Heinz Kerry Sorry for Laura Bush Comment

[Rose Siding]

snip>
In an interview published Wednesday.......
"Well, you know, I don't know Laura Bush. But she seems to be calm, and she has a sparkle in her eye, which is good," Heinz Kerry said. "But I don't know that she's ever had a real job — I mean, since she's been grown up. So her experience and her validation comes from important things, but different things."
..........
In a statement issued Wednesday, Heinz Kerry said: "I had forgotten that Mrs. Bush had worked as a school teacher and librarian, and there couldn't be a more important job than teaching our children. As someone who has been both a full-time mom and full-time in work force, I know we all have valuable experiences that shape who we are. I appreciate and honor Mrs. Bush's service to the country as first lady and am sincerely sorry I had not remembered her important work in the past."

Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for Mrs. Bush, said the first lady was not upset by the comments.

"Mrs. Bush knows it's not always easy when your husband runs for president," Johndroe said. "She knows that some days there's lots of interviews where lots of things are said, and knows that everyone looks forward to Nov. 2 coming around."

But Karen Hughes, an adviser to President Bush (news - web sites), said Heinz Kerry's apology "made it worse because she left out the very important real job of a mother. Clearly she knows Laura Bush was a mother ... who chose to stay home and rear her family. That's a noble choice that should be celebrated not denigrated."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=696&e=4&u=/ap/20041020/ap_on_el_pr/heinz_kerry

[sallyseven]

1. Karen Hughes is the biggest

fool in the US. I can't stand her.

[Lefta Dissenter]

2. to all the "DUers"

who are asking Theresa to 'shut up,' why don't you instead direct that toward Karen Hughes. She's the one who should shut the eff up! x(

[Gyre]

7. She's not running

but she could fuck things up for the rest of us if she gives the freeps fodder. Is it going to kill her to keep her thoughts to herself for another 2 weeks? It's a simple cost-benefit analysis.

Gyre

[sonicx]

8. you mean how John says stuff like

nuiance, global test, and sensitive?

[antonialee839]

62. Theresa should have apologized

for confusing Laura and the chimp. She actually meant to say the chimp never had a real job.

[Longhorn]

3. I was a homemaker for 14 years.

Let's face it -- most of us, when we use the word, "job," mean paid employment. Yes, I worked hard but I never received a dime in monetary compensation. I have respect for both working and stay-at-home moms but nothing Teresa said was a put-down to stay-at-home mothers.

[jdj]

10. "who chose to stay home"

let's all send letters demanding Karen put her money where her mouth is and take her fat ass back home.

[grannylib]

14. Right on. I did not take anything she said as a slam at all. Karen Hughes

is the worst of the BushCo whores.

[kikiek]

29. I am sure she was refering to being a wife and mother when she said

Laura's experience was important things but different things.

[Discover1]

16. New poster today.

My Mom’s a pub and a "homemaker". I love her dearly even though she's brainwashed by the right. I hope this doesn’t make it to a commercial, we seem to be already hurting with married women in the polls and I don't think this helps. I wish we could find a way to identify more with this group, I think it would help us with this and future elections. I've heard some (not on this board, haven't been here long enough yet) that insult stay at home moms as sell outs. I think the key to winning more elections is tapping into the "Family" and to do that we have to attract the moms.

[jdj]

18. the key to winning more elections is for the family to tap into us.

let them bury few more children and it will happen.

[Child_Of_Isis]

37. Ha!

You rock ;-)

[Longhorn]

21. Welcome to DU, Discover!

I hope you like it here. :hi:

I agree that we don't want to create some sort of "us vs them" division when it comes to women, or any other social category.

[enough]

4. A gracious and graceful statement by Laura Bush

through her spokesman.

Hughes is another matter, of course.

[Supersedeas]

74. Very true...on both counts. Two words come to mind:

Class and Turd

[louis-t]

5. I don't believe she was a teacher!

We know she was a librarian, but was she really a teacher? I've heard pubs say this but I've never been able to verify.

[jdj]

12. apparently so

Mrs. Bush has a Master's Degree in library science from the University of Texas at Austin
She taught public school in Dallas, Houston and Austin from 1968 to 1977
http://www.usatrivia.com/flbilbsh.html

but the twins weren't born 'til '81, so that's a 4 year gap

[kskiska]

19. She quit her job the day she married.

Must have been a really dedicated teacher/librarian.

[Mike Daniels]

69. My mom, who was a teacher, quit her job after she got married to raise me.

Would you care to share your opinions on my mom's dedication to her job?

[Bridget Burke]

72. Teaching is a tough job.

Staying at home with a pre-schooler is also serious work. After they go to school, those soap operas can get really boring.

[knitter4democracy]

82. Is that supposed to be funny?

I'm a former teacher who chose to stay at home. My kids are now 4 and 2, and I can assure you that I don't have the luxury of sitting and watching some soap opera. I run from morning to night, get hardly any sleep, and I still don't get all my work done. I'm looking forward to my kids being in school, if just so I can get more done.

Btw, again, these are two ladies who understand the system, and I doubt either got offended by any of it. I didn't find Teresa's comment offensive, and the apology and reception of it were both classy.

[Bridget Burke]

35. Laura taught from 1968 to 1972.

Then she took a year off to get her MLS & was a librarian until 1977. She dropped her career the minute she married & never resumed working.

I'm reminded of my sister-in-law who teaches. She was able to quit when her 1st daughter was born & didn't go back to work until the 2nd daughter was in 1st grade. While she was not "working" she got her Masters in Education (kudos to my brother as well). Since then she's been a "working mother"--& an excellent teacher--but her daughters have turned into fine, well educated young women. Three degrees between them so far & no trouble with the law.

[wellstone_democrat]

54. quit when she got *engaged*

according to numerous biographical info released since the first run for governor---she wasn't engaged long, but she wasn't working at the time she actually married him.

[Bridget Burke]

36. duplicate....please ignore...

cat jumped on keyboard....

[goclark]

42. Three school districts in nine years

That is not unheard of but generally, teachers in those times, stayed in a district longer than that, but maybe I'm wrong.


Were the school districts sorry to lose her ?
I wonder if they knew that she sold drugs in college?

Interesting?

[ILeft]

38. The Dubya curse hit her in '77. She let her license lapse after...

marrying the creep.

http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECONLINE/virtcertdisplay.asp?spid=947831&mode=C

[Parche]

6. karen hughes

And Karen Hughes thought Bush won the debates

She is the biggest B in America

[sushi]

58. Yes, that was so funny

I watched the first debate, and after that she told Hannity how wonderful * was! I was speechless!:D

[Say_What]

9. Does anyone else get the feeling that

AWOL and the Stepford Wife are anxious to get back to chainsawing in TX? I got that distinct feeling from what Chimpy said after the last debate and now this remark from Laura:

"..."She {Laura} knows that some days there's lots of interviews where lots of things are said, and knows that everyone looks forward to Nov. 2 coming around."...

She's probably tired of being the NeoCon puppet couple. After the last debate she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. Well, if you were married to the Chimp you'd be embarassed too.

[goclark]

44. She sees the hand writing on the wall

May want Kerry to pardon the Chimp, who knows.

She is probably on heavy meds for telling so many lies to support Boy George.

What a Stepford!

[Carolab]

11. Shut your piehole Karen

Teresa didn't DENIGRATE Laura's role as a mother, just because she didn't mention it. You UGLY MEAN OLD FAT SOW.

[wurzel]

13. With Republicans nothing is ever enough!

But it serves Teresa right for apologizing in the first place. i hope she has learned her lesson.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

15. Karen Hughes' most important job?...

...NeoCon Junta whore.

[truthisfreedom]

17. notice how they always exaggerate when they comment... denigrate?

whoever denigrated her being a mother? nobody. that's their disease... they twist the truth every time they open their mouths.

[Karenina]

27. Heh???

Errraaa... Is Mama T a MOTHER??? Has she tended kids she didn't birth?
WHY is SHE apologizing???? I swear ALL you Amis got Stockholm Syndome!
:crazy:

[NoMoreMsNiceGirl]

20. Dumb question...

Does Heinz Kerry have a job or ever needed a job? I'm aware she has millions of dollars at her disposal from her previous Republican husband so I don't see why she would need to work for a living like most of us.

Why would she question Laura about a job when she has millions to spend as petty cash if she wishes to do so?

[tlcandie]

22. Funny things I always see posted under your avatar!!!!

Would it be too hard to look it up? Heinz Kerry...err Teresa was not always married to catch up(sic), she had a life across the waters! I will see what I can find, but likely someone else will post before I get back!

:hi:

EDIT: This comes from the johnkerry.com website:

<snip>
Teresa Heinz Kerry brings extraordinary ability, experience, and accomplishment to her husband’s campaign for President. Her extensive philanthropic work finding solutions to many of the most pressing challenges facing our nation, demonstrates she will be a leader helping our nation explore these issues, such as protecting the environment, our children, and the rights of women. She has been a fighter for human rights, and a strong supporter of the arts.

Born in Mozambique, fluent in several languages, she has combined compassion and common sense to become a force for innovation and social progress as leader of one of the nation's large private foundations. After studying at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and the University of Geneva, she moved to the United States and got a job working for the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations. In 1966, she married Senator John Heinz whom she met when they were graduate students and with whom she had three sons. Shortly after celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in 1991, she lost her husband in a plane crash.

Turning down offers to seek election to her husband's Senate seat to take care of her sons, family and professional responsibilities, she became chairman of The Howard Heinz Endowment and the Heinz Family Philanthropies. Under her leadership, the Heinz foundations are widely known for developing innovative strategies to protect the environment, improve education and the lives of young children, reduce the cost of prescription drugs, promote the arts and help women achieve financial economic security. She established the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement in 1996 to educate women about pensions, savings, and retirement security.

Their mutual interest in environmental issues brought Teresa and John together. She was first introduced to John Kerry by Senator Heinz at an Earth Day rally in 1990. In 1992, she met Kerry again at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro when President George H. W. Bush appointed her as part of a State Department Delegation representing U.S. non-governmental organizations. She and Sen. Kerry were married in the presence of her three sons and his two daughters on Memorial Day weekend in 1995. Teresa has received numerous awards and 10 honorary degrees for her many works. In September of last year, she was presented with the Albert Schweitzer Gold Medal for Humanitarianism, for her work protecting the environment, promoting health care and education and uplifting women and children throughout the world. She was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001.
<snip>

EDIT #2: There are 4-5 other pages of background information and accomplishments to the right of this to read! Have fun! Heinz Kerry errrr Teresa has been one busy lady! Whew....

[kikiek]

23. Yes poor Laura. They are poor you know. Give me a break!

[Tropez]

24. She should STFU I think.. Gaffe central...

[kikiek]

28. She is a highly educated woman which scares the crap out of men.

Too bad. She can talk all she wants. It isn't a gaffe. It isn't anything other than ongoing attempts by the white house to smear her. Big deal. Ignore it. Shouldn't be telling her to shut the f up no matter what. That is disrespectful.

[GaryL]

25. Karen Hughes is Karl Rove in drag.

Anyone ever see them together? I think not!

[Kierkegaard]

26. Karen Hughes = really bad word

[Catt03]

30. Ask most mothers if they would like to "make the noble choice"

and they most likely would. however Karen, many do not have that choice because your tax cuts go to those mothers who put their kids in private boarding schools or have nannies.

Also Karen, I am sure you just marginalized a few million women, who are single or widowed, working hard to provide their children with basic necessities. They have "no noble choice" you idiot woman!

One more point...the Teresas and Hillarys of the world have a brain. They can take care of themselves, no matter what happens and have many choices and certainly don't need your advice on motherhood.

Maybe you should ask yourself why, when you announced to the world that you HAD to go back to Texas for your child, you ended up back in the same old job...taking care of George.

Really Karen, shut up.

[Dulcinea]

32. Karen Hughes is Boy George's nanny.

You gotta wonder, does she spend more time cleaning up after him than with her own child?

[kikiek]

33. You hit nail on the head. She is like his nanny. He acts like a spoiled

brat that needs one watching him constantly.

[Liberal Veteran]

31. Homemaking and raising kids is not a job......

....it's a lifestyle choice.

This business of trying to say that staying home and raising kids is the same thing as "employment" is not entirely honest.

[Catt03]

34. I see it differently

Supervising and caring for two children, cleaning several rooms, laundry (6 loads), cooking, baking, knowledgeable in emergency maintenance, expert in crisis intervention, counselor, homework typist, driver, nutrition specialist, spiritual advisor.....

About $250,000 a year plus health care.

[Liberal Veteran]

39. By the same token....

Being in a 15 year long gay relationship, having a chronic illness, taking care of a house (cleaning several rooms, plumbing, electrician, painting, cooking, laundry, etc), garden, lawn, and going to school in my spare time as well as taking care/feeding/grooming of two dogs, 6 cats, and an aquarium counts as a job too....

....but I don't hear anyone trying to call it that or set it up on some kind of pedestal.

I know where you are coming from, but the fact the remains that lifestyle choices and jobs are two separate things.

The notion of equating homemaking with "job" is nothing more than a psychological ploy to make people feel better about doing something other than paying job.

[jdj]

57. I disagree, particularly when one has grown a child in one's

body.

That to me is worth at least $50,000 grand a year for 18 years, housework not included in this figure.

[Djinn]

40. while I agree it's definetly work

the dollar figure that gets put on it dubious - if you added up a full work day for anyone in paid employment doing those things yes it would add up to an awful lot - but most people don't do all those things for 8 hours a day (it'd be impossible for a start) also counselors and nutritionists have qualifications and not letting your kids eat junk food 24/7 and telling them not to fight isn't quite the same thing.

That said I doubt for a second that Pickles did any of the duties a notmal stay at homeparent does - can anyone see her cleaning her toilets or washing nappies or did she have staff to do that for her?

[Hog lover]

59. I agree with you, Liberal Veteran

There are plenty of mothers who do all the child rearing and homemaking chores as well as hold down a full-time (or more) job.

Being able to stay at home is a luxury - sure, a lot of the household stuff is boring and mundane, but you also control your time and what you do with it.

[Cats Against Frist]

41. **a lesson in oblivion**

I had to do student conferences and had a Internet and television blackout. I didn't hear a thing about this. I imagine that today I was like most of the population with real jobs.

[onager]

46. And a choice Hughes The Hypocrite did NOT make...

I thought Hughes left the White House last year to "spend more time with her family." Then we hear that roughly every week, she was flying off to D.C. for strategery sessions and such.

During sElection 2000, you may remember that Karen Hughes suddenly decided to bring her 10-yr-old son on the campaign trail, "for the experience."

It struck me as odd at the time. If Hillary Clinton had dragged a kid that young onto the campaign plane, everybody from Phyllis Schlafly to "Dr." Laura Shitslinger would have been wailing about "the poor child" and "that awful woman using her child in a campaign."

Well, we know now that Hughes was trying to defuse press rumors that she and $hrub had a VERY close relationship during the campaign. (Sorry for the imagery...)

But anyway, like so many of the right-wing harpies, she loves to run her mouth about the wonderfulness of stay-at-home Moms...even while she gallivants all over the world pulling $hrub's nuts out of various fires. (Sorry again...)

[symbolman]

43. Funny thing about Karen Hughes...

When you stop her with TIVO while she's talking, no matter WHEN you push the button she looks just like one of those inflatable sex dolls.. eyes open, mouth in an "O" shape, flat face..

plastic.. phoney.. useless.. bet they deflate her and hide her under Bush's bed til they need her..

No one mentioned that Laura KILLED her boyfriend with a car.. seems like that would be news, never did get the skivvy on that.

[jackieforthedems]

45. Teresa

don't be sorry for anything. I forgot about what Laura used to do, too!

[QC]

47. So why didn't Karen Huge stay home & raise her kids?

The world would be a much better place if she had.

[Catherine Vincent]

48. How can an apology make something worse?

Karen Hughes is such a spinner. She definitely earns her pay. And speaking of earning her pay, I thought this repuke wanted to move back to Texas and be with her family?

[cosmicone]

49. Time to take the high road

I think the Kerry camp needs to tone down the negative attacks and start presenting a positive image of hope and a fresh start which have been their themes to begin with.

It is not likely to have to eat crow if the message is positive. They can leave the negative stuff to surrogates like Al Gore.

The 527s are doing their job in presenting the negative sides of Bush anyway.

One thing I liked about Bill Clinton was that he never let his criticism be shrill and always took the high road. People resonated with that.

I say enough of the negative comments and let Kerry shine in a glimmer of a positive message package.

[progressivebydesign]

50. Laura has class.. Karen Hughes is coldhearted bitch.

No shock there. Teresa's comments were in error, but were NOT meanspirited.

[intheflow]

51. Hughes equated the pro-choice marchers last April

to terrorists. Bitch.

[Voltaire99]

52. A very big blunder for Heinz Kerry

It's bad enough not getting such an easy fact straight. But it's worse when the miscalculation obviously plays into the hands of "homemakers" everywhere. Approve of their lifestyle choice or not, you still can't afford to alienate them on the eve of an ultra-close election.

Stow it for two weeks, Theresa. Afterwards, you can let loose.

[fugop]

53. Nah

I think any homemakers who are offended by this were already in the Bush camp. As a stay-at-home mom who used to have a paying job, I find nothing even slightly offensive there. Moms are great, but so are working women, for God's sake. I hate when women get dragged into these pissing matches over whose work is more important. It's ridiculous. I think any homemakers who are offended by THK's comments has some massive insecurities to begin with. Get over 'em, I say.

[brook]

55. Oh. F*ing please!

Karen Hughes is a flack, pure and simple. I doubt if she'd recognize 'noble' if it bit her in the you-know-what. She doesn't get "Normal" either, despite her p-poor attempt at a folksy book. I guess you get the picture, I don't like her. I don't like what she does for a living - more than that, I despise her ugly mouth - her face betrays her. Unhappy and mean - avaricious is really unbecoming. Her place in history is already being covered in sand.

THK is so much more valuable as a person to this country (and the world at large) than Hughes and Pickles squared times infinity.

[marlakay]

56. We know what Teresa meant and I just hope her apology

works for the rest. Teresa is so honest her words come out without thinking sometimes and that is what scares people. I enjoy her honesty even though the other side does love to run with it. The DC paper has the whole thing front page center tomorrow. And they are talking about it all over the news. CNN actually said it was no big deal since Teresa apologized, MSNBC had a panel of all repubs except Ron and they acted like she called her a bitch or something.

Aaron when he showed tomorrows papers only was on DC one that we saw.

I think she meant that she did a lot of work in the world and that is what she meant by bigger things. Teresa also stayed home while her kids were growing up so the housewife thing isn't it. She also said she was older and I just think it was her way of saying she has more experience than Laura out in the world.

[Carolab]

63. Oh that's just FUCKING great

The WORLD IS COLLAPSING around us and they come out with ANOTHER stupid, meaningless DIVERSION to entertain and divide the masses????

THESE "JOURNALISTS" are nothing more than high-paid gossips and rumor-mongers who are RUINING OUR COUNTRY.

[Kool Kitty]

60. Oh, shut up, Karen.

The woman apologized. Let it go, you nasty bitch. Oh, and by the way, Karen-aren't you a mother? Why aren't you home with your family?

[Nordic]

61. Laura Bush: classy response. Karen Hughes: a total ASS

can I call a woman an ASS?

Thank you.

[UAE]

64. she dont have to....

[Piperay]

65. The one & only time one of the bushies

shows any class in a response and then Karen Hughes ruins it by owning up her big ole pie hole and spewing venom. x( :puke:

[SoCalDem]

66. Where is it in PRINT?? Laura "worked" for 9 years??

I seem to recall reading somewhere that she taught school for ONE year, didn't like it, and then went back to college for a masters in Library Science..then worked in a school library for a "few" years..

How long have they been married, anyway?? Those "girls" are 22, and she did not work after they were born (I think she was right to stay home with twins...she did not need to work)..

The girls were born in 1982?

Laura was 30 when she married *??

Let's do some math :)

[pimpbot]

67. fake (fox) news had a whole thing about it

This morning, with that evil blonde bitch leading the discussion. I felt like punching the tv, then i changed the channel.

We can't keep giving them fodder like this so close to the election. I know its a bunch of BS, but so is every other lie they spin and echo.. just see how the swifties worked.

Remember that tennesee poll which had more than half the public getting the candidates wrong on the issues? The GP is pretty stupid. If all they hear from the spin media is "hienz is a uppty ho that hates moms" what do you think their gonna vote?? I know it aint fair, but thats how they play. Time to get with the program. No more mistakes like this! (if that means hiding her away somewhere for the next two weeks im all for it)

[Habibi]

68. This is bullshit

just like the flap over Hillary's "cookie-baking" remark in 92. Just reinforces the fact that the Bush camp has *nothing* legitimate to run on. Don't sweat it. The "GP" is smarter than you give them credit for.

[Mary0505]

70. But still...

Even if it turns out Laura really didn't work much. Theresa should have kept her fat mouth shut. This is an important election and the Cheneys obviously are looking for slip ups to run to the press and make a big deal about it.

[Bridget Burke]

71. I think the remark was unfortunate,

But I wouldn't say Theresa has a "fat mouth".

[Mary0505]

73. I'm Angry

I want Kerry to win, and the GOP is looking for "unfortunate" comments to hump on and illuminate.

[proReality]

76. They don't need "unfortunate" comments,

they twist everything into a bunch because they're anal-evil "compassionate" sub-human beings. It's what they do; the way they're wired. They can't help themselves.

I say have pity on the pathetic things and pull their plug on Nov. 2nd.

[rocktivity]

75. SOMEBODY didn't do their homework

It's pretty much public knowledge that Laura was a librarian. Theresa not only made a mistake she shouldn't have, but she insulted a group who have always had an image problem. Telling a reporter to "shove it" is one thing. But she doesn't have the luxury of making mistakes of this nature, what with the press ready to turn the slightest misstep Kerry/Edwards makes into an election-killing scandal.

:headbang:
rocknation

[turbo_satan]

77. She's had real jobs...

Remember, she was the go-to girl for dime-bags of weed back at SMU.

She also did a decade-long stint as an emotional punching bag and baby sitter for an infantile, inarticulate, coke-addled, drunk-driving, inside-trading retard with a god complex. Now THAT's work.

turbo_satan

[moosedog]

78. I get it now....

They are not telling the part about Theresa saying her smarts comes from doing the important things. In my opinion, Theresa is right. Anyone can have..what they call...a real job with a paycheck, but to put your all into teaching your children, as well as other children is the important part of life. Caring for children and family is the most important role that anyone could have. I wish that the reporters would tell the whold truth, and not just what will make the producers happy. Mrs. Moose

[robcon]

79. This is to Teresa's credit.

Admitting a slip is a sign that a person feels responsible for what she says. I think this is a net positive for THK.

[Mother Jones]

80. How did THK forget Laura was a teacher/librarian?

I thought everyone would have remembered that Laura delivered a wonderful, moving speech on the importance of education and librarys to America.

The exact same day her hubby made his first $200 million cut from his own 'no child left behind' program.


Don't they ever have pillow-talk?

[hankthecrank]

81. Karen Hughes was born in France

When every one was on Kerry case about visit to France. I read that Kerry said that Karen Hughes was born in France. She comes across as a home maker from Texas. She not even born here. I do like the French if not for them we may not have won our war with the Brits.

May be she should pack up the freedom fries and go home!

[LiberalFighter]

83. Looks like everyone missed this angle of the story

Clearly she knows Laura Bush was a mother ... who chose to stay home and rear her family. That's a noble choice that should be celebrated not denigrated."


What type of mother is Laura Bush considering how she raised the twins?

And what exactly did she do at home as a mother?

[BUSHOUT]

84. This doesn't even deserve to be called news. CNN is out to lunch.

This topic should be locked. Stick a fork in it, it's done.

[BlueScreen]

85. I agree! What about Pat Robertson's comment on "no casualties"??

[chascaz]

86. Also, and very importantly

Teresa has demonstrated how to recognize, accept and take accountability for making a mistake. Something that dumbya is incapable of.