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Laura: I won't vote for Hillary
28/10/2007 22:03 - (SA)
Washington - First Lady Laura Bush may be a champion of women's rights, but that does not extend to endorsing Democrat Hillary Clinton's bid to become America's first female president.
Interviewed on Fox News on Sunday, President George W Bush's wife also dwelt on her higher public profile in campaigning for breast cancer awareness in the Middle East and against Myanmar's regime.
Laura Bush said the Republican candidate would get her vote in next year's presidential race, even if Senator Clinton has the best shot yet of ensuring that a woman occupies the Oval Office.
Publicise treatment of breast cancer
"I mean, I'm looking forward to voting for a Republican woman, whenever that is, but I'll be supporting the Republican," she said, insisting that policy positions trumped gender.
"I hope that people will choose the candidate they think really has the views they want; that they believe in and that represent them in the way they want to be represented," she said.
The First Lady has just returned from a Middle East tour to publicise treatment of breast cancer in Arab societies, attracting some criticism from US conservatives for being photographed with women in all-encompassing robes.
Bush, who has long urged Arab regimes to grant more freedom to women, said she had "subconsciously" felt that she could not reach out to Muslim women who wear the veil.
"And what I found out when I met them is they're just like us. I mean, they are - especially the ones I met, who were breast cancer survivors and doctors and researchers," Bush said.
New role is marked public change
Ditching her retiring image, Bush has become increasingly outspoken against Myanmar's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters and delivered mounting calls for the regime to step aside.
The new role is a marked public change for the 60-year-old mother of twins, who has typically stayed with issues such as encouraging young Americans to read, drug-prevention and AIDS in Africa.
- AFP
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