Following in whose footsteps?

June 20, 2007 12:41 PM

On the heal of her husbands fairly recent op-ed in WSJ, Laura Bush writes her own op-ed (subscription possibly required) about the whole Burma situation (or Myanmar) of all topics. Why did she do it? The Huffington Post speculates.
posted by jourman2 (23 comments total)

I swear to you, I usually don't read the WSJ op-ed page. Someone showed it to me (same person who showed me the last one). Scouts honor.
posted by jourman2 at 12:43 PM on June 20, 2007

"Mrs. Bush could have introduced a new variation of her world-famous Sweet Potato Casserole recipe on Rachael Ray, read a nursery rhyme to the Cheney grandchild on Ellen or wave the opening flag at a NASCAR race or someplace that's all about noise?

But, diplomacy?"

Creepy how this isn't even sexist because Laura Bush has let herself be crafted into such a figurehead for indulgent, unimposing, obsolete, gynosaurs everywhere.
posted by hermitosis at 12:46 PM on June 20, 2007

At least Barbara Bush didn't write it & tell us all about how things are working out so well for them.
posted by miss lynnster at 12:50 PM on June 20, 2007

The Huffington Post injects an awful lot of meaning into what seems to me essentially a distraction piece.
posted by absalom at 12:53 PM on June 20, 2007

Shouldn't that be 'On the heel...'?
posted by nightwood at 1:01 PM on June 20, 2007 [2 favorites]

To drum up support for US sanctions against the country?
posted by nervousfritz at 1:07 PM on June 20, 2007

Why did she do it?

It's a good question. Unfortunately, the Huffington Post piece is an incoherent soup of random thoughts that doesn't come close to providing an answer.
posted by brain_drain at 1:07 PM on June 20, 2007

I knew something looked wrong.
posted by jourman2 at 1:07 PM on June 20, 2007

Nothing against Mrs. Bush, but I'm going to feel a lot better when I never see or hear about her again.
posted by psmealey at 1:08 PM on June 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Shouldn't that be 'On the heel...'?

What's that word again for misunderstood phrases? Like for all intensive purposes?
posted by phaedon at 1:10 PM on June 20, 2007

>>The Huffington Post injects an awful lot of meaning into what seems to me essentially a distraction piece.

Nothing exists in a vacuum. Each and every thing has a history and future implications.
posted by SaintCynr at 1:14 PM on June 20, 2007

Nothing against Mrs. Bush, but I'm going to feel a lot better when I never see or hear about her again.

For real. She gives off a psycho Stepford Wife vibe that seriously creeps me out.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 1:14 PM on June 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

The full op-ed, over at Burmanet.org. For those of us without subscriptions to WSJ.
posted by Xere at 1:32 PM on June 20, 2007

She also claims that the US welcomes "many" refugees from Iraq, which is true if you define "many" as fewer than 500 Iraqi refugees. There are at least 2.2 million Iraqi refugees (in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and the Persian Gulf states combined).
posted by kirkaracha at 1:40 PM on June 20, 2007

phaedon : are you thinking of eggcorns?
posted by suckerpunch at 1:40 PM on June 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Shouldn't that be 'On the heel...'?

I think it should be "On the heels..."
posted by notyou at 1:50 PM on June 20, 2007

My late grandmother used to do a wonderful impersonation of Laura Bush. She's just cock her head to one side, smile blankly and slightly cross her eyes. Funniest thing you'd ever see.
posted by brundlefly at 1:55 PM on June 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Maybe she panicked.
posted by homunculus at 1:56 PM on June 20, 2007

Who knows, maybe the Hillary Clinton thing set her off... it could be an analogy for her own plight.
posted by Huplescat at 5:55 PM on June 20, 2007

What's that word again for misunderstood phrases? Like for all intensive purposes?

careful now, you'll damage someones self of steam.
posted by quonsar at 8:03 PM on June 20, 2007

Why did she do it?

Rambo 4.
posted by iamck at 9:08 PM on June 20, 2007

I hold no brief for the First Lady, but other than gratuitous sniping and filling in copy space, what is the point of this? Would the writer have preferred Mrs Bush not to have written the piece?

perhaps they could also explain why gasoline is still about $3 a gallon.

Supply and demand?
posted by IndigoJones at 5:44 AM on June 21, 2007

the word phaedon is looking for is probably "mondegreen".

also, does anybody, anybody at all, think laura bush really wrote something just because it appears under her byline? over six years of waiting for an intelligent thought from her and i've completely despaired.
posted by bruce at 9:54 AM on June 21, 2007