Laura Bush calls cancer “not a big deal”
White House covers up cancer blunder: First lady misplaces skin cancer on legs, hides it in socks, and removes it under a construction trailer.
Press Corps journalists discovered this week that First Lady Laura Bush secretly had a squamous skin cancer removed from her leg in mid-November.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” said Mrs. Bush, who sported a large bandage on her leg. “I was never sick.”
Her disease was discovered when the First Lady refused to wear pants in public, but the White House continued to cover up the ethical lapse.
“This is serious news,” said one reporter at Tuesday’s White House press conference. “Why, if it had gone unchecked our first lady could have been seriously disfigured. She might have had unsightly spots! The public has a right to know when their elected officials are married to ugly spouses.”
Other reporters agreed. “The president claims that he is tough on terror,” said CBS reporter Marla Stewart. “But if our politicians’ wives get spots on their legs, the terrorists have won.”
Experts compared Mrs. Bush’s medical problems to those of Woodrow Wilson. If Laura Bush’s bandages leave her unable to fulfill her duties, this would put the role of first lady in the hands of her husband. However, Tony Snow refused to discuss what Mr. Bush’s first act would be if he had to take over Laura Bush’s duties.
“This morning you said you’d make that inquiry,” said one reporter.
“Yes,” replied Mr. Snow, “you know what, I didn’t.”
“But you will?”
“No. I’m not going to.”
“Why are there so many leaks coming out on this?”
“You'll have to ask the leakers. They apparently are talking to you, so please consult.”
Journalists criticized the President for both the national security breach and the resulting cover-up.
Some right-wing politicians questioned the focus on Mrs. Bush’s cover-up compared to Sandy Berger’s accidentally placing original notes by Clinton administration officials in his pants, accidentally removing them from the National Security Archives, accidentally leaving them under a construction trailer, accidentally shredding them, and then accidentally placing them in the trash, but reporters claimed no comparison between the two events.
“Nobody ever found anything in Sandy’s pants,” said Stewart.
- Press Briefing by Tony Snow December 19 2006
- “You guys are really stretching it. I mean, it is now officially a really slow news day.”
- CBS Hypes ‘Fallout’ From ‘Secretive’ White House Not Alerting Media of First Lady’s Cancer
- “Snow knows full well downplaying anything around here is a sure way to get your Christmas goose cooked. What other health secrets is the White House hiding?”
- First Lady on Cancer: ‘I Was Never Sick’
- “It was removed just a few days after the Nov. 7 midterm elections. The White House did not disclose her condition or the procedure until this week, after reporters noticed she was still wearing a bandage on her leg and began asking questions. Asked about the bandage in October, the White House said it was merely a sore.”
- Laura Bush: Skin Cancer ‘No Big Deal’
- “There is a keen sensitivity about White House medical problems because of attempts to hide presidential problems. The most famous case was Woodrow Wilson's stroke that left him unable to fulfill his duties and put the country in the hands of his wife, who virtually ran the White House.”
- Pants, socks, trailer, trash
- “The New York Times uses a wire service story to cover the report. Its own reporters were apparently otherwise engaged.”
- The creaking strain of credibility
- “I don’t think people really appreciate how serious this is. Berger occupied the position Condi Rice held. Imagine the reaction if Condi had been caught in this kind of behavior.”
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