Laura Bush Backs Obama on School Speech

Former First Lady Decries Nation's Polarization, Says It's Important to Respect the President

(AP)  Former first lady Laura Bush on Monday expressed support for President Barack Obama's decision to speak to the nation's school children, saying it is "really important for everyone to respect the president of the United States."

In an interview with CNN, Mrs. Bush, a former school teacher, said, "There's a place for the president of the United States to talk to school children and encourage school children" to stay in school. And she said parents and others also need to send that message.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Back to School

Mr. Obama's planned remarks Tuesday to be broadcast by C-SPAN to many schools across the country has drawn protests from conservatives and some parents who said the president is trying to indoctrinate the nation's children. Some parents have said they plan to keep their children home from school because of the Obama speech.

"That's their right," Mrs. Bush said. "That certainly is the right of parents to choose what they want their children to hear in school."

"I also think it's also really important for everyone to respect the president of the United States," she said.

Mr. Obama in his speech will urge students to stay in school.

"What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country," Mr. Obama will tell the students, according to a transcript released Monday by the White House. "What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future."

More coverage of Mr. Obama's message to students from CBSNews.com

Prepared Text of Obama's Speech
Duncan: Obama Aims to Motivate Students
Presidents, Students & Controversy: Hardly New
Pawlenty Latest Republican to hit Obama School Speech
W.H.: School Speech Criticism Reflects "Silly Season"
Schieffer on Obama's School Speech
"Washington Unplugged:" Debate Over Obama Address
Conservatives Revolt Over Obama Speech to Students

Mrs. Bush also decried the extreme political partisanship in the nation.

"We're polarized. ... A lot of people on the right, a lot of people on the left. We've seen that for the last eight years. ... We're still seeing it," she said.

Mrs. Bush praised Mr. Obama's performance under difficult circumstances. "He's tackled a lot to start with and that's made it difficult," she said.

She said her husband has refused to criticized Mr. Obama because he believes the new president "deserves the respect and no second guessing on the part of a former president."

Still, she said Vice President Dick Cheney, who has been sharply critical of Mr. Obama, "has every right to speak out. ... It's certainly Vice President Cheney's right to say whatever he wants to say."

Mrs. Bush was interviewed in Paris, where she was helping promote global literacy as part of a United Nations meeting.

[CommentMaker]

It's bad enough that a public outcry has caused Obama to change what he was going to say and now this. Mrs. Bush does not need to jump in here and ruin everything she has worked on by making any comment good or bad. This is political and nothing good can come from any political statement on education. It is bad enough that our education has to be totally run by the government and politicians. This is where we need reform, not just the medical providers.

[babooph]

Clearly,even Laura sees the light-Georgie was out of his ability range in the US presidency-Obama makes that so clear,to all but the most brainwashed.

[woeisme1]

Laura Bush always had my respect. In fact, as I have posted many times, George Bush had some characteristics that I liked. Bush was kinda goofy. I had to like him. That cowboy in him served this nation well right after 9/11.

Then Cheney et al, walked all over Bush and the rest is history. Now there is only disdain for them.

But Laura Bush always had class. I have always said that I think the Bushes will fare far better in history than will Cheney, Rove and Rumsfeld.

[rdupuy11]

George Bush was wrong for addressing school children, as is Obama wrong as well.

Education should not be couched in terms of patriotism. What next, its patriotic to clean your room? And a presidential address the next requirement, as well?

I allowed my children to watch the speech, as courtesy to the President, however we will discuss why the speech was unnecessary, and I will explain to them why education is important, and because Obama made it a topic, I will stress it has nothing to do with some misplaced notion of patriotism.

It's very easy to fall not only into a cult of personality, but a cult of nationalism...are founding fathers were patriotic, but not in the sense that they thought education had to be nationalized....the opposite, they felt it was better left as a local matter, and I agree.

[nordeck52]

I'm glad she made these comments. Finally there is a voice of reason coming out! Unfortunately things like this tend to be snuffed out quietly because sensational statements and partisan things sell more.

[valentin73]

WHO THE HECK IS LAURA BUSH?

[rickwar]

F the far right conservatives. They are fear and panicked about everything. Their constant ranting is just noise because they have lost power,even with the party of the right.

Good job Laura.

[amazedd]

High Flying Adored!

[boatdocster]

One reasonable and intelligent Republican. One has to wonder how much better off our country would be if Laura Bush had been President over the last 8 years vice the dimwit that was appointed.

Of course, this story will probably never see the light of day on FOX NOISE - they can not show anything that might portray the GOP as moderate, give the new President a chance, let's actually sit down and talk bipartisan instead of screaming bipartisan but always saying NO NO NO.

[ffoulkes-2009]

Quoted from Fox:

But the president's speech got a boost from some Republicans.

GOP Senate candidate Pat Toomey, who is seeking to unseat Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., called Obama's talk "an inspiring and moving speech for students across America."

"Education is the cornerstone of our country's future," Toomey said in a written statement, "and it is important that we relay that message to our young students. The President's emphasis on responsibility and the personal stories about his own education are exactly the kind of inspiring messages our children need to hear from our country's leaders."

Former first lady Laura Bush, wife of Obama's Republican predecessor, said on Monday she supported Obama's decision to address America's school children.

"There's a place for the president of the United States to talk to school children and encourage school children" to stay in school, Mrs. Bush, a former school teacher, said in a CNN interview.

However, she said believes that parents who were plan to keep their children home because of the president's address had the right to do so.

Florida Republican party chairman Jim Greer, who said last week he was "absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology," said Monday he now favored the speech after changes he said the White House, under political pressure, had made to supporting materials for teachers and to the speech itself.

Guess you never know just what Fox might print up, do you?

[justsane-2009]

if only laura had been the bush in charge all those years :-)