Silver Foxes In Politics: Kathleen Sebelius Leads The Pack (SLIDESHOW)

Among Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius' many accomplishments is her bold and refreshing decision to keep her hair gray. Some might even say that Sebelius, nominated on Monday to be President Obama's Health and Human Services Secretary, is fashion-forward: just see Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestley in "The Devil Wears Prada."

Even Newsweek's Howard Fineman caught on to this trend, sporting a strange (two-tone hairdo on a recent "Hardball" appearance, the result, he claimed, of his decision to let his gray hair grow in.

So here are a few other political figures who let their hair go gray...and look good doing it. Who have we left out? Tell us below.

• • • • • • • Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius in 2007

Comments

[Chopin]

10:37 PM on 03/31/2009

Ummm . . . definitely the sexiest grandma in Washington, bar none! Kathleen sets the new trend.
Kathleen for president 2016 ! --- Silver power !

[oregonindy]

07:17 PM on 03/06/2009

I think you should include Joe Biden! He is very foxy!

[oregonindy]

07:15 PM on 03/06/2009

What about Joe Biden? He is really sexy!!

[oregonindy]

05:36 PM on 03/06/2009

What about Joe Biden?? He is very sexy!!

[Furby]

04:55 PM on 03/05/2009

isn't it hilarious that now that all of us boomers are old, being old is back in style. We're an egocentric bunch aren't we. No wonder the young have no time for anything to do with boomers. We're a vain lot.

[RJII]

03:06 AM on 03/05/2009

hot clooney and olbermann comes to mind.

[RRonin]

10:21 PM on 03/04/2009

Sibelius reminds me of two of my faves, Judy Woodruff and the GORGEOUS, SEXY Helen Mirren.

[Anthro]

05:02 PM on 03/05/2009

I agree regarding Mirren, but last I saw her Woodruff was blonde. I'll check in with New Hour. I have to tell you though people, the "gray" hair you see on these people is seriously enhanced with "toner" (I'm not sure of the technical term. No problem, it looks fantastic, but it IS enhanced. Problem for people like me who are around the same age is that we are not gray enough to do this. I'm all speckly and faded. It is dark-haired people who tend to go completely gray--also some families have a tendency to gray early or late. My grandpa only had white around the temples and some specks at 84 when he died. But I think I would have to bleach my hair to get the Helen Mirren look!

[Citizen54]

09:11 PM on 03/04/2009

Another silver-haired beauty: Emmylou Harris (61 years old).

[greysells2]

08:10 PM on 03/04/2009

She's classy. Don't know what she is like in person. But classy nevertheless.

[PiscesPrincess]

03:50 PM on 03/04/2009

sigh... and we get so obsessed by grey and not in women but for men its ... what?
Check out all the men in Congress and Washington who wear rugs. and have dyed hair.
they look ridiculous. and when they don't have rugs they try to pull the stuff from one side over to the other side. ack. that looks even worse. God Bless Carl Levin. the glasses on the end of the nose always finish the affect. etal. (Not a put down Senator Levin. I have great respect for your opinions.)
But you get my point. Rugs on men are as bad as black hair on an 70- or 80 year old woman.

[boogygran]

11:45 PM on 03/04/2009

LOL - PP, your comments are priceless!

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

01:14 PM on 03/04/2009

I really respect women who go gray and do not cover it. I don't know if I'll have that courage when my time comes.

[midwesthousewife]

02:09 PM on 03/04/2009

The women in my family always believed in aging "gracefully"--accepting the natural changes that occur. I concurred and loved my graying hair (for one thing, I think it has a softening effect with the aging skin). For my daughter's high school graduation, though, I thought I would try to "spruce" myself up to look good for her big day. I temporarily colored my hair. I was shocked to see how differently I felt I was being reacted to on the street. Like it or not, women with gray hair are invisible. Maybe I am wrong, but I definitely felt that people were noticing me more. It really does fool people into viewing you as younger. Now, why should that be important?

[Anthro]

05:20 PM on 03/05/2009

You are absolutely right about this and it's an interesting question. Name me one movie star aside from Helen Mirren who has gray or white hair. Well, there is Judi Dench, but she (and Mirren) are British and they don't go in for all the surgery and fakeness nearly as much as Americans do. They are actresses more than "movie stars".

[cougarsrus]

02:40 PM on 03/04/2009

Have the courage, especially if you have dark hair as there is almost no worse carcinogen than dark hair dye.

[Anthro]

05:04 PM on 03/05/2009

That has no basis in actual science--but looks terrible nonetheless.

[EarthToZoey]

12:04 PM on 03/04/2009

Ann Richards -- the yellow rose of Texas. They don't grow 'em that way anymore.

[ClaraKCMO]

03:42 PM on 03/04/2009

I agree, I miss her blunt, no nonsense commentary!

[GAPeach99]

07:21 PM on 03/04/2009

She made me smile whenever she came on TV. She was a great lady. Tough, smart, beautiful. Just what a southern belle should be.

And you're right, they really don't grow 'em like her anymore.

[Daniel Schmid]

11:19 AM on 03/04/2009

whoops... I meant:

I actually think Representative Ron Paul looks rather distinguished with *silvery* hair... It's sort of funny since he's a big gold/silver advocate....

[Daniel Schmid]

11:17 AM on 03/04/2009

I actually think Representative Ron Paul looks rather distinguished with hair... It's sort of funny since he's a big gold/silver advocate....

[Okieborn]

10:23 AM on 03/04/2009

Gov. Sebelius Is A Beautiful An Genuine Lady !!!