Laura Bush: Sotomayor a 'Good Nominee'

(AP) - Michelle Obama's performance as first lady is getting high marks from her predecessor, Laura Bush. Speaking after a change-of-command ceremony for the USS Texas submarine in Connecticut, Bush said today she's watched the current first lady from afar and is impressed. More»

First ladies to honor United Flight 93 Victims

(AP) - Michelle Obama will join former first lady Laura Bush in ceremonies marking the ninth anniversary of the United Flight 93 crash in Pennsylvania during the Sept. 11 attacks. Bush had previously confirmed her participation, saying we "must never forget the brave sacrifice of these extraordinary men and women." More»

Emails indicate Porter Goss agreed with the decision

(NEWSER) - Former CIA head Porter Goss agreed with the decision to destroy tapes of terror suspect Abu Zubaydah being waterboarded, email records obtained by the ACLU show. In one, the agency's top officer wrote that he "felt it was extremely important to destroy the tapes"—then added "PG, however, agreed with the decision." The emails also suggest Bush's top legal counsel, Harriet Miers, didn't know about the tapes and was "livid" when she heard, days later, that they'd been destroyed. More»

First lady's approval rating soars over her husband's

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s approval ratings are sinking, but Michelle Obama’s remain sky-high, with 71% of the country holding a favorable opinion of her. Only 16% of respondents in a new Pew Research survey held a negative view of the first lady. That puts her well above Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, who had 60% and 64% favorability ratings, respectively, after their husbands had been in office for 1 year. More»

First lady may well return to campaigning for midterm elections

(NEWSER) - Though Michelle Obama has taken on junk food rather than Republicans during her first year in the White House, the first lady is popular—so much so that tongues are already wagging at the Hill about how useful a weapon she'll be in the Democrats' 2010 arsenal. Obama is “obviously comfortable doing the campaigning,” says Laura Bush’s former chief of staff, noting that her first lady spent only 10% of her time campaigning during the 2002 midterm elections—but a heftier 40% in 2006. More»