Early into their marriage, Laura enthusiastically supported her husband’s bids for political office and over time became an astute and effective campaign asset. Still, Bush failed to win his first election (a bid for Congress in 1978) and the couple settled down to raising two children while Bush returned to the oil business. He served as CEO of Arbusto Oil (later renamed Bush Exploration Company) from 1979 to 1988 and became part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989.
In 1986, while George H.W. Bush was serving as Ronald Reagan’s vice president, Laura Bush was discreetly instrumental in helping her husband overcome an addiction to alcohol. Two years later, Laura campaigned for her father-in-law’s successful presidential bid and in 1994 supported her husband’s decision to run for governor of Texas. In 2000, Bush became president in a contested and controversial campaign against Democratic Vice President Al Gore.
As first lady, Laura Bush successfully evaded the controversy surrounding her predecessor, the outspoken Hillary Clinton, by keeping a relatively low profile. She was careful in her choice of policy issues to champion, avoiding highly controversial subjects like health care and abortion rights. She often spoke in support of her husband’s education policies and was highly visible in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. At that time, she attended forums on the mental health of children affected by the terrorist attacks, and in 2003, after Bush ordered an invasion of Afghanistan, met with Afghani women who had suffered repression under that country’s Taliban regime. In November 2001, Laura Bush made history by being the first first lady to deliver the weekly presidential radio address in place of her husband. She and President Bush left the White House in January, 2009.
