Laura Bush Defends Michelle Obama Against Patriotism Attack

The Huffington Post:

Laura Bush also defended Sen. Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, for a controversial remark on the campaign trail in February.

"For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback," Michelle Obama said in a speech in Milwaukee.

"I think she probably meant I'm 'more proud,' you know, is what she really meant," Bush told ABC News. "You have to be very careful in what you say. I mean, I know that, and that's one of the things you learn and that's one of the really difficult parts both of running for president and for being the spouse of the president, and that is, everything you say is looked at and in many cases misconstrued."

Read the whole story: The Huffington Post

Comments

[mcfried]

Very classy Mrs. Bush. I wish you'd dump that turd of a husband of yours. I have to say I don't remember an occasion that you have ever offended me.

[FLindependant]

Laura has always been the better half of that marriage by all accounts. I always thought George a lucky man to be with her. She is poised, prinicpled, and classy. That her daughters both became educators like herself I found to be very telling.

[meltingpot101]

I agree. Laura is aslo the brains of the family and she has done a great job raising those girls.

[BuyRubles]

only one of them turned out okay.

[ZimboChick]

I agree

[wardropper]

Whoa!

Be careful here!
Laura has no reason to do Michelle any favors.

[VOTER]

Cindy McCain must be ticked off.

Remember she stepped forward and declared how she has ALWAYS BEEN PROUD OF

AMERICA as a dig at Michele.

Now Laura helps Michele?

[EyeWantOneNation]

And we certainly wouldn't want to offend Cindy now, would we ???

(wink wink)

[Jazzcomedian]

She's also pro-choice, and said so in an interview by Katie Couric on the "Today Show" in 2000.

[rzan]

I always thought a lot of Laura. She has real class.

[biglover]

I disagree. If she had class and cared about this country, she would have tried to exert some influence over that sorry excuse for a human being of her husband. She said by like a good little Texas wife and said nothing. What about having the courage of one's convictions.

I am very suspicious about this defending Michelle Obama. These rethugs don't do anything that is not politically calculating.

[hypnotoad72]

"These rethugs don't do anything that is not politically calculating."

Sounds like most politicians; it's hard to point fingers at one party over another regarding that.

[bsc]

I agree. If she has class and/or an ounce of intelligence and self respect, how is she still married to GWB? This is a ploy to keep the statement in the news. Even if Laura Bush is not consciously aware of it, she is being used to keep it in the headlines.

[longislandlol]

Maybe she has ingrained character

[ddharder]

I'm impressed.

[clintfatigue]

I am pleased to see Laura Bush stand up now and support Michelle Obama in this manner. I find Mrs. Bush to be far more relevant these days than her husband. Bravo to you, Mrs. Bush! The smears against the candidates wives are typical of the Karl Rove playbook.

[pupbayer]

Boy, OO and MO's list of supporters just gets weirder.

[Susanfrom29]

Yeah, it must make you crazy when one of them comes up with an alternate explanation for the hate you are sure you perceive.

[Matt7]

Thank you Mrs. Bush.

Your comments are a couple days late, and a few pennies short, but appreciated nonetheless.

That was very gracious of you to say. I'm not at all a fan of your husband's policies, but I can appreciate how difficult things have probably been for your family recently, so you didn't have to be kind at all. So, I appreciate that about you. Prayerfully, our nation will get past these crazy days and on to reclaim the greatness that was once ours.

By the way -- Michelle was REALLY proud for the first time in her adult life BECAUSE it felt like HOPE is MAKING A COMEBACK. She's been proud before. And we all will be again.

[StephenS]

Actually, that's not quite what Michelle said.

Right after Michelle talked about hope making a comeback, Michelle said she was really proud of her country for the first time in her adult lifetime because her husband was doing well, and because people were hungry for change. She had been feeling alone, frustrated and disappointed before that, and desperate to see the country moving in the direction of change.

"...Hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback.
And, let me tell you something:
For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country.
And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.
And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction, and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment.
I have seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues.
And it's made me proud..."

[EyeWantOneNation]

I'm with ya there, Stephen...........

Great post !!!!!

Thanks !!!!!

[JACKSWADE]

Laura Bush is indeed a Class act!!!

[boldtimer]

Regardless of what you think of Shrub, Laura has been and continues to be a class act. The wrong member of that family became president !

[sfsilver]

Remember how we mythologized Barbara Bush as a nice grnadmother for America when it turns out by almost all accounts that she's the real attack dog personality in the Bush family that has most influenced W's pettiness. Let's not build up Laura in the same way. She's not exactly stopped any of his nonsense with her influence. She's part of the problem.

[patmancando]

She also seems mentally challenged at times.

[CalvinistHobbesian]

Nah, I think they've had her sedated much of the time.

[happypup]

And yet, she is so very much more gracious than you, patmancando.

[Krikkit]

Hmmm.... Maybe it's the afternoon drinkie-poos and presciption meds?

[RJII]

my words exactly. Shrub- lol.

thanks Laura for giving your sound judgement on smething silly season.

[Meah]

I am sure Michelle Obama appreciates Laura Bush's sentiments. That was a decent thing for her to say. It looks like Laura thinks Obama will win and Michelle will be the next first lady, eh?

[marthlois]

I always liked Laura - feel sorry for her lot in life ~ she must really love George though.
I REALLY wish that the Huffington Post and every other media would quote Michelle properly. She said "REALLY proud" Seems to me that the campaign would want to demand that all of the media put out the proper quote.

[Krikkit]

She picked Dubya as her husband. There's something WRONG with the woman.

[EyeWantOneNation]

I think you're right, Meah...Michelle probably appreciates Mrs. Bush's sentiments....

Too bad the people who post here can't be as gracious. I see alot of paranoia, and nastiness going on.

Not exactly the example Sen. and Mrs. "O" would like us to be setting; I'm sure !!!!

[Sioen]

It's not paranoia, it's simple politics. She's doing this to keep the story alive. Believing anything else is naivete (to use a nice word), which is also not how the Obama's would want us to be.

[4wehttam]

Her daughter must have gotten to her. Jenna seems more like a Dem than a Republican.

By the way, I keep noticing like everyone else here that they keep leaving out the "really" part of Michelle's statement. It changes the whole meaning without it, makes it sound even more negative. Why do they keep doing this, and why doesn't someone on the air correct the error????!!

[EyeWantOneNation]

They have...many times....no one listens !!!!

[StaninLA]

Then we MUST keep reminding them. Never back down from the truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ne1j4HWw_k

[Matt7]

The "quote" is continually misquoted (leaving out the REALLY proud part) because it serves its purpose just as it is. As you say it sounds more negative, and helps to bolster that un-patriot lie that has no legs without half-truths like that.

[blog4um]

Jenna Bush "I dont know if I'll vote for McCain"

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/24/jenna-bush-i-dont-know-if-ill-vote-for-mccain/

Watch interview on Larry King

[ObamaismyHero08012]

No wonder Jena is for OBAMA . I have always believed Laura has more CLASS than Dubya ever attended both in college and high school.

[Truthfighter1]

I'm just waiting for the day the that the GOP grows up, honestly my kids are more mature than they are. How America let Republicans be President for so many years is baffling really baffling, it's like America has been stuck in a time capsule.

Thank goodness change is coming soon and it will not definetly be coming from the GOP and McCain.

Hey GOP how bout dropping those lobbyist and Pac's like Obam had the DNC do, step up to the plate put ya money where your mouth is, come John it's your party now, run your party.

[mero909]

I'll give you two words for why Republicans have been running the show for so long...

"Christian Conservatives"

[WireDolly]

Hell if I know what a bloody "Christian" even is anymore. A closet gay? A warmonger White House resident who lost the bloody popular vote and was appointed by SCOTUS? Someone living in a trailer park who supports tax cuts for their future friends (they wish) in the inheritance class? Someone who wants to privatise everything EXCEPT women's uteruses? Someone who "loves babies" but won't mind if they die of AIDS, have no healthcare, or live in a slum and grow up to make your own city more dangerous? A piece of piggish filth who stands by whilst an entire American city gets flooded and uses it for photo opps?

Don't even tell me about fucking Jesus anymore. I don't even want to hear about how "kindness and care for the poor" are hallmarks of Christianity. They are not. And anyone who still votes repukelican because they are "Christian" have been brainwashed just as bad as McCain was after he failed on his bombing mission. Sick fucks, all.

[yngcelt]

grow up, huh? So tell me, how "grown up" is it when someone disrupts speeches and meetings with rants and yells or throws food at someone? I mean that kind of behavior isn't even tolerated in a school cafeteria. Yet you see Democrats and Liberals doing that kind of thing. And how grown up is it to make the kinds of statements that democrats and liberals make about our President? Such as calling him a "monkey" calling him "stupid", etc.? Again, behaviors that are not even tolerated in grade school! And if you really want to criticize for immature behavior, look no further than your precious Code Pink moonbats and their behavior.

[EyeWantOneNation]

yngcelt...Obviously you haven't experienced any anger at what this current president has done, and continues to do, to our country !!!

You think condoning what this incapable thief has done to this country is "grown up"??
Sometimes being grown up means realizing you have the right to dissent...to flat out REVOLT !!!

I judge by your ID, you consider yourself a "young celt"...read up on your history of these proud Celts...you are a young one; and an embarrassment to the grown up Celts.

[IndependentAllways]

You know, I don't think she/he was referring to individual democrats or republicans, I think she meant the Political Parties as entities.

(There will be fanatics and behaviourly challenged individuals in ANY labelled group. They allways get the headlines but they are never the majority, we tend to forget that and through our fears give them more power that way.)

[EyeWantOneNation]

If you don't like people disrupting speeches and meetings with rants and yells, I suggest you stop going to McSame rallies...they have a tendency to get quite vocal !!!

[Susanfrom29]

Actually, under the No Child Left Behind program the only class that schools can afford involves throwing food. But they all passed the national standards.

So I guess the program works.

[alguien]

but he IS stupid!