To Shock and Awe:

I watched Mrs. Bush today wondering why this first lady didn't come out during Katrina and say some of the same things for empathy towards New Orleanian citizens. Why would the President's wife not have the same empathy for her fellow Americans as she would for those in other countries?

Regarding Laura Bush and Katrina, this from Salon.com, not a website friendly to the Bushes:
By Alex Koppelman
Friday, Sept. 2, 2005 15:04 EDT
The first lady: That's just the way it is
Laura Bush just wrapped up a press conference at a sparkling clean and orderly refugee center in Lafayette, La. In a remarkable bit of understatement, she observed: "This doesn't really look like what we're seeing on television."

The first lady acknowledged that relief efforts have "not been adequate" and are "not the kind of response the federal government wants." Still, she said that the people she'd met in her visit -- a mother who had lost a child, a child who had lost a mother -- were "glad" to have found refuge inside Lafayette's Cajundome.

What about the people still stuck in New Orleans? Bush was asked about the fact that most of them are poor and black. That's just the way it is, she said. "This is what happens when there's a natural disaster of this scope," Bush said. "The poorer people are usually in the neighborhoods that are the lowest or the most exposed or the most vulnerable. Their housing is the most vulnerable to natural disaster. And that is just always what happens."
So it seems Mrs. Bush really did address the Katrina disaster with empathy for the people most affected.

Gingersnapp - I agree with you completely about Laura Bush and Katrina. I am not a Laura Bush fan. She gets a free ride from the 'liberal' media. Not a whole lot of people know that she killed a man in a car wreck by running a stop sign. People around here get charged for manslaughter for things like that. The one thing I do like about her is that I think she is pro-choice.

Laura probably ran that stop sign because she was smoking one of her cigarettes and smoke got in her eyes and she ran that stop sign killing that poor man. I think the media helps hide the fact that she is a long-time smoker, which is pretty gross. Just think if Michelle Obama ran a stop-sign and killed a man. Would we ever hear the end of it?

To Shock and Awe: I agree wholeheartedly! She is a very eloquent, poised woman who is a great representative of the US. I am proud that she is our first lady.

filly...... horses in the "wild" generally don't survive more than 7 years, suffer from all manner of indescribable injuries and disease, and have an horrific life struggling for sustenance. surely you are not suggesting that, without the effort in breeding and care, belle would have ever even existed?

Janiepoo you are soooooooooo right on about what if it were Mrs. Obama. The so called liberal media never tells you about John McCain's affairs or that his wife stole drugs.

As a matter of fact McCain was having an affair with Miss Cindy before his divorce from his first wife. His former model 1st wife was horribly injured in an auto accident while he was a POW. When he returned home she was crippled and much heavier. Seems like he wanted greener pastures after that.

I just love those good 'ol Repub Family values!

I read on the innernets that Michelle Obama drinks kitten blood to stay young. She learned the trick from Hillary who has been drinking lambs blood for more than a millennia. It must be true because everything on the interwebs is fair and balanced.

Wait... you people were serious? No way! I thought we were typing the craziest stories we could think up. Never mind.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/laura.asp ~~ about Mrs. Bush's car crash which killed a young man.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/10/18/drugs/ ~~ About Cindy McCain stealing drugs.

http://phoenix.about.com/od/politiciansfromarizona/a/johnmccain_2.htm~~
McCain's affair with Cindy while married.

Oh, SNAPP! I have been chagrined by Ginger. Finally someone backed up their blather with proof. Kudos! : )

I never knew that Laura Bush had a wreck when she was 17 and caused the death of another person. How horrible that must have been for her and the family of the dead person. I don't now why that is relevant in today. It's not like the wreck was in Chappaquiddick or anything.

I also did not know Cindy McCain was a self-described drug addict. Drug addiction is a nasty disease. I'm glad she came clean and got the help she needed.

Thank goodness all liberal, Democrats have had only one marriage and have no vices whatsoever. Now we know who we should vote for come November. Thank you for opening my eyes, ginger.

familyguy:

I agree that there is no relevance in the Laura Bush non-story.

On a side note – I’ve learned in life that some people have such pathetic little lives that they have to find something wrong with everyone they may have a difference of philosophy with. It may be because their target has actually been successful in life.

Thank goodness there’s no one like that posting here.

I am no fan of John McCain, and certainly no fan of Obama or Hillary. All three are entirely too liberal to suit me. But I'm thankful for having learned a long time ago that if I ever point an accusatory finger at someone, there will be plenty of accusatory fingers pointing back at me, probably with good reason. "There but for the grace of God go I." Something to ponder.

I think some of you have missed the point completely. If any of this had been in the past life of Barack and Michelle Obama, it would be on the news 24 hours a day, seven days a week for years. It would be analyzed, punditized, dissected, examined, inspected and investigated until the end of days.

Adulterous affairs and stealing drugs seems a little worse than having a eccentric pastor.

ginger, I totally disagree. What happened to Laura Bush when she was 17 is a non-story. It does not lend credibility to her current character. She had a horrible car accident as a teenager. It happens all the time. What Senator McCain did in his personal life decades ago is also a non-story. Cindy McCain having a drug problem (and admitting it to the nation) is sad, but forgiveable. On the other hand, the Obama's were very close to Rev. Wright and accepted his pastoral ideals whole-heartedly. When the story first broke, Obama did not denounce his pastor and close friend. He said people were taking him "out of context". It wasn't until recently that he was forced to denounce him because his pastor and close friend finally showed too many people what he's been preaching to the Obama's for years. If Barack is capable of "overlooking" such horrific character flaws in those closest to him, how can he be trusted to hold the highest political office in the nation? Based on the Rev. Wright issue, people should not trust his judgement.

Well Eric I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. I could care less about a candidate’s pastor and apparently many North Carolinians and Indianans agree with me.

But morals and family values are very important and that goes to the character of the person. And in my eyes Barack and Michelle Obama beat John and Cindy McCain by a mile.

Whoops I meant that for Familyguy!

Gingersnapp - you write the best stuff ever!! Keep it up. I love your letters to the editor too. My whole family is a fan of yours. Keep up your good work. I think it is ridiculous for some on here to be so sanctimonious about not pointing the accusatory finger at others. I'll bet their fingers are pointing at liberals who get caught doing bad stuff and you are right about Michelle Obama and even Hillary Clinton. If either of them had killed their high school beau, we'd never hear the end of it. The 'liberal' media would shove it down our throats. If Hillary was a long-time smoker with tobacco-stained fingers like Laura's, there would be a fuss made of it. If Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama got caught stealing narotics, they would be long-gone from the political scene. John McCain'es infidelity is swept under the rug by the 'liberal' media. How is it that the so-called 'family values' party gets away with so much. You've got Bill and Hillary who raised a very nice and competent daugther. Then you've got Dubya and Laura raising those coarse, drunken twins. Look who really has the family values. I am tired of this hypocrisy.

Familyguy: Since you're so concerned about what someone's pastor has to say, what about John McCain's "spiritual guide" Rod Parsley--who believes America was founded to destroy Islam and that Islam is an "anti-Christ religion" brought down from a "demon spirit."

Or, John Hagee who called the Catholic Church the "Great Whore." McCain actively sought his endorsement and still says he's "proud" of it.

At the beginning of his campaign, McCain made a point of seeking the support of Jerry Falwell (America had 9/11 coming because we tolerated gays, feminists and liberals) and even spoke at his university's commencement.

As for me, I couldn't care less what religion a candidate is or even if he/she goes to church. In fact, I think Fred Thompson had it right when he said he had his beliefs and wasn't going to talk about religion. Religion, or lack thereof, should be a non-issue.

Good call family guy! Character judgment is essential to being the president and Obama has shown nothing but bad judgment in who he associates with. And when you have to hang your hat on someone having "tobacco-stained fingers", half of America would be out. Come on, must we stretch so far to mud sling? You all have said it...All of the candidates suck for one reason or another. Let us dissolve the parties and end governing by partisanship and start governing for the cause and the people and we will head in the right direction. And please Janiepoo, let's try really hard not to associate good family values with anything pertaining to the Clintons. I think you know where I am coming from!

Ginger, we will agree to disagree. I believe the Obama's may be good people, but they have horrible character judgement in my POV. Speaking of good family values, I cannot, and will not, support a candidate who suggests that he supports abortion so that if his daughters somehow "became pregnant" they would not be forced to be "punished with a baby." I don't know about you, but I don't consider ANY baby a punishment whether they are wanted or unwanted. The McCain's may not be perfect people, who is, but at least they hold the lives of the truly innocent unborn to a higher standard than the Obama's. That's a family-values A+ in my book.

RockChalk, you make some good points. I'm very disappointed in McCain for not denouncing John Hagee for his anti-Catholic statements. I also don't like it when any candidate panders to a certain group for votes. McCain is not without his blemishes. I just think the arguments thrown at him in this comments area are ludicrous. I'm amazed that janie truly believes the media is somehow sweeping the old, non-stories about the McCains and Laura Bush' past under the rug. They don't go after these stories because they know that other than a very small, ultra-libbie left contingent in this nation, no one else cares about it.

BTW, I find it crass and pedantic to impugn the children of public figures to gain "gotcha" points during debate. Chelsea Clinton is a very well-spoken and educated woman and the Bush daughters have grown into similar educated and well-spoken young ladies. Let's be adults and stick to the candidates and leave the families alone, m'kay?

Well familyguy I cannot and will not support a candidate that would appoint Supreme Court Justices that would overturn Roe v Wade. Anyone who thinks a woman doesn't have the right to choose what she wants to do with her own body is not on my radar. Apparently we are on different spectrums of the ideological map. But at least we can differ without killing each other and that is what I love about America.

Well gingersnap, you just don't get it do you? You will though someday. Just hope it's not to late.

Ginger, thank you for keeping the debate respectful. As long as it continues, I will do the same. : )

Let me be clear here, I am totally pro-choice when it comes to women's rights. A woman has the right to choose to eat whatever she wants, get whatever hairstyle she wants, choose whatever piercing she wants, etc. Where I draw the line is when she feels she has the right to CHOOSE whether or not the new human being in her womb is worthy of life. As our Constitution states: We are all endowed by our Creator with the inalienable right to LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The location and age of the human being in question should not determine whether they are persons deserving of life.

The "choice" (more than 98% of the time) is made when a woman puts herself into the position to get pregnant. If that "choice" becomes a new human life, then the mother forfeits the option to "choose" to end that life arbitrarily. I'm hopeful that eventually we will get back to honoring our Constitution and protecting the right to LIFE for the unborn.

To Familyguy: Since you are a FamilyGUY, I wonder if you would have a different opinion about abortion if you were a GAL. I think you probably would.