Bush's Book

Laura Bush is shopping a book proposal and I must admit that I’m intrigued. As a former White House intern who worked in Hillary Clinton’s office (albeit for a brief stint before moving to the Office of Political Affairs), the role and impact of the First Lady has long been a source of intrigue for me.

And in my most frustrated W. moments, I’ll admit that I've said on more than one occasion, “How the hell can this woman - who seems so sweet and reasonable - be married to that guy?!” But as the election grew closer and I fatigued of the negative campaigning, I also truly felt in my bones that a “we’re right, they’re wrong” political perspective was neither productive, nor reflective of the whole, complex picture. In those moments, I reminded myself that even if I felt strongly opposed to the political viewpoints of Bush, McCain, Palin, and others, jumping on the hate and anger bandwagon was good for no one. It helped to reflect on the personal element; that these people are human beings with families and friends who love them. That we don't tend to see the positive along with the negative.

Hopefully Laura Bush’s memoir will cast some light on the personal (and assumed, beloved) side of W. As it stands, while I still feel disheartened over the mess he's leaving behind (although to his credit, it’s not his mess alone…), the reality is that hearing day in, day out that a majority of the country hates you is bound to have a profound psychological impact on him. I may not understand him, but I'll still send thoughts of peace and forgiveness in his direction.

Photo credit: Associated Press