And Another Memoir

It's A Shocker

Is it just me, or is everybody in politics writing a memoir these days? Maybe it's just the eight year span between presidents that has allowed America to forget just how much literature is produced within the first few years after a president leaves office. George H.W. Bush wrote a more specified account of a few hand chosen events during his life and presidency. After "Billary" left office Bill Clinton's My Life and Hillary's Living History: Hillary Clinton (such a self serving title if I do say so myself) , soon became bestsellers and sold more than a million copies each. Now after the second Bush Administration has left office we are again being hit by a tidal wave of pages and ink, with the newest edition to the list being the Former First Lady Laura Bush's memoir entitled Speaking from the Heart.


Finally after Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Karl Rove, and literally everyone else in the world had their say about the 2008 election, the state of the US today, and the Bush Presidency, someone who actually lived in the White House is speaking out. Mrs. Laura Bush was, and still remains, the most highly favored member of the Bush Administration, as well as one of the most popular First Ladies of all time (only bested by Michelle Obama). With an overall approval rating of 74 percent she was loved and embraced by the American public as well as foreign dignitaries. Her travels through Africa and the Middle East saw here receiving the warmest receptions of any US official, even including those of her husband, the President. Now, on May 4th, 2010 the American Public will hear her story for the first time.

Policy, Poison, and Popularity: The First Lady's Story

The book has been reported to talk about many subjects, ranging from her up bringing in Midland Texas, to the tragedy of her automobile accident that killed her friend, and even wading into politics (something the First Lady as we knew her was loathe to do). She digs into her husbands policy initiatives and even her own initiatives as First Lady. In one part of the book she even recounts how she and the President grew increasingly ill while attending a G8 Summit in Germany. She reveals that they may have actually been poisoned because other parts of the US delegation became ill as well, experiencing odd symptoms such as: loss of hearing and motor skills and other impairments. She writes that President George Bush was so sick that during a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, he could not even stand up to greet him.

Another section of the book deals with the criticisms she had to face stoically as First Lady, but now she lets lose. In regards to her daughter's underage drinking incident, she admits it was 'stupid' and that it allowed the media to paint a false image of them as party girls. She the changes focus and rips into the 2004 campaign of John Kerry who made a character attack against Dick Cheney's daughter, using her sexual orientation as a weapon. She cites this as the beginning of the dirty tactics that ran rampant in the 2008 campaign which saw constant attacks upon the family of V.P. Nominee Sarah Palin's family, including her mentally challenged son. Mrs. Bush also rebukes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for calling President Bush an "incompetent leader" and a "loser." She calls these remarks, "uncalled for and graceless." She goes on to claim that "as President, George W. Bush would have never used such language about them;" which indeed he never did.

All in all I am looking forward to this book written by the very well-educated and intelligent Laura Bush. I hope it will provide fresh insight into a presidency that was dogged by its steadily declining poll numbers. As the sole 'popular' figure of the second Bush Administration, the Former First Lady's memoir may act as a redeeming piece for a slagging presidency and also secure her place in American political culture forever, as the Lady who "did not live for politics' but definitely mastered the game. Look for Laura Bush's memoir, Speaking from the Heart to hit the shelves on May 4th, 2010 and of course, a corresponding In Review to be posted shortly thereafter. If my reading list keeps growing, I may die of it. Ha ha. seriously.

Later,
Cody


(Photo: Courtesy of the Associated Press)