Reading The Pictures: Laura Bush Makes History

Of course, you heard Laura Bush "made history" this week, right? Yes, fast on the heels of Dubya's cameo on a game show, she became the first First Lady to host the Today Show.

With the country sliding by virtually every measure, the Bushes are now resorting to the most cynical and patronizing misdirection play at their disposal, which is to throw every bit of emphasis they can into their celebrity status.

Really though, what this screen shot documents is the logical outcome of an incest that's been going on between the Bush's and the media for years. Whereas up to now, the White House has been overly-dependent on media actors to deliver their talking points (while ensuring the masses remain otherwise anesthetized), the process has finally come full circle.

Of course, Karl's at Newsweek now, Kristol's at The Times, and Snow is embedding at CNN. But in making an audience out of Ann and Matt, host and infotainment personality Laura Bush actually demonstrates how the White House can cut out the middle man.

First lady Laura Bush makes television history (Lotta video here if you can stand it - TODAY/MSNBC)

(screen shot: TODAY. April. 22, 2008. msnbc.msn.com)

Comments

[mi]

she is a robot that smokes.

[HappyDae]

After Simon compared Mrs. Clinton to Margaret Thatcher, I expected the rest of you illiterates to make such uninformed comments. Laura Bush, not Shrillary, is the Lady here.

Hosting the Today Show? And WHO has been on the speech circuit since leaving the White House? Possibly your next First Husband. Does America really need two Presidents in the same White House?

I contend that be greatest First Lady was Eleanor Roosevelt, and that in second place is the refined and elegant Laura Bush. Thank the voters we didn't get the foul-mouthed Teresa Heinz Kerry!

Happy Dae.
http://www.ShoeStringGenealogy.com

[BBackSoon]

You are kidding right? You really think that Laura Bush belongs in the same league as Eleanor Roosevelt? What has she done? Name something, anything?

[lacitepq]

Can't think of a damn thing she has done. I am sure she is a nice lady, but very unremarkable as First Lady. What type of woman would marry someone like GW anyways? Someone with limited options, that's who. He's insufferable.

[RedDogBear]

Oh HappyDae: "I contend that be greatest First Lady was Eleanor Roosevelt," Wow, we agree on something. BTW, you know that Ms. Roosevelt was a major champion of civil rights for african americans (and hence was reviled by the right even more than her husband) and was quite probably a lesbian! http://lesbianlife.about.com/cs/herstory/a/Eleanor.htm

[definitelyNOTmisterRIGHT]

D-E-L-U-S-I-O-N-A-L-!

[knighthowl]

I am sorry, but I must have missed what is refined and elegant about Laura. Even If she may be considered refined and elegant in Texas, what has she done? Something else I must have missed. Even if you stick to Texans, didn't Lady Bird Johnson put a limit on roadside billboards?

[PatA]

""""""She is the symbol of Amerrican womanhood, what we as citizens revere, what is worth honoring and fighting for."""""""

This isn't politically correct, but what have you been smoking?

[Tellmethetruth]

It's hard to deny Laura Bush was a very good first lady and certainly smarter than most males including her husband.

[Americanium]

smart enough to know not to put her limited self out there. After 8 years there is not one thing she is known for. Not a single thing.

[Strayker]

How smart is she...really? Forever to be known as the wife of the dumbest and possibly the worst President in US History

[dadw5boys]

not too dumb!!!!!!

the repubican congress gave her $ 350 million for her "foundation".

no accounting or filings so no one know how much she takes as salary to run the "foundation".

Just like Barbra Bush and Lynn Cheny got $350 Million each for their "Foundations".

[wolfgangmo]

OK, maybe that is "smart" but it is also unethical and beneath contempt.

There is nothing here to admire.

[MyThought]

Symbol of American womanhood? A stepford wife is more like it. She's nice, but a total bore.

[Caddisfly]

It's the Prozac, stupid

[ahornick]

"With the country sliding by virtually every measure, the Bush's are now resorting to the most cynical and patronizing misdirection play at their disposal, which is to throw every bit of emphasize they can into their celebrity status."

Sorry, but you are way off base. Its nowhere as sinister as you think. As a retired exec (thank God, because I just can't put up with the crap any longer), I have seen this time and time again.

Seems that the more incompetent the executive, the more they want to take advantage of any remaining fun perks they can get from their position of power before they leave the spotlight. It's as if they fear that eventually they will be found out, the fun will end and the mob will arrive on their doorstep with torches.

Given this electorate's track record, Bush is safer than he thinks.

[Atticus]

And what, precisely, is wrong with Laura Bush?

She is the symbol of Amerrican womanhood, what we as citizens revere, what is worth honoring and fighting for.

You liberals are really, really setting your party up for stunning defeat in November by attacking the eternal symbols of America's greatness.

Stop destroying yourselves, will you? We do need a viable alternative party (even if it's degenerated into a mere a foil) in this country, no?

[MossyOak]

Re: "She is the symbol of Amerrican womanhood, what we as citizens revere, what is worth honoring and fighting for." .... first of all, she's NOT a symbol of American (only one "r") womanhood, she's a vacuous moron who supports a lying, murdering, torturing husband. Secondly, you probably haven't noticed but there are women on combat missions in Iraq who are fighting for you so you can cling to your outmoded notions of women.

[magneato]

Please explain how Laura Bush is a symbol of American greatness or womanhood or whatever the hell you're talking about. And while you're at it, explain why right wingers always talk about these jingoistic fantasies as though they can take the place of reality. No one with a firm grip on reality reveres Laura Bush,and they certainly don't feel she's worth fighting for or honoring. What is this a monarchy?! She merely married the frat boy who would end up in the white house under extremely dubious circumstances. I don't recall any republicans honoring or revering our last elected president's first lady. Do you?

[MossyOak]

If Laura Bush is the symbol of American womanhood, I'm getting sex change operation! About the only thing she is a symbol of is what a woman should never be.... a vacuous airhead who supports a murdering, lying husband.

[RedDogBear]

"Laura Bush ... is the symbol of Amerrican womanhood, what we as citizens revere, what is worth honoring and fighting for." Jackie Kennedy was a symbol of American womanhood. She influenced fashions, brought poets and artists to the white house (even -- gasp -- ones that didn't completely agree with the president) and was revered throughout the world as an emisary for America. Laura Bush could be the poster woman for a Stepford wife as she hides out at the Mayflower hotel while Bush gets his jungle fever on with Condi (just a tabloid rumor but...)

[mexamerican]

i don't need laura bush to revere as a symbol of american womanhood. i have my wife, my mother, and my grandmothers to revere in that regard. i don't empty symbols like flag pins to signal my reverence for america. i don't need wingnuts dictating what i need to respect or symbolize. who the hell do you think you are anyway?

[oldpotsmuggler]

If her husband was a real President, Ms. Bush would be a real First Lady. But he ain't, so she ain't, and she ought to exhibit some self respect by recognizing that. (At a minimum GWB has to score higher in public opinion at this point in his term than Slick Willie did, and he doesn't come close. Ergo my assertion that he reasonably can be labeled as no more than a pretender.)

[ColoradoAngryRU]

For a Stepford Wife she is perfectly lovely. Other than that, Cindy Mc Same looks like a good reproduction, just what you "citizen" will honor and fight for. Yuk!