Lilsugar, you obviously have no clue what past first ladies have done, or else you wouldnt be dismissing their achievements so quickly just to put MO on a pedestal.

maybe you should research before saying stuff like this:

"Not content simply picking a token cause and speaking about it on occasion"

Neat to read but one request, let's have some respect and call her *Mrs.* Obama.

I agree with CaterpillarGirl. Saying that she is "a new kind of president's wife" because she is her own person is misinformed at best.

I know for darn sure that Hillary at least would disagree with you most vociferously

I have to agree that she has done nothing of any outstanding difference in her SHORT time thus far as first lady. Most of our first ladies have been wonderful women who fight for causes they believe in. Both sides of the fence being represented by smart cookies!

agree Cat. How about some fair and balanced reporting - all our first ladies deserve commendation.

Have fun kids...you're looking at the next President of the United States. It will be a long time before you get to elect a C student again. Sorry Hillary.

agreed with Cat too. many first ladies in the past have done incredible things. i dont see anything that she has done that has blown my mind as compared to others.

Can you give an example of you purported mind blowing events?

ugh

I'm not sure what annoys me most about this post, that it completely discredits EVERY other First Lady EVER in favor of one who has been First Lady for what? 3 months? Please.

OR... that it reinforces this idea that if you love and respect your husband and don't want to assert yourself into the spotlight, you must, simply MUST but either a)stupid b) weak or c) not a "real" woman.

Both make me sick.

Which first ladies did anything 'mind-blowing' or incredible?
In the administrations I can remember, first ladies DID pick causes and show up occasionally. Hillary Clinton was the most active outside the White House - but she was more political than community oriented. Mrs. Obama already has been more hands on and willing to get her hands dirty than any other first lady in recent history.

cant speak for brook but i think what she's trying to say is that MO hasn't done anything mind blowing compared to others, as its made to sound in the post, not that everyone else did mind blowing things.

Laura Bush- Did not just show up "occasionally" to rally to her causes of education, women's health issues, she traveled to many countries as an representative of the US going to Africa, the Middle East, etc. She recieved MANY awards and Honors for her hard work, including one from the Elie Wiesel foundation for her efforts on behalf of education.
In other words..... The girl wasnt sittin on her duff in the white house pickin her nose.

GK, allrighty then.

First Ladies get awards all the time - having her there guarantees the event will sell out.

I know she talked about literacy and on behalf of the women of Afghanistan, and she once said something about Burma; Bush named her to do something about gangs, but I've never read anything that came of that.
What did Laura Bush do that excited, interested or inspired the American people - the people for whom she was First Lady?

This appalling lack of protocol was not a refreshing change of pace, it was a national embarrassment. I do not relate to that at all.

Wow. I guess I'm in the minority in thinking that she's an incredible woman. She seems to relate equally well to both "average" citizens and important dignitaries. I'm sure we'll see her do more great things as she does have quite a bit of time left in the White House.

I think she seems like a great woman and I'm sure she'll do some good, like most all first ladies, I just reject this notion that she's somehow superior, esp. since she's only been on the "job" for 3 months.

What has she done that is so great?

Love her - I don't get why people hate her? There's no reason to put her on a huge pedestal, but no reason at all to vilify her, either. Give the Obamas a break. I understand McCain voters were disappointed, but y'all were in power for my whole youth and it's really pendulum-swing time now...

princess i wish I could be around to get your opinion 10 years from now, when you see the effects of all this deficit spending.

"I just reject this notion that she's somehow superior, esp. since she's only been on the "job" for 3 months."

I agree with that, and I also reject the notion that she's somehow INFERIOR, especially since she's only been on the "job" for 3 months. Give her a chance.

I think you see this kind of "hating" because the Obamas have been on the pedastal for MONTHS, geez even over a YEAR. They LIVE on the pedastal.

They are just people. People who haven't proven themselves. Yes, they are CAPABLE of great things and we're all excited to see it, but they have not yet ACCOMPLISHED many of those things.

stephley she inspired alot of people (Laura did) and you arent going to see that because you dont want to. period. I could post all day about what other first ladies have done and you are going to come back with "First Ladies get awards all the time - having her there guarantees the event will sell out" which is appaling to say the least.

Princess, this has nothing to do with Obama winning and Mccain losing. so random much?

CG, it has everything to do with Obama beating McCain. The venom and hostility toward everything the Obamas have done is incredible - people criticize Michelle's sitting, the size of a swing set, whether they would know whether their own girls would even like a swing set, the little girls have been criticized for looking smug, the grandmother living with the family has been criticized (by people who normally claim to looove traditional families)...

Lots of people liked Laura Bush, but she never made an effort to get out into the country and connect with Americans the way Michelle Obama has. You gave a generic statement about winning awards - and it is a fact that if a group can get someone like the first lady to show up for an award, they will. You've said 'lots of people' admired Laura Bush and that she received MANY awards, but I offered more details about her actual work than you did.

I didn't dislike Laura Bush, I thought she was an indifferent first lady who stuck to who and what she knew.

Steph you are wrong on so many points about Mrs. Bush. She most certainly did get out and connect with Americans- just not you.

Laine, agree the Obamas need a course ASAP in protocol. I am waiting for SNL to spoof them just like they did Sarah Palin.

btw Steph, why don't YOU do your research. Even if I gave you a list of what Mrs. Bush accomplished, you'd argue about my source. Not falling for that ole Steph trick again.

WOW, SNL...real deep.

Laura Bush didn't stray from who and what she knew - otherwise, one of you would be able to name a couple of her projects. I already have.

She used her prominence to champion literacy and education reform, preserve the nation's history, promote its arts and educate women about heart disease. One woman even says that Mrs. Bush saved her life by teaching about the different symptoms women have when having a heart attack that aren't widely known.

"In 2001, Teach for America, which trains college graduates to teach in poor urban and rural schools, placed 1,000 teachers in 13 areas. Then the first lady began talking up the program and last year it placed more than 3,000 teachers in 22 areas. In that same period, federal funding grew from $1.6 million to $10 million, and the program's overall budget more than tripled, to $38 million."

"Mrs. Bush's conviction that libraries are key to an educated populace also helped save the Library Services and Technology Act. Last year, Sheketoff says, the Republican House leadership was not enthusiastic about reauthorizing the law, which helped fund the expansion of Internet access to more than 95 percent of the nation's libraries, which are the No. 1 access point for people without Internet access at home or work. "Then we heard through Republican members of Congress that Mrs. Bush was strongly advocating it be reauthorized," Sheketoff said, "and suddenly we were on the calendar for a vote.""

"As honorary ambassador for the United Nations Literacy Decade, Mrs. Bush convened leaders from around the world during the United Nations General Assembly session for the White House Conference on Global Literacy in September of 2006. She has often spoken about her belief that literacy is essential for achieving the goals of eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, fostering economic development, and achieving gender equality. However, Laura Bush’s passion as an advocate for some of the most serious issues facing women today is almost unknown.

Laura Bush’s advocacy for women’s health began with breast cancer awareness while she was first lady of Texas, and has continued during her time as our country’s first lady through her partnership with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. In 2007, Mrs. Bush’s work to raise both awareness of and research grants for women’s health issues resulted in the expansion of Texas Tech’s Women’s Health Institute to include the Jenna Welch Women’s Center, named after Mrs. Bush’s mother who is a breast cancer survivor. Mrs. Bush has continued to travel throughout the world to raise awareness of women’s health issues and has just celebrated her fifth anniversary as ambassador of The Heart Truth, an organization dedicated to promoting the need for detection and prevention of heart disease in women."

"In contrast to Mrs. Bush’s national public image, people in her home state of Texas have a more positive view of her, believing she has what is known locally as “spunk.” This brand of quiet, brave feminism was demonstrated to the world in 2001 when, as the first non-president to host a weekly presidential radio address, Mrs. Bush delivered a scathing condemnation of the brutal oppression of women in Afghanistan.

Mrs. Bush has continued to support the women in that region through her work with coalitions of groups who are determined to address oppression, education, and women’s health in the Middle East. She serves as the honorary chair of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, created by Presidents Bush and Karzai in 2002. The council’s goal is to promote both private and public partnerships between U.S. and Afghan institutions, and to mobilize private resources to ensure Afghan women have opportunities to gain the skills and education they were denied them under the Taliban.

To date, the council has implemented over 30 initiatives in support of Afghan women in the areas of economic empowerment, education, political participation, health, and children’s issues, totaling approximately $70 million. Fewer than a million Afghan children attended school in 2001, and all of them were boys. Today, more than six million Afghan children are enrolled in school, and a third of them are girls. Mrs. Bush is committed to continuing her advocacy for these women after President Bush leaves office by routinely meeting with students, teachers, parliamentarians, lawyers, and judges during their visits to the United States for education and training.

Laura Bush has often spoken about the importance of women’s education in countries around the world. The Ambassadors Girls Scholarship Program, part of the president’s Africa Education Initiative, has awarded 375,000 scholarships in 40 countries, totaling $46 million. These funds are used to support girls in both primary and secondary school, allowing them to develop into educated members of their societies. During five visits to Africa, Mrs. Bush has met with many recipients of the Ambassadors Girls Scholarship Program. These girls, as the future of women’s leadership in the region, will play positive roles in the education, political, and economic sectors of their countries.

First Lady Laura Bush should be saluted for her efforts on behalf of women and children around the world."

Shall we continue with Eleanor Roosevelt, Nancy Reagan, etc?

The hype for this family is out of control. The blind devotion is downright scary.

When I say family, i mean the parents. The girls are just precious girls who have no say in anything and are just children. I think they are adorable.

Your after thought is stunning.

?

But you had to look up info on her - no personal recollections or knowledge, suggesting I'm not the only person Laura Bush didn't connect with.
I know what Reagan and Roosevelt did and I'd say Michelle Obama is the first first lady to emulate Mrs. Roosevelt and touch people the way she did. And nothing anyone has said all day suggests anything different.

So far my most memorable moment of Mrs. Obama is when said she was ashamed of this country. Oh yes and what clothes she is wearing. Very substantive.

GS, great information.

Thanks. And i have to agree about what I know of Michelle. I think it, as far as this post seems to go, falls like this: You are a huge Obama supporter = you think MO is fantastic. You aren't a huge Obama supporter = you don't see anything fantastic yet.

I have been ashamed the same way she has, based on what I see here, she's got a reason. But her kids are adorable.

What about those of us that support Obama in a non-fanatical fashion (knowing full well he's NOT Superman), and only love what Michelle is wearing most of the time?

"But you had to look up info on her - no personal recollections or knowledge, suggesting I'm not the only person Laura Bush didn't connect with."

Steph, I think you lost the argument if the above is your best comeback. Particularly considering how you constantly ask for documentation of statements.

Living in America we already know Michelle is over qualified it is a requirement to just be considered marginal by the Greek chorus.

Over qualified for what?

You don't need a JD to be a librarian.

G'pa, if a person doesn't understand the difference between a personal recollection or knowledge and documenting an unsupported or questionable claim, then yes, they would think I lost the argument.
But who would ask someone like that to judge?

Ah, I've missed you and the daily abuse you throw Steph.