Are you kidding me???

she has been in the White House now for 3 weeks. she has not done a thing except throw a party every Wednesday since living in OUR house.

you have to be joking

Laura Bush was keenly aware of the opportunity she had to share her love of reading, especially with young children. She used her role as First Lady to encourage people to share the magic of reading with children, to encourage Americans to pursue a teaching career and to showcase early childhood development initiatives that have been proven successful.

Soon after coming to Washington, Mrs. Bush launched her early childhood development initiative – Ready to Read, Ready to Learn. This effort helped parents and caregivers prepare infants and young children for success in reading and learning when they enter school and helps ensure that once there they have well-trained, highly qualified teachers. As part of this initiative, Mrs. Bush hosted two White House summits which brought together the leading researchers and practitioners in the areas of early childhood cognitive development and teacher recruitment and preparation.

Also as part of her Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Initiative, Mrs. Bush launched a series of magazines for parents of newborns. Modeled after her project in Texas, the magazines provide timely information to parents on child health, safety, nutrition and cognitive development. Called “Healthy Start, Grow Smart”, the magazine has thirteen editions – newborn through 12 months of age – and is being published in English and Spanish. Through grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the magazines will be mailed directly each month to mothers with newborns who receive Medicaid services.

Inspired by her successful Texas Book Festival, Mrs. Bush and the Library of Congress launched in September 2001 the first National Book Festival, which featured award-winning authors from across the nation and was attended by tens of thousands of people. She is also hosted a White House literary series called “White House Salute to America’s Authors”, which thus far has celebrated the life and works of Mark Twain and the writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Through these efforts Mrs. Bush shared her love of reading and good literature with America’s families and children.

Mrs. Bush also promoted the arts, and enjoyed showcasing the works of Texas artists at the Governor’s Mansion and State Capitol in Austin, Texas. She served as the Honorary Chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, which focuses on creative ways to bring the arts to America’s youth.

I think she more than desrves a place of respect on this list. Why would you blatantly exclude her?