Bush Daughters: Center Stage

Graduating College; How Will They Fare In Adult World?

(CBS)  First Lady Laura Bush confirmed late this week that daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush will be joining their father's re-election campaign this summer, but first, says CBS News Correspondent Russ Mitchell, they have another matter to attend to. Like millions of others, the Bush daughters are joining the ranks of college graduates.

These days, Jenna and Barbara Bush are on their best behavior to make Mom and Dad proud.

Saturday night, Jenna Bush was to receive a degree in English from the University of Texas in Austin. Her sister Barbara receives a degree in humanities from Yale University, her father's alma mater, on Monday.

Throughout their college years, they have been a source of fascination for many Americans. There is even a Web site, TheFirstTwins.com, that follows their every move.

"They have a grip on the popular imagination partly because they are unknown, partly because they are twins," says Ann Gerhart, author of "The Perfect Wife." Gerhart continues, "There is something about twins that captivates us, just like Mary Kate and Ashley (Olsen)."

"As Cyndi Lauper once said, 'Girls just wanna have fun.' Same with the Bush girls. They like to go to nightclubs, drink beer, smoke cigarettes, dance," says Lloyd Grove of the New York Daily News.

Not unlike many others their age. But mostly, Mitchell points out, the Bush girls try to stay out of sight - literally - as in September 2002, when Jenna Bush used her mother's garment bag to shield her from the cameras as she departed from Washington. Still, there are glimpses into their personalities.

"Barbara has been described as somewhat like her mother; a little quieter, more bookish perhaps," says Gerhart. "Like her mother, in private, she has a sense of humor. She can be quite playful and cook up some escapades of her own."

Former First Lady Barbara Bush has said Jenna is more like her father in his younger days.

"Her outward image is more of a good time girl and much more willing to test boundaries," comments Grove. "Jenna is kind of a larger than life figure almost."

But, says Mitchell, the twins appear to be growing up. Last month, they visited wounded troops with their parents at Fort Hood, Texas. Jenna has expressed an interest in following her mother's career in education. A trip to Africa with her parents last year made a deep impression on Barbara, who is considering working with AIDS victims. In some ways, the two are following in the footsteps of their predecessor.

"Chelsea Clinton is a hard act to follow," says Gerhart.

After graduating from Stanford University, Chelsea went on to study at Oxford and recently landed a $120,000 dollar-a-year job in health care consulting in New York.

Observers see good prospects for the Bush daughters as well.

"As they grow older and get more maturity, I think their priorities in life will naturally change," says Grove.

Vogue Magazine reports the Bush daughters will sit for a photo and their first interview for its August issue.