto heavily greased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake for 17 to 29 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. ————— Laura Bush’s Guide To Republican ‘Glamour’ http://www.bettybowers.com/bushglam.html ————- Jenn’s ‘Alamo Basement’ Drink Receipe; An “Alamo Basement” 2 parts peach schnapps 1 part Ballerina vodka (or any vodka that comes in a 1/2 gallon plastic easy-pour safety bottle) A crushed Vicodin*, and a splash of soda. It’s served through a funnel and accompanied by chanting. Bush Twins result: http://www.mydogella.com/jenna1.jpg
By Delete This on 11/22/2008 12:10 pm
Susan B
Suzanne, please, my friend. Let it go. Let them go. After Jan. 20, we can truly move on.
By Susan B on 11/22/2008 5:27 pm
Delete This
This country will be paying for generations for the Bushes, as if we and the world haven’t already paid enough. Hopefully, the International court will indict Bush/Cheney for war crimes. 05/02/2008 “A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp poll over 70% of the American public now disapprove of George W Bush’s handling of the presidency. The poll makes Mr Bush officially the most unpopular President in US history after beating Truman who polled a miserable 67% disapproval in January 1952. Even President Nixon prior to his resignation managed to poll a disapproval rating of 66%.The poll also showed that 68% of Americans oppose the war in Iraq and 71% disapproval of Mr Bush as President.” “April 22, 2008: Bush Disapproval Makes Gallup History. George W. Bush’s job disapproval rating is at 69%, the highest presidential disapproval rating in Gallup history.” CNN polling director Keating Holland said that President Bush is the most unpopular president since approval ratings were first created more than six decades ago. Seventy-six percent of those questioned disapprove of how Bush is handling his job. “Bush is now more unpopular than Richard Nixon was when he resigned from office during Watergate with a 66 percent disapproval rating,”
By Delete This on 11/23/2008 3:38 am
HA BIBI
Where or rather how you contiue to have missed the fact that he had already shook hands and greeted these people prior to what you veiwed on the tape, baffles the common senses. this leads me to believe that blindness to facts eludes you, and this is your problem.
By HA BIBI on 11/22/2008 2:07 pm
Delete This
The tape embedded in the thread above is AS REPORTED ON CNN——I wasn’t there and neither were you, CNN was and this is HOW IT WAS REPORTED. The tape and the on air reporter talking about it speaks for itself and it has been replayed in many venues. The tape is EXACTLY as reported on CNN. The fact is the world despises Bush so whatever….I could give a fig what you think and am sure you’re missing some keen Ann Coulter reportage right now.
By Delete This on 11/22/2008 4:48 pm
HA BIBI
You’re still missing the boat as usual. You obviously did not see the entire report and if you don’t give a fig what I think, then you have to ask your self why you find the need to post to me, unless of course you are still trying to convince me along with yourself that you are sowe how in the right, which of course you are NOT!
By HA BIBI on 11/22/2008 6:12 pm
HA BIBI
Guess you refuse to do your homework, instead you post me a compliment! Go figure.
By HA BIBI on 11/23/2008 9:14 am
Marjorie C.
Elaine: Guess you refuse to do your homework… Carmel/Suzanne/Frenchie, etc. etc. etc…. is the queen of smoke. When cornered, she cuts and pastes old data as if someone would actually read it. Long posts equal importance to her. Not much there to get excited about.
By Marjorie C. on 11/23/2008 10:04 am
HA BIBI
Yep Marjorie, True so true. Just a bunch of copy and pasted crap. I don’t care if folk’s want to copy and paste, But Sheeesh, copy and paste something of substance AND more importantly “TRUTH” Who gives a rats diddle about Jackie O, the broads dead and atleast GWB didn’t cheat on Laura, while JFK couldn’t keep it in his pants to save his soul, not to mention that whole family has reaped the reward of it’s pathetic behavior. Everyone knows or rather should know that all the Kennedy money came from daddy bootlegging booze. Whoa, real morals and values there for ya! Then Jackie marries another looser, Ari, who carried on with Maria Callus the whole time he was married to Jackie. Yep these are her Icons, all dressed up and nowhere to go. Go figure, LOL :)
By HA BIBI on 11/23/2008 10:49 am
Marjorie C.
Elaine, With few exceptions, the Kennedys are a sorry lot. I liked them a lot better before I started reading their biographies. As for Jackie O with her Marilyn-Monroe voice, I think she could have done better, and maybe JFK wishes she had. She did wear nice clothes, though… if that buys anything.
By Marjorie C. on 11/23/2008 1:44 pm
HA BIBI
Marjorie, LOL a sorry lot indeed!
By HA BIBI on 11/23/2008 2:50 pm
HA BIBI
Merrell, The kennedys bootlegged alchol illegally, Cindy McCain grew up in a wealthy family and their fortune was brought about by growing a buisness,(Budwieser) legalaly. Where you try to mix apples with oranges shows your total ignorance or stupidity, Which is it?
By HA BIBI on 11/26/2008 9:24 am
Delete This
Cornered” LOL.
By Delete This on 11/23/2008 12:36 pm
HA BIBI
Kryssi, Wish I could, But can’t undrink the koolaid!
By HA BIBI on 11/23/2008 9:12 am