"The President of the United States of America is more than a man, or a woman as I hope the case will sometime be. The President is the most visible symbol of our country, of its heart and its values and its leadership in the world. "

She Keeps George out of the Gutter!

Laura Bush was inspired by her second grade teacher to become an elementary school teacher. After her first degree, she taught at Longfellow Elementary School in Houston for several years. She soon pursued a masters degree and worked as a librarian in the Houston Public Library district. She then moved to Austin, Texas and worked within an independent school district as an elementary school librarian.

After meeting and marrying Bush in 1977, she gave birth to twins Barbara and Jenna Bush in 1981. She is often credited with convincing President Bush to stop drinking, quit being such a mindless frat boy and grow up already.

As a former educator, Bush expresses deep concern for educational issues and works for children's causes. During George W. Bush's term as Texas governor, the first lady established the Adopt-a-Caseworker Program and the Rainbow Room Program. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, she expressed concern for the images of the attacks children were witnessing on their home televisions. She suggested that parents not expose their children to the coverage, considering the effects the Oklahoma City bombings had in 1995.

In the White House one of Mrs. Bush's highest priorities was to foster the teaching profession. She believes that children need great teachers and devoted time to building teacher recruitment programs like Teach for America, The New Teacher Project, and Troops for Teachers. She also values reading and worked with the Library of Congress to organize national reading events.

There are reports of a 1963 fatal car crash caused by her when she was 17. According to a public report, she was driving her Chevrolet with a classmate around 8 pm. She entered an intersection failing to observe a stop sign, and collided with Michael Dutton Douglas, a close friend who was also 17. Douglas was pronounced dead on arrival to Midland Memorial Hospital; Bush walked away with minor injuries. She was not ticketed for the collision.

In 2004 Forbes Magazine named her the "Most Powerful Woman in the United States," and the fourth most powerful in the world.