Laura Bush puts on the charm in Paris

[PfcHammer]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040605/pl_afp/france_us_dday_bush_040605173739

Laura Bush puts on the charm in Paris
Sat Jun 5, 1:37 PM ET Add Politics - AFP to My Yahoo!

PARIS (AFP) - US first lady Laura Bush went on a charm offensive in Paris on, insisting on Washington's willingness to work with other countries as her husband tries to repair strained ties with France.

...

She said the US coming back to UNESCO was "a signal from President (George W.) Bush that we want to work with other countries, that he thinks that working with other countries is very important."

...

Before her arrival in France, she contributed to US efforts to smooth over the row with France by giving an interview to state television network France 2 in which she stressed that the two countries were "friends".

She said she thought that French animosity towards her husband came from not knowing him well enough, explaining: "He deeply believes that freedom for all is important. I hope people see that in him. It's a hidden aspect in his character."


:puke:

[NMDemDist2]

1. oh yeah, freedom is a very well hidden aspect of *'s character

/sarcasm off

[DUJunkie]

2. All things are a hidden aspect in his character,

like the fucking truth.

[PaDUer]

11. Bet that Karen Hughes

wrote it up and gave it to the press. Wonder if they're having 3somes?

[Catfight]

85. I'm sure Hitler was a nice guy too, deep deep down...right! n/t

[dmr]

100. Ya know, PaDuer, I had the exact same thought

when I read that. Laura sounded so Karen-like.

But, that Karen needs a bib when she speaks about her man. All gushy and oh, so honored to know and work for him.

Sometimes I think they should just keep still, because what they are saying sounds too moranic and phony.

BTW, what character are they talking about? Georgie has no character.

[MO_Dem]

3. I doubt she has enough charm

to make up for GeeDub's arrogance and ignorance. If they want this to work, they should have left him at home.

[Mikimouse]

4. The text is not correct!

"Laura Bush went on a charm offensive..." The fools setting the type got the 6th and 7th words reversed!

[crossroads]

7. Was that meant to be pre-offensive charm?

lol...like shrubs pre-emptive strike at Iraq?
:shrug:

[Mikimouse]

9. Right-o...I think I would rather be charmed by a large shark!

n/t

[crossroads]

5. What charm?

Her a charmer... not! Mrs. Stepford... she has been afraid to open her mouth around shrub and it kinda dulls her personality, imo...
:shrug:

[madrchsod]

6. laura bush puts on the charm in paris???

does anyone think that is even remotely possible..just think about it a minute............charming...........scary isn`t it. the woman is a hick from texas who has no class,no charm, and no intelligent thing to say. and the worst thing of all she is in the fashion capital of the world, i wonder what god awfull rag she is wearing..
oh my god i just saw what she was wearing...

[diamond14]

12. PHOTO: pickles was in BRIGHT PINK, with the old flapper-style skirt

once again, an un-ironed ill-fitting top...and non-matching old brown shoes...


US first lady Laura Bush, left, and UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) Director-General Koichiro Matsuura of Japan pose with the Eiffel Tower in background, after a press briefing about the United Nations Literacy Decade at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Saturday, June 5, 2004. U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush arrived in Paris Saturday before attending ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy Sunday. (AP Photo/Laurent Emmanuel)

[zmdem]

20. Why is Laura Bush's appearance relevant ?

Why is her percieved lack of charm a matter of concern ? Have you ever met her, to test her charm ? Perhaps she should be sent to a finishing school so she would more closely mirror your image of the ideal woman.

From my point of view, if her husband is happy with her and she is happy with her husband, then why is it any of my concern ?

As to the brown shoes not matching the outfit, I wouldn't know. I don't spend much of my time studying the latest in women's fashions.

[yardwork]

25. Laura Bush's appearance is highly relevant, for two reasons:

1. As First Lady and a member of the Bush family, she is wealthy and powerful enough to afford decent clothes and a style maven to advise her. Her appearance is disrespectful to those she visits and hosts, just as the president would be disrespectful if he showed up dressed in inappropriate, sloppy clothes.

2. The other reason Laura Bush's appearance is relevant is that it has all the hallmarks of an abused wife. Her husband cares so much about his appearance, and the appearance of his staff, that he insists on a strict dress code. His family is extremely wealthy. Yet none of this wealth or attention to detail appears to be shared with his wife, despite her important symbolic role as First Lady.

Laura Bush dresses poorly either by choice or because of neglect and abuse by her husband and his family. Either way, it is extremely relevant.

[zmdem]

29. You speculate on matters you can have no knowledge of

Please give me some evidence of Mrs. Bush being an abused wife.

How Mrs. Bush chooses to dress is her business. If you think she should dress differently, perhaps you should email her with your fashion advice.

As to the Bush family keeping Laura on a tight clothing budget, why would they do that ? It makes no sense. They do indeed have plently of of money - why would they deny her nice clothes ?

It makes no sense. My guess is that the First lady dresses as she pleases.

Perhaps you think she should be forced to dress in some other fashion, to please those she visits ? For myself, I think she is old enough to dress herself. Perhaps those she visits will value her as a person, not as a tailor's dummy wearing the the latest fashions from Milan.

[diamond14]

41. the evidence is laura's inability to dress properly for occasions

where she is representing the people of the United States of America...such as her recent Paris, France appearance at the United Nations offices.....

in addition, bush* has openly admitted that he drank heavily (until he found GOD one day at the Broodmore Hotel in Colorado Springs about 10 years ago)...laura has said that she almost divorce him over his abusive drinking....some well documented instances of bush* abuse: abused a small child at a restaurant by obscenely cursing the child's father while the child fearfully sat there at dinner...bush* also drunkingly ran into the neighbors trashcans in Washington DC while drunk, and then drunkingly challenged his aging father to a fistfight....man-to-man while cursing his own dad...bush* also has had numerous other public outbreaks of nastiness and threats of violence...bush* called a NYT reporter an "asshole"....bush* has called for the execution of a sovereign state's leader AND his children....bush* has put bounties on people's head, thrown out the Geneva Conventions and often speaks on US National TV of KILLING others....and has been convicted at least once of drunken driving, thereby endangering other peoples lives and families...

[BiggJawn]

45. I do wish she'd quit wearing sofa fabric...

I know it wears like Iron, but Herculon belongs on the SOFA, not your ASS!

[zmdem]

46. Laura Bush can dress as she sees fit

She is a grown woman. Of course it is difficult for her to please everybody in the world in this regard, or in any other regard most likely. Like you and me, she has the right to make her own decisions, even if others disagree. Perhaps brown shoes and a pink dress do indeed constitute a fashion atrocity. I don't know and don't care.

The rest of your post is not relevant to this thread, so I decline to respond.

[Lou_C]

49. She looks like the Joker from Batman and she is also a MURDERER

Head on collision with her boyfriend in a small town which is a very big coincidence isn't it.

[VolcanoJen]

50. Oh, please.

For eight years, admirers of Hillary Clinton endured ceaseless, baseless attacks from the right wing. We thought it would end when she became a Senator, but the hysteria is worse than ever.

I'm not saying "turnabout" is what makes Laura "fair game," but please... do you direct your vitriol equally at the Hillary Hate Club?

Laura Bush is a First Lady, one hell of an exclusive club, and there's nothing wrong with comparing First Ladies, and sizing them up. They are representatives of America. They signed on the dotted line, you know.

When I read a headline claiming that "Laura Bush Puts On The Charm In Paris," I can't help but have images of Jacqueline Kennedy dance into my head. Now Jackie... that's a woman who understood the importance of image and role-modeling. With her fluent French and exquisite Oleg Cassini-designed wardrobe (payed for in full by her father-in-law, Joe Kennedy), she truly impressed Paris, and advanced Franco-American relations with her graciousness and understanding of European culture. She was hired to do a job... and she did her job well.

Couldn't Laura's similarly wealthy father-in-law buy her an iron, if not a wardrobe?

And honestly, zmdem... what topics of discussion do you consider "relevant" in a thread designed to discuss the relative "charms" of Mrs. Bush abroad?

[zmdem]

55. Regarding Sen. Clinton

I did have a problem with Hillary, when as First Lady, the Pres. put her in a position to direct policy re: national healthcare. Making policy is not the role of a presidential spouse, man or woman. She should have declined that invitation.

As a Senator, I have been happily surprised with her seriousness and thoughtfulness. I disagree with her on a number of issues, but as a Senator she has my respect.

As to Laura Bush's charm, clothing, etc. and how that relates to foreign and domestic policy I would hope there is no relation.

[VolcanoJen]

56. You're being a bit naive.

Laura Bush is not an ordinary woman. She has had access to power and vast wealth for most of her adult life. She has played the political game for years now, and she really could be better at it.

In a perfect utopia, we wouldn't size up the spouses of heads of state, but especially in America, the First Lady represents so much more than just an "ordinary gal who happens to be married to the President."

She is a powerful woman, and has at her disposal a wealth of staff and funding to help her with her important tasks as a representative of her country. I think you're giving her an unnecessary pass; her life is one of privilege, luxury, and duty. All she really required for this photo op was a simple iron. It's the least she could do, for all that she receives, in my opinion.

This is, after all, an opinion issue, because it would be impossible to imagine the American people as a whole viewing their First Lady as nothing more than an "ordinary gal-next-door."

[zmdem]

61. Granted, Laura Bush is not an ordinary woman

Certainly, by marrying into the Bush Family, Laura moves in circles of power that you and I don't. I will grant you that the First Lady does play an important role in American political life, and therefore to some extent on the international scene.

I would suggest however that this is accidental, i.e., a matter of marriage. If Laura is not as good at as some other First Ladies, is that really something we should castigate her for ?

Consider Jackie Kennedy. By most standards a great First lady, but think about why she is held in that regard. She was relatively young, she was attractive, she dressed nicely, she had small children at the White House.

Exactly what great good do she accomplish as the First Lady, other than being the ideal wife ?

Lastly, I think you over estimate the power of the First Lady, but I'm going on to long, so let me end this msg.

[Leilani]

70. What did Jackie Kennedy accomplish?

In her 3 short years, she accomplished so much.

She brought arts to the White House; she entertained at the White House with style that had never been seen before. She put America on an equal footing with foreign countries, whereas before, we had been seen as country rubes.

But her greatest achievement was the restoration of the White House. She restored it to its current graciousness, & historical relevance. She wrote a guidebook to raise funds & used the monies to do the restoration. She coaxed people to donate appropriate antiques & art, & she was able to acquire original furniture that had originally been in the White House.

Before Jackie, people did not discuss historical restoration very much. After Jackie, it became common.

And by the way, after the White House, she led a group to save Grand Central Station.

[Malva Zebrina]

76. Yes, if it were not for Jackie and her activist group, Grand Central would

have become a pile of rubble. She was also a confident educated woman and spoke French and three other languages fluently. She was from a wealthy society family and learned the social graces of that era in charm school. Her grace and sense of style is legendary--Comparing this sloppy, rumple, awkward, Stepford frump to Jackie is an insult.

There is no way in hell that any of these propaganda people can sell her as anything near what Jackie was to the American people. No way --and to try to sell Laura as another Jackie who "charmed" Europe is the ultimate in insult to the Kennedy name and to us--who were alive when Jackie really did charm Europe.

The connection they are using Laura for, to try to make her into another Jackie is what they suggest she wear. Notice the short jackets, the bow on the belly,the large fabric covered buttons and this latest pink dress with the fifties style hem. Except that Jackie was twenty years younger than the frump,who looks like an aging Jackie wannabe. I am convinced that what Laura wears, or is given to wear, subtly and visually makes the suggestion that she is like Jackie.

[FredScuttle]

57. You must have a hell of a problem with Edith Wilson, then...

you know, the wife of Woodrow Wilson who virtually assumed the presidency when he suffered a stroke?

By the way, could you point me to the section in the Constitution which forbids Presidential spouses from accepting Executive appointments? If I recall, Hillary wasn't making policy, she was heading a healthcare taskforce whose purpose was to develop and present a national healthcare policy to Congress.

[zmdem]

65. Edith Wilson and me

I am aware of the role Mrs. Wilson played, and I do admire your argument.

You are correct in saying that Hillary was not making policy, after all only congress can do that, in this regard. You are also correct that Pres. Clinton was free to seek advice from anyone he wished, including his wife. Proposing a bill to congress for a law is certainly a perogative of the executive branch.

I would suggest that as a matter of politics, it is better that such proposals come from public figures who are accountable to congress in some fashion, such as cabinet officers.

When unaccountable people, such as the First lady or Ken Lay, play significant roles in these matters, the public rightly is suspicious.
It doesn't mean anything inappropriate transpired, but it tends to lessen the public's confidence in their government, which is not a good thing.

[susu369]

83. Ken Lay?

:wtf:

Please explain your comparison:

"When unaccountable people, such as the First lady or Ken Lay, play significant roles in these matters, the public rightly is suspicious."

As taxpayers we certainly have the right to bristle when we are being fed PROPAGANDA that Pickles is out there charming the French. Pickles is part of team that stole the presidency and enjoys her spotlight way too much.

[Ripley]

88. I'll explain it to you.

He is trying to sound "liberal" by throwing Ken Lay in there...saying you know, it's kind of like how you guys feel about Kenny Boy is how I feel about Hillary.

As if they can even be compared...yes on one hand...a wife of a legally elected President running a Task Force group and on the other hand...the biggest Industry Crook ever in America making US Energy Policy in which he will profit enormously.

Same thing. :eyes:

[susu369]

89. Thanks, Ripley

that"unaccountable" label regarding Ken Lay really threw me!

;-)

[oblivious]

114. Don't be so kind to the FOB.

He's trying to insinuate guilt by association. Putting the former First Lady and Ken Lay in the same line implies they are birds of a feather. Lame.

[Virginian]

107. ZMDem must stand for Zell Miller Democrat.

n/t

[Toots]

82. She has it in writing that she is considered "That Lump in the Bed"

If that ain't abuse I don't know what is. How would you like it advertised to the world that your loved one thought of you that way? Unless you think it was just another lie they told. Why would they make up a lie with such an abusive description of his feelings for her?

[Puglover]

71. Ah and here you are again ZMDEM

seems as if every time I see you you're either extolling or defending Reagan or the Bushes....hmmmmm

[Pachamama]

121. ZMDEM...hmmm...ZELL MILLER DEMOCRAT? What's the ZM stand for?

Based on the defensive ramblings for Laura Bush et al, I'd say that's what they stand for....

[Malva Zebrina]

73. Because she is an unabashed Golldam Phoney

that's why--and she raises money for her murderous husband and in her stupidity and lack of charm, they have you believing she is unassailable and she is going to be the great peacemaker and comforter. They probably have her lined up as a candidate for the Noble Peace prize--I bet.

She sucks--does not have a mind of her own, does what she is told, always follows two steps behind the great one, never looks in the mirror to see the pain in the eyes her sloppy dressing causes to us, never did a thing in her piss poor lazy life after she married into the Bush family and is basically a wax robot with a rictus smile.

That outfit she is wearing is atrocious. She is a middle aged woman with a chunky middle aged belly and ass, and a bosom that is about to hit the waistline and she wears this ugly creation that would be suitable on a younger or a more slim woman than on the frump o lump. She is forcing it--pehaps thinking herself twenty again.

[ElectroPrincess]

80. Let me explain ...

As a person who doesn't fit either extreme stereotypically (Leftists or Right Wingers) I explain.

My view and most objective "others" consider Laura a cookie-cutter politician's wife, i.e., attractive but not drop dead gorgeous, subdued to ensure hubby gleans the lion share of the attention, and almost non-political so she, in essence is a complementing ornament for the real deal - Hubby!

Therefore, no IMHO, no one has any true valid rationale for critism of her. Why, because she stands for nothing but an extension of her husband.

Contrast this with Teresa Heinz Kerry, a highly intelligent woman with a point of view. Again, because she is NOT the politician herself, no one IMO of true objectivism and class has grounds to degrad here. Now - here's the difference - the right wing have been, and will continue ad nausea to spew invectives and forever LABEL Teresa Heins Kerry "a royal bitch" just like they constantly (and continue to this day) their seemingly endless character assassinations of Senator Hillery Clinton.

Sorry my Brit Cousin (I do have real cousins in London <g>) but *the gloves are off.* Albeit "unseamly" on both sides, I fully understand that in order to win this election many in our ranks must get in the mud with the freepers. Negative campaigning works. Yes, it's tragic but we're in the real world of politics.

I'd even further suggest that "the left" campaign to pressure GWB to force his precious daughters into enlisting in the US Army MP Corps. How long do you think we'd keep up this illegal occupation, if Jenna and Barbara were manning a machine gun mount? Oh gee, never mind, when Jenna had emergency surgery the summer of 2001, GWB didn't even show up at the hospital. Further, neither of them attended their daughter's college graduation. They're (The Bush Dynasty) the perfect political family, but dysfunctional as hell by most thoughtful American moral standards.

Yeah, it's hard to find fault with a woman who killed her ex-boyfriend with her car. Stop picking on Mrs. Stepford dammit! Oops, make that "our Laura" a.k.a. Mrs. George W. Bush.

[bitchkitty]

75. Uh, wait a minute -

Most of the time her clothes are shit - but speaking as a fashion expert (in my own mind no doubt) that dress is quite suitable.

It's not unironed, those are her boobs. The flirty skirt would look much, much better with higher heels. I ilke the color.

She should ask Liddy Dole to advise her. That woman can flat out wear a suit!

[Malva Zebrina]

79. with this outfit I believe they are trying to invoke an image of Jackie

who also "charmed" Europe, as some of us older folks remember.

[No2W2004]

117. heres another picture,

[Lou_C]

8. Why isn't she out promoting her movie "The Stepford Wifes"?

She give me the creeps :scared:.

[PartyPooper]

43. ROFLMAO!

You nailed it!

:D

[RobinA]

103. Stepfordism

I guess Stepfordism is in the eye of the beholder. I always considered Jackie to be the ultimate Stepford wife of any First Lady in my lifetime (born 1958). True, the woman looked good in clothes and was apparently skilled in what used to be called the "feminine arts," but I can't say what else she did that stands out.

As First Lady, that is. She has my undying admiration for raising two relatively normal kids under the circumstances she did.

[fortyfeetunder]

111. Read post #70 n/t

[PaDUer]

10. Pickles can't put on the charm

because she does NOT know what charm is. She used to talking to pigs at their pig farm where she came from and is returning to! Don't forget, she probably took her Prozac with her and is hallucinating.

[zmdem]

21. Talking to pigs...

Maybe you should consider Prozac ? You said:

"She used to talking to pigs at their pig farm where she came from and is returning to!"

Why the insulting, and incoherent, comments about Mrs. Bush ? Please explain to me why she deserves this.

[catzies]

27. It's a reference to the "ranch" in Crawford.

Which, before its current usefulness as a prop, was a pig farm. You can look it up. Have a nice day.

[zmdem]

31. Pigs

So what if the president's ranch in Crawford used to be a pig farm.

Is there something disgraceful in pig farming ? Does that disgrace then transfer to the new owner who does not farm pigs ?

If you are going to reply, at least direct your comments to the issue at hand.

[catzies]

34. I thought I was answering your question.

I was trying to help by making clear what you said you found incoherent. I'm done with you now. Enjoy your brief stay.

[zmdem]

39. My stay may be short

So be it. That is up to the owners of this board. Their server, their rules.

Personally, I don't see Laura Bush's charm, beauty, or taste in clothes to be of any great political matter. Insulting her on these issues seems to me to be ungentlemanly. The true issue is the policies of President Bush, not his wife.

[VolcanoJen]

53. Oh, for cryin' out loud... read the title of the thread.

This is a news story written by news journalists specifically about Laura Bush, The First Lady, and her relative charms while accompanying her husband to Paris.

How can Laura Bush be "off the table" in a Laura Bush thread? Did you even read the article before posting your preachings of moral superiority?

Just curious.

[zmdem]

58. Laura Bush's charm's

Should we discuss them ? Perhaps the whole notion is trivial, even if the press thinks otherwise.

Where I come from we do not discuss such matters in public, regarding a woman. Perhaps I am old fashioned.

There are plenty of bars in my hometown where you can hear discussions of womens' "charms" to your hearts content. I don't frequent those places, and if I were to find myself in such a one, I would not involve myself in the conversation.

This thread is little more than a more polite version of the same thing.
I try to treat women in the manner that I would like my mother, sister and neices to be treated, i.e., with dignity and respect, not as pieces of meat to be judged on their "charm", clothing, etc.

[VolcanoJen]

60. I'm seriously going to vomit.

Just out of curiousity... do you live in Mayberry?

Hey, I'd stick up for your girl Sally at the local pub if someone started saying nasty things about her. But it's not like your best girl is the First Lady of the United States. Do the women in your life serve their nation as a representative? Are the women in your life extraordinarily wealthy and well-connected, with the best trained security staff in the history of the world guarding their well-being? Do the women in your life have private, luxuriously-outfitted jets, and a staff of dozens at their disposal?

You're comparing apples to oranges, and honestly, your moral righteousness is naive, pompous, and out of touch with reality. If you don't want to participate in this kind of "talk," then don't. And, if you want to contact the AFP to question why they published this story, just head to their website and find an email address:

http://www.afp.com/english/home/

You know, DU is much like a local bar, where we mix it up a bit and offend some, while slapping others on the back. If you don't frequent these kinds of places in reality, then why frequent such places now? And, I must defend my fellow DUers by insisting that not a single response in this thread treated Laura Bush as a "piece of meat." Please don't start getting hysterical.

[zmdem]

66. No I don't live in Mayberry

Tho' I did like The Andy Griffith Show, but that's a different matter.

Sorry for getting hysterical, Phewwww !, I feel better now ;)

No, none of the women in my life represent our country in the sense of holding office, or in the quasi-state of being married to men that do.

Regardless of the position Laura Bush now finds herself in, I believe she is much like other women. That she has Secret Service protection and flies on Airforce One is probably more an inconvenience, rather than a luxury. Do you really think that presidents and their familes actually enjoy the security measures that were put in place after the JFK assasination ?

President Bush is the issue, not Laura Bush. If she is less than your ideal of womanhood, fair enough - she didn't ask for the job, cut her a bit of slack.

Anyway, it's late, I need to go to bed. Your posts have been very interesting and I hope to catch up tomorrow.

Goodnight

[VolcanoJen]

69. As an aside, what's with the Union Jack avatar?

Are you British, ex-pat, or American? Or a combo of the above? It would help me understand where you're coming from.

I doubt the First Family enjoys the constant hovering of security, but, then again, there's something good about feeling secure, isn't there? I don't think Mrs. Bush would be keen to exchange her life for mine.

And just for the record, if Mrs. Bush didn't ask for the job, then she should have divorced Dubya once he made himself clear about his political ambitions; it would seem that the first Mrs. Kerry did exactly that. No pity for Laura, from me, on that point. Politics and Couples go hand-in-hand. Everyone marries for their own reasons, be they love, social advancement, wealth, power. When you sign on the dotted line, you're in.

Good night, zmdem. Let's mix it up again some time soon. :-)

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

91. Excuse me, Jen?...

:yourock:

[lolly]

102. Why tell us, then?

If the discussion of Laura B's "charm" offends you so much, you really need to get out a pen and paper and write a LTTE of the paper that printed this article. Tell them in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that the First Lady's "charm" is NOT an appropriate subject for discussion, and if they have an iota of decency, they should stop printing such articles.

Or, wait, we can only talk about a Republican wife's "charms" if we're doing so in a way that HELPS Republicans (look! their wives are really gracious and charming, like good political wives should be!)

BTW, as for Hillary's work on health care--I submit that anybody who voted for Bill Clinton (and he, unlike AWOL, got more votes than his opponent in both elections) knew very well that he and Hillary were a team. He always emphasized his respect for Hillary's brains, and she made it clear that she was an involved wife. There was no bait-and-switch there. The people who complained were the ones who didn't vote for Clinton in the first place--and, of course, they were the MINORITY of voters.

[rocktivity]

112. I wonder why Zmdem isn't outraged

by the article's sexist implication that "charming" is the only thing a president's wife can be.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Puglover]

72. Oh Zm...

I'm enjoying your posts sooo much. I'd get attached to you but it just hurts so much when people leave that you're fond of...

[devinsgram]

77. Well there you have it,

you know the old saying, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

[Just Me]

13. I just can't say,...I just can't say,...

,...because I just don't know her, at all. Given the life he has delivered to her,...she is on a cloud and would want to suspend that cloud.

I just can't say anything about a person I do not know or understand.

[many a good man]

14. Didn't she go to Charm School?

Like most other southern belles?

[rooboy]

15. She sure as hell didn't go to driving school n/t

[Lou_C]

16. LOL

Good one!

[madmax]

17. She's no Jackie Kennedy n/t

[zmdem]

24. Neither was Eleanor Roosevelt

Is a woman's worth to be judged by beauty and charm school finishing ?

I had the impression that this is a progressive/Democratic website. The comments I see regarding Laura Bush tell me that even amongst progressives we have a long way to go regarding equality in society.

[catzies]

28. True, one does get some sexism here in DU. Just like life

but unlike the misogynistic right wing, it isn't anywhere near the majority.

The other side has an outright undeclared war on women and no one can deny that.

[Kinkistyle]

59. If DU were sexist we would all hate Hillary

...and Pelosi and Margaret Cho and Janeane Garofalo all the other great Democratic and Liberal women who fight for women's rights.

While I don't necessarily agree with some of these attacks on Laura Bush's clothing and appearance, I don't believe its based on sexism. Its based on materialism.

[goclark]

32. She is NO Eleanor!

Laura Bush is a no class Texas middle income appearing wife. Her clothes and her ideas are lost in the 60's. She is an insult to our country.

Her name should not be put in the same sentence as Eleanor Roosevelt!

[thebigidea]

42. Gee, I hope we don't miss out on future posts from you defending Bushies

[zmdem]

68. Your voice to God' s ear

In this case "God" being the sys admins. Their servers, their rules.

[Kool Kitty]

44. You're correct. She should be judged for the things

she does, just like anyone else. I just really can't think of anything of note that she has done since her husband was placed in the White House.
I really have no gripe with her (although I did have a problem with the purple plaid suit-I'll admit it, I don't like her taste in clothes at all), it's her husband that I cannot bear. I just don't find her at all interesting.

[zmdem]

54. Hi Kitty

Laura Bush is, like every other First Lady, there because who she married. She needn't do a darn'd thing. "First Lady" is not a political office, she did not stand for election.

Your gripe is properly directed to her husband. I do not know the lady, as far as I know she is an ordinary woman who happens to be married to the President of the United States.

My point is yours: The issue is Geo. Bush, not Laura. Attacking her because of her clothes or what have you is beneath contempt and sexist.

[madmax]

47. No, I believe the fact that she spoke French

is what so endeared her the the people of France. And she was cultured - she loved the arts.

[saracat]

62. A women can be judged on many aspects.

The First Lady of this country is no "ordinary woman". She , just like her husband, represents not only herself, but the entire United States of America when she travels to foreign lands. First Ladies, like it or not, are scrutinized throughout the world over everything from their political savvy, to their taste in clothes and their hairstyles. I remember a small book I had as a child that was about the hairstyles of Jackie Kennedy. I remember reading that she put on her lipstick with a lip brush and I copied her. I think of her to this day when I use a lip brush. Trivial? Of course, but still it influenced me and made an impression. The First Lady is our most influential goodwill ambassador. She is about America putting her best foot forward.As an American, I am embarrassed by Laura Bush. She doesn't put her best foot forward. She doesn't look as though she owns an iron or a comb let alone is possessed of any fashion sense.
She is an attractive ,well educated women,yet, she acts like a zombie.She was particularly pathetic when she expressed her happiness that the girls and women of Iraq could now go to school when Iraq has always had the highest number of educated women in the ME.Sixty percent of Iraqi women are doctors or lawyers.And our First Lady didn't know! How embarrassing. I am sorry for Laura.I feel that she is not allowed to be true to herself. She was certainly shut up fast when she said she didn't want to overturn Roe. She was muffled when she indicated that she didn't endorse the constitutional amendment barring gay marriage.I think she has just given up and no longer cares. And that makes her a very bad ambassador.
She is not the intellectual equal of Edith Wilson or Eleanor Roosevelt and she doesn't have the grace and sophistication of Jackie Kennedy.She doesn't even have the forthrightness of Betty Ford and Barbara Bush or the simple down home warmth of Roslyn Carter. She is , to my sorrow no one .She is just a cypher.

[boobooday]

97. Well said

And many people have suggested an iron.

I have an even better idea. I LOOOVE my CONAIR clothes steamer! It only takes 5 minutes! It never burns! The wrinkles fall right out. And even after you've been sitting, you could just slip the dress off and freshen it up for the next photo op!

And this is a personal observation -- and it's mean. I think she looks like a prescription drug junkie. Maybe Xanax. Maybe she should talk to Betty Ford!



http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Piperay]

64. and Laura is

no Eleanor Roosevelt either! Laura=Steford Wife.

[zmdem]

67. Why should she be ?

Each person is unique. One could equally say that Eleanor Roosevelt was no Dolley Madison.

Does that diminish ER ? Does it diminish DM ?

[Hepburn]

93. And....not even a good looking like a Stepford wife!!

Sheesh! If she does not look like she is wearing upholstery material or a table cloth from a patio at the ranch, it looks like she is stuck in the 80's with the hair-do and the frumpy clothing. She has no style - unless you consider Sear's mix and match being the height of fashion sense. Half the time her clothing looks like it was wadded up in a ball before she put it on. And......someone IMO should tell her hair dresser that having a helmet of hair, done in a faux Dorothy Hamill wedge, colored all one dang color with no highlights, is definitely NOT flatering! She has NO clue on how to pick accessories for whatever she is wearing. It's like she NEVER considers what she has on when she picks out jewelry, her handbag and shoes. And...IMO someone should do a color chart for her and give her a few instructions. Man, some of the colors she dawns with her skin tone - ALL WRONG!!! Note the coral two piece outfit in that one photo - UGH!!

Now....that is about how she presents visually - when she opens her mouth, it goes downhill from there. She has -0- charm! Is not witty and seems to mouth whatever the Repug mantra of the day may be. Has she EVER had an original thought?

OK....rant over.....

[ElectroPrincess]

84. A reminder ...

Please read my response to you again = #80.

Forgive my bluntness, but get with "the team" dammit! No, on a personal level I despise degrading *any* person's character.

However (and this is a big *however*), as I stated before "the gloves are off." No matter how unseemly, I regretfully believe in my heart and soul that the results of this election will determine the validity of our "true freedoms" in America.

Please wake up to the fact that the right wing is anything but fair. If you find these negative evaluations of Laura Bush distasteful, don't participate. But dammit, for the first time in my life, I will support the left political side of these character assaults to BALANCE the never ending vicious attacks by the truely sick-minded right wing radicals.

You're more than welcome to dislike this chat, but I humbly ask you as a moderate, to not get in their way.

We need to do *everything legal* to get John F. Kerry elected as our president. Don't stop the left from equalizing the venom of the right. The price is way too high. I know I'm sacrificing some of my standards with this view, but FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION with regard to this upcoming USA Presidental election.

*edited for grammer. ;) <blush>

[amber dog democrat]

18. Charming? Mediocre is more like it.

And that would be on a good day.

[AwakeAtLast]

19. Uhh, the French know him well enough

You can't hide being a jackass. That is the character they see.

[Tellurian]

22. Throughout history, every First Lady has had an impact on their husband's

politics.

If Laura Bush has chosen to stand on the sidelines and allow her husband to do the things he's done, she is as guilty as he is of committing war crimes. She is out of step with what progressive American women expect and need in this day in age of women in business and single parent families.

Get a grip Laura, you could be doing more than just standing there in a prom like photo; while your husband is off somewhere fantasizing about another country to invade...just like Hitler!

[peterh]

23. It’s hidden because it doesn’t friggin’ exist….

I’ll give Pickles some credit in not being a complete buffoon in trying to paint it in some other light, but in reality, no matter how much air you pump into it…..there’s no life in that argument.

[GoldenOldie]

30. She can't Help It!!

Poor Laura...she was never made to be First Lady. Her biography reflects that she never had a cause or a passion in any specific thing in her life. She appears to be so boring and lacks any sense that she is in a position and has the ability to do good things with her life if she so chooses. I have known woman like her, that have the education, the finances, and the resources to do great things, yet they sit idly by partaking of all the good and leaving nothing in return......how sad, how pathetic, they are empty shells.

[brslives]

35. True, but she DID actually kill a person, which is more...

than her husband and his pantycon pals can say.

"People just don't know my husband, because if they did know him, they'd know what a wonderfully knowable person is really is."

Is that one of the known unknowables? Or one of the knowable unknowns? Where the hell is Rummy when you need the bastard?

[Tellurian]

36. Movies will be making salient points resonating with current politics..

THE PASSION= The Abuse and Torture of the prisoners of Abu Ghraib.

FAHRENHEIT 911= The Rise to Power and Corruption of the Bush Family.

THE STEPFORD WIVES= The Laura Bushes and all Republican politico spouses.

[schultzee]

26. She is as worthless as he is and I no longer think of her as a victim.

[NMDemDist2]

37. she is no victim, she is the coolest quietest power behind the

throne. Read some of the articles about her from the 2000 campaign. She took the staff in hand when McCain was squashing Bushit and turned them around.

[koopie57]

33. I misunderstood the headline

I thought it was referring to her Lucky Charm's necklace george made for her for Mother's Day.

[stepnw1f]

38. Where Does It Hide Within Bush Then...

his front breast pocket?

[Tight_rope]

40. Pickles is full of bullshit just like her man!!!

The only person pickles could charm is her man. And from what I hear she's not to good at that either.

She needs to stick to reading books to kids. That's the best she can do and we understand.

[daleo]

48. Not another charm offensive

These BFEE charm offensives seem to break out every month or two lately. I don't know if the world can take any more.

[Cronus Protagonist]

51. Must have been faith-based charm then

Because she dressed with a tablecloth over a frumpy pantsuit and talked about traits that George has that no one but her can see.

Click here for "FUCK BUSH", and other fair and balanced yet stunning buttons, magnets and stickers

[Virginian]

52. Seems like I remember

"Freedom Fries"
Don't buy French Champagne.
Lots of insults hurled at the French.

And she says, she thought that French animosity towards her husband came from not knowing him well enough, explaining: "He deeply believes that freedom for all is important. I hope people see that in him. It's a hidden aspect in his character."

The animosity is the reaction you might expect to the behavior he and his ilk have had towards the French and France.

If freedom for all is important to him, then why can't the French be free to disagree with him on starting an illegal war?

Yep, it's a very hidden aspect in his character, it doesn't exist in his character.

[Malva Zebrina]

74. as usual, she was told to cover her bases

why did she think it necessary to say his character is "hidden"? That is a strange thing to say--it means that she sees the opposite and that she is aware of what people are saying about her boss, to whom she certainly MUST be subservient becasue that is what religious nuts like our president demand of women.

[Virginian]

108. When you have a friend who is dating someone who

you can see is all wrong for her, she will tell you he has "hidden" traits that she finds so appealing.

Those "hidden" traits are nothing more than traits she wishes he had. She wishes them so much that she starts to imagine them even though they are not there. (Honey in Doonesbury is an example.)

[Piperay]

63. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaa 'puts on the charm'???

:wtf: What charm is that????

[Seabiscuit]

78. Blecchhhh!!!

First these idiots try to sell us on the idea that W. is some kind of Churchill, then that our illegal, criminal fiasco in Iraq is another WWII, and now...

... they want to compare Laura "Stepford Wife" Bush to Jacquelyn Kennedy?????

How friggin' stupid do they think we are????

:wtf:

[Mari333]

81. Gads, I keep hearing Tammy Wynette singing in the background

stand by your maaaaaaaaaaan
For petes sake! To stand by Bush would require monumental amounts of alcohol, anti depressants, or a frontal lobotomy.
Nixon drove Pat to the mini bar, and I would think that little Laura would be sucking down the booze just as fast if she had any sense.
No woman in her right mind would have married that little snot nosed fratboy in the first place!
You have to have REALLY REALLY bad taste as a human being to begin with to marry George Bush. Some kind of nauseating martyr complex combined with a touch of masochism.
Trying to put lipstick on a pig, the both of them.
How you gonna keep up down on the farm after they've seen Pareeeee???
The media can do cartwheels to try and make both of them look good in France, but they will just come across as two inept bungling idiots who represent the very worst of America.

[Dr Fate]

105. Tammy Wynette was a life-long Democrat & contributor...

...and a beautiful woman & one of my very favorite female vocalists.

So PLEASE dont diss her name by comparing her to Pickles.

[llmart]

86. This woman has absolutely nothing going for her.

I wouldn't criticize her lack of fashion sense, a la Eleanor Roosevelt, if she had something else going for her, such as intellect or personality or anything. But she doesn't have anything that women should/could aspire to or admire. Zero, zip, nada, zilch! She doesn't even come off as very maternal towards her children.

[lil-petunia]

87. My thoughts?

I don't know here, haven't met her. Don't watch her on the boob tube. What I do know is that I feel sorry for anyone married to a person who hears voices, thinks nothing of starting wars and playing with other people's lives, is so convinced of his righteousness, that he can't even think of an error he made, and believes that gawd put him here to be our president.

How can you not feel sorry for her?

[shanti]

101. why feel sorry for her?

she's in the situation she is in voluntarily.

[dolo amber]

90. Laura Bush has *charm*??

:wtf:

Where'd she steal THAT from?? :D

[bluedog]

92. what the hells

with those hugh black glasses she had on at the D-Day ceremony.she looked like a total asshole..if thats class....I don't want no part of it!!!

[Malva Zebrina]

94. that's it

I did not see the ceremony or any pics of this, so am going by your description, but that is exactly what Jackie Kennedy wore--big sunglasses. That is NOT a fashion that is currently "in"--It is actually the small ones that are in fashion. I am convinced--they are trying to make a cow's ass into a silk purse, or something like that.

The subtle connection to Jackie--that is their aim

[RobinA]

104. Sure

Oh, get over yourself. I wear big sunglasses and I couldn't stand Jackie Kennedy. I just like to keep the sun out of my eyes.

[Malva Zebrina]

106. and you or have you ever been a first lady?

I doubt if anyone cares what kind of sunglasses you wear--You seem to want to put yourself in that first lady catagory.

that Laura is trying to imitate Jackie is not beyond the imagination--knowing how the PR people in the Bush Whtie House operate.

[boobooday]

95. Oh thank God Laura is on the case -- patching things up for the Chump

:puke:

:puke:

A Charm Offensive? Offensive is the right word.



http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Ripley]

96. I really hate being petty about this, but...

Everyone gets wrinkles in their clothing...NOT! I know they make this crap you spray on your clothes when you know you will be sitting for awhile (in airplane, behind desk, whatever) so that when you stand up...no wrinkles!

Gee if Judy Woodruff could figure it out, why can't the First Lady? Man, she really would blend in at Wal-Mart...right there at the Mabelline counter.

[boobooday]

98. The Conair portable clothes steamer!

Works in Five minutes!!! The wrinkles fall right out!

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Ilsa]

99. She doesn't even look like she's trying.

If this is such an effort for her, she ought to ask for help or not bother to go with *.

Sure, she has the right to dress to please herself, but she and others shouldn't be surprised when she has to take the heat for looking (and sounding) so frumpy.

I didn't find anything in the remarks in the original post to be remotely charming. Sounds to me like a lot of rhetoric and empty excuses, and that she's blaming the French for not understanding her husband better.

[Virginian]

109. she's blaming the French for not understanding her husband better.

That's right, it is the fault of the French. It must be their fault not to love this man who has been insulting them for the past three years.

[rocktivity]

110. Vive la irony!

U.S. Return to UNESCO Gets Mixed Reviews

The U.S. government...rejoin(ed) UNESCO (in October 2003) after withdrawing in 1984..."Reagan's decision to leave UNESCO was based on the idea that it acted under communist influence,” says John Washburn, a former U.S. diplomat, and director of the U.S. Association for the United Nations.

...The main UNESCO debates at the time were focused on the New World Information Order and the New World Economic Order, two schemes proposed by Third World countries to counter the hegemony of the North in the dissemination of news and in world trade...Reagan's government fiercely opposed both programs...

Some commentators now see the presence of the U.S. President's wife as special representative to the general assembly of the organization as an affront in itself. Laura Bush, a former teacher, has little experience of cultural, educational, or scientific policymaking...

Substitute "terrorist" for "communist", "Bush Junior" for "Regan", and Laura's "represenatation" for Hillary's health plan, and we've come full circle!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Raster]

113. ONE OF THESE DAYS, PICKLES....

...one of these days!...

[nagbacalan]

115. Beyond her role as understudy to Linda Lovelace,

she has no charm. Vapid? Yes. Charm? No.

[truthisfreedom]

116. "It's a hidden aspect in his character." hidden by his murderous streak?

hidden his penchant for calling people "f**king a**holes" and berating them and snubbing them if they don't tell him what he wants to hear? hidden by his go-it-alone and "the rest of the world be damned" approach? very hidden, laura.

[dArKeR]

118. Protesters greet Bush in France

AP , PARIS
Monday, Jun 07, 2004,Page 7

Some 12,000 people, many of them students, marched through central Paris on Saturday to protest the policies of visiting US President George Bush and denounce the invasion of Iraq.

Numerous demonstrators carried placards with a picture of Bush below the words: "Bush: Terrorist No. 1." Some of the protesters then set the posters afire.

There were no reports of violence. Bush himself was some 3.5km away, behind some of the heaviest security the French capital has seen in years.

Organizers said that some 25,000 people took part in the demonstration, but police put the number at 12,000. Among them was a small contingent of Americans, holding signs "Americans Against Bush."

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/06/07/2003174126

[left is right]

119. other wives of world leaders

seem to get it. They represent their nations and their husbands. I can't recall ever seeing any other first lady (foreign or domestic). Look so frumpish and unkempt. Putting a shine on your shoes and a litle steam to your attire, shows respect for the person you are meeting--and respect is the essence of charm. Laura hasn't got any charm

[lebkuchen]

120. Somebody has to pick up the slack

for her no-class, no culture husband.

Was he chewing gum at the ceremonies? Sure looked like it!

[grasswire]

122. if she kept herself out of politics...

....then she might be off limits. But she uses the people's resources to retain the people's power her husband has usurped. She is an accessory to a crime. She knows that they occupy the White House only through deceit, thuggery, the quashing of lawful votes, racialism, cronyism, tainting of the judiciary and the twisting of the formerly immutable rule of law for personal gain.

Because we pay her bills for travel, entertaining, and because her exalted status exists only because the American people pay for it, she's fair game for criticism.

Take a walk on the wild side over at freerepublic if you want to see criticism of a first lady. They call Hillary's pantsuits "Old Crusty" -- and that's just a start.