Laura Bush speaks on days in White House, accomplishments
Former first lady Laura Bush said she is proud of many things she and her husband, George W. Bush, accomplished in eight years in the White House, but some stand out more than others.
“I am very proud that all Americans know what the pink ribbon stands for now,” she said during her speech Friday at the Lakeside Annual Gala Dinner at the Riverside Convention Center. “Breast cancer does not respect national borders. Americans can empower more women across the world because of the things we have learned. We can help them detect breast cancer early, which right now is really the closest thing we have to a cure.”
Bush, who shared the podium with a bobblehead doll of herself that she brought along, talked about health care for women and ways to help the more than 700 million illiterate people across the world. But she also told the 850 people at the dinner about what life was like at the White House.
She said she fell in love with George W. Bush because he made her laugh. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, there were plenty of days with no laughter in the White House.
“No one saw that side of George W. Bush,” she said. “It would kill me when I would see tears in his eyes over some of the things he had to do.”
That made the bad press and jokes even worse.
“It bothered me, but it didn’t get to me,” she said. “I always thought, this is America and living in the White House means you live among all Americans. Everything that happens and is said is the clanking of the gears of democracy.”
She also said now that she and her husband are back living in Texas, she is glad to be the boss again.
“When you are president of the United States, it is not a big deal when you leave the wet towels on the bathroom floor,” she said. “When you are in Dallas, things are different.”
