INTERVIEW

Passing the Torch?

A chat with Laura Bush and Cindy McCain.

By Jon Meacham | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Sep 3, 2008 | Updated: 6:52  p.m. ET Sep 3, 2008

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  • Posted By: Chloe123 @ 09/11/2008 2:23:09 PM

    Comment: Biden and Obama say they are for energy independence, that unemployment is at a historic high and the economy is in the dumper. Well Joe Biden has been sitting in Washington for over 30 years, was in office during the gas crisis in the 70''s when lines stretched down strrets for hundreds of yards and odd/even days to fill your tank exisited. He was there when mortgage rates were 18% and unemployment was 10% (thanks Jimmy Carter) and what did he do to promote change then? They are both windbags that will lead the fringe left into a frenzy and the USA to the stone age of Robin Hood economics "take from the rich, give to the poor". I as most Americans have no problem helping out the less fortunate recover from things out of their control (disaster, disease) but I''m sick and tired of the Democrats platform that Americans should feel guilty about creating hard earned wealth. Why doesn''t Obama ask Al Gore, John Kerry, John Edwards and Reverend Jerimiah Wright to join him and sell all their real estate, cash in their investments and take a vow of poverty and start a fund to redistribute their personal fortunes?? Charity should begin at home.

    MCCAIN/PALIN 2008-2016 --- CINDY MCCAIN RULES.

  • Posted By: Honestly22 @ 09/10/2008 12:59:02 PM

    Comment: I have three questions:

    Are you pro life?
    Do you believe in God?
    Do you support the welfare system?

    Bill O'Reilly, the media mouthpiece for the Republican party stated on Dec 19, 2007 in discussing the pregnancy of teen ,Jamie Lynn Spears (sister of Britney Spears) said that "the blame falls primarily on the parents, who obviously has little control over her."

    Bill O' Reillys recent stance on teen pregnancy has changed in defense of Palin. His current statement on teen pregnancy is, "as long as society does not have to support the mother, baby or father, it is a personal family matter."

    Now, I am not saying O'Reilly speaks for all Republicans, only that he is a republican mouthpiece.

    It is not even the hypocrisy of these 2 statements that bother me most, it is the statement that "as long as society does not have to support the mother, baby or father", that I find most troubling.
    Translating this into laymans terms means this is a family matter for the rich and not the poor.

    There is something fundamentally wrong with being pro life and against welfare at the same time. Welfare is the only federally funded program available that would support a pro life stance for poor teen mothers that have no or minimal family support. The subsidies reaped from welfare are marginal at best.

    There is something fundamentally wrong with supporting a pro life stance with Gods will. The God I am familiar with, would not condemn poor teen mothers.

    The dilema here is, you don't want these poor teen mothers to have access to abortions, yet if you oppose welfare, there are no provisions available for them to make a pro life decision.

    When the use of God becomes a marketing tool to further a political agenda, it turns into doublespeak and devalues God.

    The intent of this post is to enlighten, it makes no difference to me what your stand is here, only that you "KEEP GOD REAL".

  • Posted By: LindseyW @ 09/08/2008 1:31:09 PM

    Comment: I think Laura seems a nice enough woman I feel sorry for her sometimes that she is married to George Bush. I don't like Cindy because she started an affair with mccain when he was still married to his first wife when he wanted to leave the first wife because she gained some weight from a car accident. It shows me cindy and john are both shallow who is john mc to judge by appearances he is short with messed up arms and a disfigured face from cancer but is still shallow. I also don't like how cindy mccain wears the pretend cast thingy on her arm so she doesn't have to shake hands with the regular people they meet on the campaign trail. I didn't like when she was posing with Sarah's little downs syndrome baby at the convention it was like they kept passing the baby around as a prop so everyone could get their camera time with it.

  • Posted By: HarleyisHere @ 09/08/2008 11:56:07 AM

    Comment: What McCAin is trying to ABORT a FEDERAL INVESTIGATION on SARAH PALIN as she is guilty of ETHICS VIOLATIONS, I mean if she were INOCENT, let the investigation go on, nothing to hide right. But if SHE IS GUILTY, stop the investigation before it's too late.

    Palin should stick to censoring libraries and trying to fire librarians, because Palin is afraid of Harry Potter.

  • Posted By: TruthForward @ 09/07/2008 7:40:20 PM

    Comment: This is what POWs say about McCain. In their own words.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjsEs46C70

  • Posted By: HarleyisHere @ 09/06/2008 3:10:53 AM

    Comment: McPalin 08! Country First, Condoms Second!

  • Posted By: HarleyisHere @ 09/05/2008 8:38:50 PM

    Comment: Two things:

    1. More and more is being exposed about ALL the lies she told in her speach, like the Jet on Ebay being soldf, LIE! I counted 40 lies and that was not even one of them.
    2. Obama has dropped 1 point on average, but gained a 71

    • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 10:06:21 PM

      Comment: Hi Harley... They lie because, they have nothing to say about the economy or anything else plaguing the American people..they have no plans.
      Obama is way up in Electoral votes..he's at 301 to McCain's 227.


      Harley, btw, I read your very nice heartfelt comments regarding 9/11 and your dear parents..I left you my thoughts on the Hail Sarah article.

      • Posted By: HarleyisHere @ 09/05/2008 11:04:02 PM

        Comment: I saw and thank you very much, other than my reference to "G" it was meant to be an eye opener that's all, but repigs take what they want and ignore the rest or the bigger picture.

  • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 7:38:47 PM

    Comment: sharenews, assuming you are now a full fledged McCain supporter..please, your thoughts on my comment on Cindy McCain's 300 thousand dollar Oscar de la Renta outfit, shoes and watch... do you think it appropriate for the wife of a presidential candidate to wear this much money on her body while many Americans have lost their jobs, their homes and others have lost their lives in Iraq. Michelle Obama wears 200 and 400 dollar dresses.. Hillary is also very discreet with her clothing.. certainly not flagrant.. I'm sure both these ladies do have very expensive clothing too but I doubt they own anything that equals the cost of a house.

    • Posted By: sharenews @ 09/10/2008 11:36:41 AM

      Comment:
      You are asking the wrong person here about knowing the difference between designer expensive dresses vs. less expensive designer (or non designer) dresses. I saw the attire that both Michelle and Cindy wore during the days of both conventions and thought that both of them looked stunning. I would not even know that Cindy was wearing a 300K wardrobe with accessories. Given that, I really doubt that the majority of the people watching these convensions would even know what was designer or what isnt cuz I sure as H*ll didnt. LOL. I just observed them and was very proud of how both potential First Ladies looked. So my answer is I dont think it is an issue with Cindy wearing an 300K outfit was inappropriate cuz I dont think the majority who lost their houses even knew that piece of menusia about their outfits cuz they both looked equally beautiful.

  • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 4:22:09 PM

    Comment: Someone please tell me if it's all right for Cindy McCain to wear 300 thousand dollars worth of designer outfit and jewelry at the RNC the other night, while her husband is running for president of a country whose people have lost their jobs and their homes and whose men and women are dying in Iraq. It makes me think of the french queen was it Marie Antoinette? who said of the hungry peasants who wanted bread and she refused and replied "Let them eat cake." This queen lost her head later on..

  • Posted By: HarleyisHere @ 09/05/2008 3:37:16 AM

    Comment: Obama 298 McCain 227 Ties 13

    • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 4:10:02 PM

      Comment: Hey, my friend! Obama's doing great! He wins in Nov. It looks like Sarah Palin has not made the impact the Reps expected her to.

      • Posted By: sharenews @ 09/05/2008 6:29:28 PM

        Comment:
        Pia, Palin was introduced at the convention a few days ago. . .and the RNC just ended last nite to a totally united front. The polls today already have knocked Obama down 2 or 3 points and we have the whole week moving forward to really get a handle on how the 'pubs faired. Just wondering what you are basing this on?.

        • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 7:31:04 PM

          Comment: sharenews, wake up and smell the coffee..once again... McCain loses. This 3 point ,so what? McCain loses for the sole fact that he is Republican. Nothing can change that fact. Check the Electoral College too..lots of carnage going on there and it's only Sep.

          • Posted By: sharenews @ 09/10/2008 11:26:29 AM

            Comment:
            You have so much hope and faith that Obama will win. And that is fine. For me, I wont vote for Obama/Biden ticket and I will look at it this way. If Obama wins I will say, okay Obama wins. Pia said he is a fantastic person to be President and I will pray that she is right. But Obama doesnt win, you Obama supporters better have a padded room available to lock yourself into for a few days. LOL.

  • Posted By: HarleyisHere @ 09/04/2008 9:30:31 PM

    Comment: I just watched the repig party invoke the image of 9/11 yet AGAIN in an election cycle. Showing images of the towers, the flames, the flowers people left on the ground, the fire fighters and police (who were killed because of Giuliani's fatal mistakes). They speak of the heroes and of the TERROR and FEAR we should NEVER FORGET, even though they forgot only months after it happened when they left Afghanistan and Bin Laden, and went to Iraq...McCain being one of the first to call for it, what judgment.

    There were 2740 Americans killed on Sept 11th 2001, it was a day I will never forget, none of us will. My heart was broken in a deeper way than I have ever known and for the first time since I lost my parents, I was glad they were not here to see this, or what has happened to this country since. My father was a WWII vet, 2 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars, and 1 Silver Star, not to mention a wealth of other medals, he was TRULY an American hero. He did not seek office, he did not ask for adoration, he came home (after being shot by a sniper just six months before the end of the war) and raised his children as did many other Americans who fought in that war. I am glad that he is not here to see what has become of our country, the country he took a bullet for, his friends died for, in a war NOT fought for OIL, but for the lives of millions of others...and oh yeah he won his war.

    My question is if you are going to speak of heroes and who have died for their country, why the BAN from the White House on showing the coffins of fallen American children who have given their lives for the OIL and EGO(s) of Bush and McCain? They have both tried to use this war to further themselves, just a second ago Senator Lindsay Gramm declared "VICTORY" in Iraq,...great so all of our kids should be home in no more than a few months, right?
    Why use the image of 9/11, an image they repigs forgot only weeks after it happened (unless there was an election), and use it any time they feel they NEED it to invoke fear, heart ache, or remind us of TERROR, as if we had forgotten, why use that image and BAN the other image, the image of 5180 Americans who have died following the orders of BUSH and the dreams of MCCAIN, for OIL and EGO. Why not show the flags draped over the boxes their shipped in, show the funerals and the flags being handed to the heart broken families, families who ask "why?" and have NEVER gotten a straight answer.

    Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see the bodies either, but don't politicize one (9/11) and try to hide the other (5180 of our sons and daughters coming home in flag draped boxes).

    If you care: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/

    • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 4:11:47 PM

      Comment: Harley, these are excellent comments. Thank you for sharing about your dear parents. I replied to these comments in full in the Hail Sarah article.

  • Posted By: HarleyisHere @ 09/04/2008 8:14:04 PM

    Comment: Palin switched 6 schools (college) in six years, has not disclosed her grades yet, this should be fun ;)

    • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 4:12:41 PM

      Comment: Wow. 6. I could see 2 but 6? Why so many?

      • Posted By: HarleyisHere @ 09/05/2008 11:04:44 PM

        Comment: Don't know but I'd love to ask her and to see her grades.

  • Posted By: memphismom @ 09/04/2008 5:40:04 PM

    Comment: Cindy McCain is a homewrecker and should please, please stay away from the press as much as possible for the good of her party. Why is there no media coverage of how McCain abandoned his first wife when she became disabled and he then married Cindy one month after the divorce was final? To me, that tells me more about his character than any speech or rhetoric created by the Republican spin machine. And don't tell me this is off limits because it is totally in play. The Republicans get on their high horses and talk about middle American family values, and the media allows them to get away with ignoring the abandoned first wife. The President is a person we should all respect, even if we are not in his party. Is McCain's family values what we aspire to? Kicking your disabled wife to the curb for greener (and richer) pastures? We see the Palin family splashed all over the stage, but the only members of McCain's family available to watch the convention is Cindy? I cannot believe that this is the absolute best the Republican party can do.

  • Posted By: albanymommy @ 09/04/2008 3:28:12 PM

    Comment: Let's be honest, Cindy McCain is no Laura Bush. Whatever you think of her husband's politics, Laura was always classy, kind, and dignified. Let's look at Cindy. For starters, she was a homewrecker, who dated John McCain for a whole year while he was married to his first wife (who loyally waited for him when he was a POW, and nearly died in a fatal car accident while he was gone.) Let's not forget that John McCain abandoned this first wife and 3 young kids to be with his new, rich girlfriend Cindy. Let's also not forget that Cindy was also a drug addict for 3 years, having doctors write illegal prescriptions for her while she neglected her kids. Can you imagine Laura doing this? Watching Cindy gloat and smirk last night at the snarky, junior high-ish Obama put-downs at the convention, I thought about how much I'll miss Laura. I'm not a huge Michelle Obama fan, but at least, from what I can tell, she has always shown character when it comes to respecting family values.

    • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 4:28:16 PM

      Comment: She also wears 300K outifts while the American people are losing their jobs and their homes. One would hope she'd would be less flagrant about her money during these times.

  • Posted By: albanymommy @ 09/04/2008 3:22:08 PM

    Comment: Let' be honest here: Cindy McCain is no Laura Bush. Whatever you might think of her husband's politics, Laura Bush is a kind, dignified, classy lady. Cindy McCain, to begin with, is a homewrecker, who dated John McCain for an entire year while he was still married (and living with) his wife with three young children. The first wife had loyally waited for him while he was a POW (and she nearly died in a serious car accident). In addition, Cindy McCain was a junkie for 3 years, having doctors write her illegal prescriptions while she neglected her kids. Can you imagine Laura ever doing that? Watching Cindy at the convention, smirking and gloating at all the Obama put-downs, while decked out in her half-a-million dollar outfit, I thought about how much I'll miss Laura when she's gone. I'm not an enormous Michelle Obama fan, but at least she has character and decent family values, which can hardly be said of Cindy McCain.

  • Posted By: Nueva Politica @ 09/04/2008 10:43:03 AM

    Comment: I think you had a wonderful interview with this two women and it is a way for regular citizen to share some ideas with the first lady and the potential first lady. I feel women in the United States are enormously important and for the last 98 years they were participating as equals and sometimes more than men. I am a spanish and minority in this country and I feel that Mr. McCain is a sincere and honest person and that the country will be better off with him. I am also a democrat that voted for Hillary Clinton and I feel that Mr. Obama is a fair guy, but he will be a better candidate in 4 or 8 years. I feel that Americans should give a chance to a woman to be a good Vice President and support her as well.

    • Posted By: sunshinedaisy @ 09/04/2008 11:22:52 AM

      Comment: Very well said Nueva Politica. You voice your choice without bashing the other candidate. I feel the same way as you do. I will vote for McCain and like you, I feel Sen Obama is a descent person but not ready to be the President of the United States. Maybe in the near futre and I wouldn't hesistate to vote for him. That is only my opinion.

  • Posted By: bcrawf2033 @ 09/04/2008 9:16:45 AM

    Comment: As a woman, and a military veteran who served my country for 20 years and watched my fellow soldiers shed their blood and die to protect and defend this Nation, I'm thoroughly disgusted with the divisive rhetoric displayed by Governor Palin and Senator McCain last night at their convention. There was more Obama bashing, more negative talk about democrats, and no plan other than more war. From the demographics I saw on television last night, they spoke only to their conservative base and left out the rest of the country. The proved that they care nothing for minorities of any kind, nothing for people who are different from them, they are oblivious to the cultures of other countries and hell bent on offending anyone who does share their dried up, tried view of the world. Governor Palin did not speak to any issue that concerns nonwhite women and she can not relate to their problems in any way, nor does care anything about their children. There are other mothers out herewho can't afford to take their kids to a hockey game, much less afford to have their kids play in them. She has no qualifications to be President if something should happen to McCain. The prospect of her POTUS is horrifying.

    • Posted By: summer4077 @ 09/04/2008 9:31:49 AM

      Comment: All I heard from Palin was a series of jabs at Obama and his wife. It's not ok for his party to bash her family for their very real issues that should be taken care of but it's ok for her to personally insult his for a quote taken completely out of context? Typical Republican double standards.

      • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 4:26:25 PM

        Comment: Ditto, summer! Not a word about the economy. The Reps don't even have a plan.

  • Posted By: trini @ 09/04/2008 8:20:11 AM

    Comment: Mocking 'community organizer'

  • Posted By: EL346L6 @ 09/04/2008 12:49:37 AM

    Comment: Dear CanadaOne, Please remain where you are. Canada is lucky to have the USA protect them for so many
    years. If you go too far south your brain might thaw, I would not want you to be able to think. You are so cute and stupid just the way you are.

  • Posted By: CanadaOne @ 09/04/2008 12:40:37 AM

    Comment: Hey Laura Bush:
    If your kids are off limits, why do you'all Republicans and the Christian right preachers go on and on about Family Values ad nauseum. (they even had their own insider private conversations with your doughhead husband.)? Basically we people in Canada pity how you've had to support such an idiot for eight years; I truly feel sorry for you.

    • Posted By: summer4077 @ 09/04/2008 9:12:35 AM

      Comment: I think the whole world pities us...Canada, England, most of Europe. It's frustrating to know that this is being watched on a global scale and we are failing. We have a chance to show the world that we are progressive and committed to the values our nation was founded on--true freedom and care for our people, not war mongering. Sadly, I think we will fail yet again, although it will be close.

    • Posted By: EL346L6 @ 09/04/2008 12:45:44 AM

      Comment: CanadaOne, My God you belong where you are! Please do the USA a favor and stay there!

  • Posted By: HarleyisHere @ 09/03/2008 11:29:36 PM

    Comment: Palin only told 40 LIES in her speach, and made 16 references to FEAR and TERROR, way to go girl ;)

  • Posted By: wildlifeusa @ 09/03/2008 10:23:21 PM

    Comment: THIS IS WHAT IS COMING TO US!!!! AND IT WILL AFFECT ALL OF US!!! THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE



    Huge ice sheet breaks loose in Canadian arctic
    'Shocking event' another sign of warming in polar frontier, say scientists


  • Posted By: debbiePAMOM @ 09/03/2008 9:31:26 PM

    Comment: She is beautiful but needs treatment for anorexia.

  • Posted By: debbiePAMOM @ 09/03/2008 9:29:34 PM

    Comment: Can someone please help Condy McCain? . A size zero at age 54 looks like anorexia. It can be fatal. Someone needs to intervene. Its not just John mortality at issue. She needs help.

  • Posted By: cobalt6 @ 09/03/2008 8:22:10 PM

    Comment: Cindy McCain will be a beautiful First Lady of The United States!

    • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 09/05/2008 4:15:31 PM

      Comment: Of course..she can't fail with her expensive wardrobe. Too bad she won't get to wear it in the WH cause her hubby loses. Did you know last night's outfit cost her 300K? People are losing their homes and jobs and she wears an outfit that equals the price of a home to some people.

 
 
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