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American Morning

Laura's Life

Aired January 08, 2004 - 09:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Many of us would probably say we know what first lady Laura Bush is like. Quiet, controlled, loyal, a wife and mother first. She said she only agreed to her husband's run for president if she didn't have to make any speeches. But there's a side of Laura Bush that might surprise a lot of people. And the story is in a new book called request "The Perfect Wife." The author is "Washington Post" reporter Ann Gerhart.
Nice to see you, Ann. Thanks for being with us.

Give me sense of the kind of access you were able to get to the first lady.

ANN GERHART, AUTHOR, "THE PERFECT WIFE": Well, I've covered the first lady for "The Washington Post" since they were inaugurated in January of 2001. So I have written about her a great deal, traveled with her to Europe, traveled with her domestically.

O'BRIEN: When they knew you were writing a book, did they say, oh, Ann, come on in, sit down and talk to Laura, she'd love to tell you everything?

GERHART: No, they didn't do that.

O'BRIEN: She's pretty guarded.

GERHART: Yes, they are. They are very careful about their message, as you know, and they want to make sure they keep everything out there. And she is very interested in never, ever upstaging him. She's very clear about that. Her role is to support him and to never become the story herself.

O'BRIEN: After years of covering her, are you a fan? Would you say you sort of have no opinion, or where would you weigh in?

GERHART: No, I think I have a great deal of admiration for her. I think that, as we can imagine, it's very difficult being first lady to begin with. It's -- you give up your privacy. You have to let people into your house to tramp around. You've got to find a way to do something that is issue oriented, but yet doesn't get too far out in front.

O'BRIEN: And then there's the speeches.

GERHART: Right. And I think that she's actually accommodated all of this with a great deal of grace, things that I don't necessarily feel like I have in my life, so I tried to learn some lessons. We all strive for that.

O'BRIEN: You say the defining moment was early on in her life, when she's 17 years old. She has a car accident, runs through a stop sign she said she didn't see, kills a friend and classmate. How did this change her life?

GERHART: Well, I think that she was already shy and reserved by temperament. She's an only child. She had been used to amusing herself all of those years. But I think it made her quieter. I think that it also has made her more compassionate as an individual, and less judgmental. You know, she has known firsthand how drastically and tragically life can change in a few seconds that you can't take back.

O'BRIEN: And you think that's how that affects her today in her role as first lady?

GERHART: I think that it certainly in the way she regards what happens to people in the country enables her to feel some compassion that maybe her husband doesn't necessarily feel when he sees things in more black and white terms.

I remember being struck when they were being interviewed about John Walker Lindh, who was the American Taliban who was captured. And the president was, you know, lock him up for good, basically. And she said, I just -- my heart goes out to his parents. I think that she has the capacity for that.

O'BRIEN: Which brings us to an interesting chapter in your book on the twins, Barbara and Jenna. Kind of a harsh chapter. You point out that the girls are kind of spoiled brats. You say a story...

GERHART: I haven't certainly used those words, that they're spoiled brats.

O'BRIEN: Not those words, but some of the behavior you describe would lead anybody to say they're kind of spoiled, that they -- you describe a very funny incident on the plane, that you can sort of see they're wearing all these ratty clothes and they have a to change, that they are embarrassed by their parents existence, that you know, we all know because of reports in the media, they drink in college. And I read that and thought, here are two girls who seem like pretty typical teenagers. Do you think that their parents, maybe even specifically Laura Bush, hasn't done a good job in raising her girls, she's been overly permissive?

GERHART: I think what happened with these girls, is they were always so reluctant for their father to enter political life at all, even as governor of Texas. And so the parents bent over backwards to protect them and to make them feel comfortable, as any parent would. But I think along the way, what has happened is those girls see themselves as victims, and think that it's a really terrible position to be in.

O'BRIEN: Big drag dad's the president? GERHART: Yes, big drag dad's the president, and stamp their feet a little bit on that. And I think that doesn't necessarily reign them in because she really likes their spirit, too, just like she likes his. She's temperamentally more inclined to receive, and they're out there, and they're funny, and they're a little wild sometimes, and she likes that energy, she said that.

O'BRIEN: The book is called "The Perfect Wife." Very fascinating read. I had chance to travel with the first lady. Ann Gerhart, nice to have you. Thanks for being with us. We appreciate it.

GERHART: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 8, 2004 - 09:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Many of us would probably say we know what first lady Laura Bush is like. Quiet, controlled, loyal, a wife and mother first. She said she only agreed to her husband's run for president if she didn't have to make any speeches. But there's a side of Laura Bush that might surprise a lot of people. And the story is in a new book called request "The Perfect Wife." The author is "Washington Post" reporter Ann Gerhart.
Nice to see you, Ann. Thanks for being with us.

Give me sense of the kind of access you were able to get to the first lady.

ANN GERHART, AUTHOR, "THE PERFECT WIFE": Well, I've covered the first lady for "The Washington Post" since they were inaugurated in January of 2001. So I have written about her a great deal, traveled with her to Europe, traveled with her domestically.

O'BRIEN: When they knew you were writing a book, did they say, oh, Ann, come on in, sit down and talk to Laura, she'd love to tell you everything?

GERHART: No, they didn't do that.

O'BRIEN: She's pretty guarded.

GERHART: Yes, they are. They are very careful about their message, as you know, and they want to make sure they keep everything out there. And she is very interested in never, ever upstaging him. She's very clear about that. Her role is to support him and to never become the story herself.

O'BRIEN: After years of covering her, are you a fan? Would you say you sort of have no opinion, or where would you weigh in?

GERHART: No, I think I have a great deal of admiration for her. I think that, as we can imagine, it's very difficult being first lady to begin with. It's -- you give up your privacy. You have to let people into your house to tramp around. You've got to find a way to do something that is issue oriented, but yet doesn't get too far out in front.

O'BRIEN: And then there's the speeches.

GERHART: Right. And I think that she's actually accommodated all of this with a great deal of grace, things that I don't necessarily feel like I have in my life, so I tried to learn some lessons. We all strive for that.

O'BRIEN: You say the defining moment was early on in her life, when she's 17 years old. She has a car accident, runs through a stop sign she said she didn't see, kills a friend and classmate. How did this change her life?

GERHART: Well, I think that she was already shy and reserved by temperament. She's an only child. She had been used to amusing herself all of those years. But I think it made her quieter. I think that it also has made her more compassionate as an individual, and less judgmental. You know, she has known firsthand how drastically and tragically life can change in a few seconds that you can't take back.

O'BRIEN: And you think that's how that affects her today in her role as first lady?

GERHART: I think that it certainly in the way she regards what happens to people in the country enables her to feel some compassion that maybe her husband doesn't necessarily feel when he sees things in more black and white terms.

I remember being struck when they were being interviewed about John Walker Lindh, who was the American Taliban who was captured. And the president was, you know, lock him up for good, basically. And she said, I just -- my heart goes out to his parents. I think that she has the capacity for that.

O'BRIEN: Which brings us to an interesting chapter in your book on the twins, Barbara and Jenna. Kind of a harsh chapter. You point out that the girls are kind of spoiled brats. You say a story...

GERHART: I haven't certainly used those words, that they're spoiled brats.

O'BRIEN: Not those words, but some of the behavior you describe would lead anybody to say they're kind of spoiled, that they -- you describe a very funny incident on the plane, that you can sort of see they're wearing all these ratty clothes and they have a to change, that they are embarrassed by their parents existence, that you know, we all know because of reports in the media, they drink in college. And I read that and thought, here are two girls who seem like pretty typical teenagers. Do you think that their parents, maybe even specifically Laura Bush, hasn't done a good job in raising her girls, she's been overly permissive?

GERHART: I think what happened with these girls, is they were always so reluctant for their father to enter political life at all, even as governor of Texas. And so the parents bent over backwards to protect them and to make them feel comfortable, as any parent would. But I think along the way, what has happened is those girls see themselves as victims, and think that it's a really terrible position to be in.

O'BRIEN: Big drag dad's the president? GERHART: Yes, big drag dad's the president, and stamp their feet a little bit on that. And I think that doesn't necessarily reign them in because she really likes their spirit, too, just like she likes his. She's temperamentally more inclined to receive, and they're out there, and they're funny, and they're a little wild sometimes, and she likes that energy, she said that.

O'BRIEN: The book is called "The Perfect Wife." Very fascinating read. I had chance to travel with the first lady. Ann Gerhart, nice to have you. Thanks for being with us. We appreciate it.

GERHART: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com