"Good Will Come Out Of This"

Sunday, Aug. 29, 2004 By MATTHEW COOPER
Laura Bush in her White House office
BROOKS KRAFT / CORBIS FOR TIME
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BROOKS KRAFT / CORBIS FOR TIME
Laura Bush in her White House office

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She has been called the perfect wife for her devotion to George w. Bush and the Comforter in Chief for her calming demeanor after 9/11. But it would be a mistake to think of Laura Bush as a latter-day Mamie Eisenhower, who once said, "Ike runs the country; I turn the pork chops." The First Lady has views of her own, and just before jetting off to Florida with the President last week, she sat down in her East Wing office to speak with TIME's Matthew Cooper about a wide range of topics, including gay marriage, stem-cell research and how she deals with criticism of her husband.

TIME
Since we're going to hear from the President in New York City about his plans for a second term, I want to get your take on what you want to do.

LAURA BUSH
Well, I'm very interested in intervention programs for students who haven't learned to read by the time they get to middle school or high school or have such a low reading level that they're academically unsuccessful. The amazing thing about it is, because they have a larger vocabulary, because they've lived longer, they can be taught to read or move up several grade levels pretty quickly.

TIME
And are you still hoping to get over to Afghanistan?

BUSH
Absolutely. Yes, I'd love to meet women in Afghanistan—a lot of them.

TIME
You've done a lot on heart disease.

BUSH
Yes, and I'll continue to do women's health issues—including lifestyle changes, because women make so many lifestyle choices for their families. If they change their own behavior, they really can help their families as well.

TIME
As an ex-smoker, have you been able to keep your girls from becoming smokers?

BUSH
I'm not so sure about that.

TIME
Are you still tempted?

BUSH
Sure, of course. It's very difficult to quit.

TIME
Any particular times?

BUSH
And especially if you're under a lot of stress. I'm not saying that I am. [Laughter.]TIME
Critics throw out so many charges against the President. Is there any one that you found the most unfair?

BUSH
I think they're all very unfair. [Laughter.] I really do.

TIME
Do you think these swift-boat ads are unfair to John Kerry?

BUSH
Do I think they're unfair? Not really. There have been millions of terrible ads against my husband.

TIME
I wanted to ask you about stem-cell research because you brought it up the other day. Your greatest objection is that the other side is raising false hope. But your husband is running as the optimist.

Isn't optimism good?