Stand-Up For Her Man

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But it is also true that Laura has avoided the dusty cables that have tripped up other contemporary First Ladies. It's not easy in the modern age to find a role that's supportive but not threatening, true to oneself and helpful to the elected spouse. The First Lady--the title itself is a quaint anachronism--is scrutinized like the heroine of an Edith Wharton novel for any flaw, real or perceived. Nancy Reagan got in trouble for ordering high-priced china during a recession. Barbara Bush was poked for being far frostier behind the scenes than her doting public persona suggested, a point Laura gently affirmed to her audience when she said her mother-in-law is less grandmother and more Don Corleone. (Barbara is telling Houston friends she loved the routine and has taken to calling herself the Don.) For her part, Hillary Clinton underestimated public resistance to her role as a policymaker. By the perverse logic of the job, Laura's great achievement is that she hasn't tried to have one--which is why she is a success. But what, really, is Laura's role? Chiefly, she has three functions.

SHE IS AN ENVOY TO PURPLE AMERICA

Laura can't win over the Bush haters. But a comedy routine that was at times racy is a reminder that Laura is not a founding member of Focus on the Family. Whatever hard-core Democrats may imagine, she has never been a nodding Stepford wife. Her bookshelves contain Gore Vidal and The Da Vinci Code. In Austin, Texas, she had out-there, colorful friends like Kinky Friedman, the writer-musician who toured with his band the Texas Jewboys. She told TIME last year that she had no problem with a gay couple staying at the White House, although she wouldn't necessarily know their sexual orientation because she's too decorous to ask.

Besides, there's a long-standing Bush tradition of winking at the country, particularly when the family has to pay homage to the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Laura's earthy jokes--for instance, about Bush knowing so little about animals he once tried to milk a male horse--all but said, "We're not as different from you as you think. So don't be afraid." Laura and her mother-in-law Barbara both have signaled that they are pro choice on abortion, despite what their husbands may think.

SHE PUTS A SOFTER FACE ON HIS POLICIES

Laura has her causes, from discouraging kids from joining gangs to promoting literacy. They didn't garner a lot of attention when the President's agenda was working, but they could matter more if his policies continue to sputter. She and all the living First Ladies will donate red dresses this week to raise money to promote her campaign to combat heart disease. She will travel to Jordan later this month to deliver a speech on democracy at the World Economic Forum. And in a gambit previewed by Barbara Bush more than 15 years ago, the President's team will roll out Laura when nothing else is working. When the re-election campaign was in trouble last year, Laura showed up in her husband's TV ads, first as a quick, cutaway picture on his desk and then with speaking roles, as aides realized how her power registered with focus groups. "She's obviously the most popular figure in politics today," says Matthew Dowd, Bush's campaign pollster. "It's clear a lot of people who don't like the President like her. She adds to the President's humanity."

SHE IS HIS GREATEST DEFENDER