S. Palin & L. Bush - One Liar & One Lady

Sarah Palin and Laura Bush have both been in the news lately, and they could not be more different. One is an angry liar who cares nothing about the truth or manners. The other is the consummate lady who refuses to lie just to please those in her political party. Though both are Republicans (and I usually have little to no respect for Republicans), I must admit I am coming to greatly respect one of them, while I despise the other.

Laura Bush (pictured) is the kind of woman for whom the term "lady" was invented. She has impeccable manners and would not be rude to anyone (not even those who would not extend her the same courtesy). She loves and supports her family, and she respects and helps her friends. And if a public disagreement or truth-telling would hurt those she loves, she just remains silent until a more appropriate time. This is not a bad thing, since both men and women have an obligation to support their spouse.

Mrs. Bush knows how to make up her own mind and hold her own views, even though she would never demonize or engage in name-calling for those who disagree with her. She knows that decent people can disagree without becoming enemies. This would be a better country if we all were a bit more like this nice lady.

But her husband's political career is now over, and there is no reason for her to remain silent anymore. She has written a book, and it contains a couple of surprises. On CNN, she said she disagrees with her husband on a couple of issues, and this is not a recent thing. She tried to convince him in 2004 not to make "gay marriage" a campaign issue.

While her husband tried to use that issue as a political tool, Mrs. Bush sees nothing wrong with gays and lesbians getting married (and she doesn't seem to be worried about what other Republicans think about that). She said, "I think there are a lot of people who have trouble coming to terms with that because they see marriage as traditionally between a man and a woman. But I also know that, you know, when couples are committed to each other and love each other, that they ought to have I think the same sort of rights that everyone has."

When she asked her husband not to demagogue that issue in the 2004 election, she told him, "We have. . .a number of close friends who are gay or whose children are gay." She said there is a generational difference of opinion on this issue and believes public opinion will change over time.

She said she also disagrees with her husband on the issue of abortion -- specifically Roe v. Wade. She said, "I think it's important that it remain legal, because I think it's important for people, for medical reasons and other reasons." Wow! That's not going to make the right-wingers very happy.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin continues her own special brand of attack politics. I don't think she even cares whether what she is saying is true or not -- only whether it will make her teabagger base happy and further her own ends. Take for example her latest accusation leveled against President Obama.

She told the National Rifle Association that President Obama would ban guns and ammunition if he could get away with it. She went on to say that a "political backlash" is the only thing that keeps him from "gutting" the Second Amendment. Of course, she has no facts to back this up. She seems to have pulled this opinion out of thin air.

President Obama has not said anything about wanting to ban guns. In fact, he has not even gone on record about reinstating the assault weapon ban. They only action regarding guns that his administration has taken is to allow guns into National Parks (something that both Reagan and Bush, the right-wing heroes, failed to do).

She has also recently blamed President Obama for bailing out Wall Street. She has conveniently forgotten that it was her hero, George Bush, who proposed and signed the $700 billion bail-out. It had already been done when Obama took the oath of office.

But then facts have never been very important to Palin, and unlike Mrs. Bush, she doesn't mind demonizing her political opponents. Both of these women are Republicans, but that is about the only similarity between the two. As I said, one is a lady and the other is a liar.