Where's Laura Bush?

Cindy Sheehan is asking the president to meet with her as a grieving mother of a son killed in war. I’ve been puzzled that the president has been so stubborn about not meeting with her during his vacation. I’m even more puzzled by another absence. In this season of the missing woman news cycle, where’s the First Lady, Laura Bush? The last time I saw her she was cracking jokes at the White House Correspondents’ dinner about being a Desperate Housewife and comparing her mother in law to Don Corleone.

The Karl Rove White House(slowly being painted a creamy shade of pumpkin) has been praised for its skill in manipulating the symbols of the presidency. Standing at Ground Zero shortly after 9/11, toppling the Gulliver like statue of Saddam, landing on aircraft carriers to proclaim the end of the war some two years ago, bending forward to hug a young girl and console her fears of terrorists, clearing brush in Crawford, have all been part of the Rove/Noonan deck in public opinion Gin Rummy (the card game not the armor-challenged defense secretary) . So what would be a more powerful image than the First Lady asking Cindy Sheehan to take a few minutes out of her vigil to come pray together in Church for all mothers of children at war? A mother to mother request and moment would certainly be a classic Roveian counterpunch. The man has built his career on going right at opponents’ strengths. Why haven't they gone Mommo a Mommo? Maybe even invite the twins along and help them improve their public image?

Is it that Rove, who has made something of a career of attacking wives and family, only knows how to play the hand negatively? If the First Lady has a job, it has historically been to serve as the administration’s symbol of compassion. Eleanor Roosevelt was the most active, but Nancy Reagan holding an HIV positive baby in her arms was such a potent symbol that it nearly erased President’ Reagan’s more mixed record of recognizing and advocating for funding for the disease. Betty Ford became a spokesperson for getting treatment for substance abuse, Rosalyn Carter worked on behalf of the developmentally disabled, Barbara Biush’s worked on literacy by writing a book with her dog, Hillary Clinton worked as an advocate for the welfare of children, As a grieving mother stands vigil outside her ranch, where is the visible symbol of the First Lady’s compassion for another mother.
In fact, where is the First Lady?

I’m puzzled by the fact that the party of family values is so tone deaf to the language of motherhood itself. Nothing would communicate actual sympathy for Cindy Sheehan and all gold star motherly grief better than an image of the First Lady meeting Cindy Sheehan face to face. Might I suggest that if the President looks bad for not coming out and saying hi, that the First Lady is looking even worse for simply disappearing from view. Instead they are letting shotguns and cross mutiliations speak for their noble cause.

Perhaps Karl Rove is otherwise busy. Perhaps Laura Bush might say something very different if directly asked about that other mother down the road in Crawford. Perhaps the first family doesn't care enough to even fake it. If that's the case, by missing the opprtunity to stand at the ground zero of grief, they may have already lost a deeper war on terror.chancelucky