Seeing this photo of Lady Bird Johnson reminded me that she stood for things. She was passionate about things. I remember a couple of campaigns she fought adamantly for - removing billboards from our highways so that Americans could see the landscape free of merchandising clutter and planting native wildflowers so that once the billboards were gone we might again see our nation's natural beauty. It also reminded me that when Senator Clinton was First Lady she also fought to bring beauty to the forefore of our lives by installing a sculpture garden on the White House lawn. She used this to highlight our need to maintaining a connection to the visual arts is important and necessary to our well-being as citizens.
I was also reminded that I couldn't think of anything that First Lady Bush was really passionate about. She must be, or at least I hope she is, but nothing came to mind. Let's hope that the current First Lady has more on her mind than trying to put some polish back on the very tarnished presidential silver service.
Photo: Frank Wolfe/LBJ Library