Former first lady Laura Bush brushed aside questions about politics and her husband’s upcoming absence at the Republican National Convention in an interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl, saying she and her husband have left behind politics but will continue to advocate for the policies they believe in.
“We know what politics is like,” Bush said on their decision to skip the convention. “We know that, you know, people love to blame somebody else. That’s just a fact of life in politics…I think George makes an easy target.”
On the policy front, Bush pointed to foreign aid as an area important to her and her husband, including her husband’s push to combat AIDS in Africa.
“Foreign aid is a very miniscule part of our budget. I don’t think people realize how small it is. I think it’s only 1 percent,” she said, adding that she believes Congress will continue to support foreign aid despite the position of some tea party-style politicians to the contrary. “I think there’s a very strong coalition in Congress who know that it’s in our moral interest as a country– the wealthiest country in the world and we still are the wealthiest country in the world– to help other people if we can. If we have the capacity to help.”
Laura Bush will address the International AIDS Conference this week. Portions of the interview will air on “World News with Diane Sawyer” Wednesday night.
