And Hillary never fired anyone in the white house.
"You're Fired!" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:First lady shakes up White House staff
Changes point to new approach for husband's second term
By Kelly Wallace
CNNNEW YORK (CNN) -- Behind the scenes, first lady Laura Bush is making
big changes for the next four years.In the past two months, Mrs. Bush has hired a new social secretary and
chief of staff -- and fired chef Walter Scheib III, who had been at
the White House for 11 years."We don't usually think of Laura Bush as firing anybody," said Ann
Gerhart, a political reporter for The Washington Post's style section.
"She is just as loyal as everybody else in the Bush family. So I think
it's very unusual."Was it a clash of personalities or something else?
Gerhart broke the story of Scheib's departure in early February.
"He has said that Mrs. Bush wanted to set her own style, and he had
tried to adapt and wasn't able to do that, so she is moving on,"
Gerhart told CNN.Longtime Washington style expert Sally Quinn has another perspective.
"I suspect she and the chef did not see eye-to-eye, and that is the
kind of thing that happens," Quinn said. "So much of this is chemistry
and personality. So I am sure they will get another chef and I am sure
the food will be fine."Laura Bush's spokesman, Gordon Johndroe, would only say, "This was a
good opportunity for Walter to pursue other opportunities."What's also at work, Washington observers say, is a first lady more
comfortable at the start of her husband's second term and not having
to worry about another election."She, I'm sure, is partially responsible for him being re-elected, and
I think that she knows that," Quinn said. "And I think that has given
her an enormous amount of confidence."And with that confidence comes word the first lady and President Bush
will be putting on their dancing shoes a whole lot more in the second
term. In fact, on Valentine's Day, the Bushes hosted a black-tie
dinner for 60 guests."Perhaps this is how she is spending her capital," Gerhart said, using
a term also employed by President Bush, who has vowed to spend the
"political capital" he earned in the 2004 election.Gerhart added: "She is saying, 'Look, I know you don't want to stay up
very late but darn it, every once in a while, I want to have some fun
people around, a little music, a little dancing, a little wine, a
little more fun at night.' And he says, 'OK dear.' "During their first four years, the Bushes hosted just four state
dinners. Former President Bush and first lady Barbara Bush hosted four
in their first six months in the White House."I would say I think it's about time," said Quinn. "People have a
tendency to think that entertaining in Washington politically and
diplomatically is frivolous, but it is not. It is part of the work."As Mrs. Bush takes on her first official policy role with her
husband's administration -- overseeing a new $150 million program to
help troubled boys -- there is something else observers notice: The
first lady has become more candid with the news media.In a recent interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," she said her
daughter Jenna's reported new companion "is not a serious boyfriend."
She later joked with a group of magazine reporters that perhaps she
was being "a little too candid," according to the Hotline, the
National Journal's daily political report.Gerhart says it is no surprise that Mrs. Bush has become more at ease
with reporters."She does not have to help that man get elected again, and that is
very liberating," Gerhart said. "All first ladies have suffered under
that. You know, the American people have all these expectations they
voice on the first lady, in which she is supposed to be substantive,
but not too substantive."Gerhart said it is also a sign that Mrs. Bush feels she can show more
of her own personality. "She is really not that guarded of a person in
private, and I think she is more comfortable letting the public see
some of that," Gerhart added.The first lady, in a recent interview with CNN's Candy Crowley, said,
"My role hasn't changed as much as I have changed and just become much
more comfortable in this job that I have."The first lady's words and actions are also perhaps a reflection of
her sky-high approval ratings with 85 percent saying they approve of
the job she is doing, according to a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll."Looking at the numbers, she seems to be a very popular person, with
good cause," said Mrs. Bush's spokesman.