June 18, 2007
Posted: 04:30 PM ET

Laura Bush is asking supporters to help celebrate the president's birthday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Birthdays are a time for celebrating and — if you are a politician — raising money.

With President Bush's 61st birthday a little over two weeks away, first lady Laura Bush is soliciting $61 donations from supporters of the Republican National Committee.

"Please consider commemorating President Bush's 61st birthday with a gift our entire Party can share," Laura Bush wrote in an e-mail.

She is also encouraging supporters to sign their names on the RNC's e-birthday card. The president turns 61 on July 6.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who celebrated his 54th birthday on June 10, also used the occasion to raise campaign cash. His wife Elizabeth sent an e-mail to supporters the week before asking for $6.10, $19.53, or $54. He also threw a $15-a-head birthday fundraiser that 500 people attended, according to campaign officials.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Filed under: John Edwards • President Bush


Darrell, Chino Hills CA   July 6th, 2007 5:24 pm ET

Laura took the "blue pill" long ago, from the Matrix, the one that returns you to the dream world.

Jimbo, Texas   July 6th, 2007 6:28 am ET

How about a piece of feces.

DR, Oceanside, CA   June 20th, 2007 12:56 am ET

What a perfect idea! I'll send $61 in I.O.U.'s, since we're hovering at $6,000,000,000,000.00 in debt.

The I.O.U.'s will be sewn to a braided red, white and blue "tail" before being securely affixed to a large rusty nail.

At the Party, since GW is, after all, the guest of honor, someone gets to pin the "tail" on the ass. Good old American fun, ho, ho!

Chris Lobenstein   June 19th, 2007 4:45 pm ET

Donation to the RNC? You have got to be kidding! Not going to happen, now, not ever! The worst President, the worst political crime family ever.

Richard F. Cronin, Wilmington, DE   June 19th, 2007 2:13 pm ET

Mrs. Bush -

Rather than donations to YOUR PARTY, how about donations to the families of veterans who have been killed or maimed by YOUR HUSBAND and YOUR PARTY.

RJS, Lehigh Valley, PA   June 19th, 2007 2:06 pm ET

Yeah, anyone who loves the Constitution and what this country USED to stand for are upset. Liberal hate speech it most certainly isn't.

Jan, Berkeley, CA   June 19th, 2007 1:21 pm ET

Note to Tyrone Tanic:

I doubt whether all of the commenters above would identify themselves as liberals. It isn't just liberals who are upset anymore, buddy.

Jean, Albany, Calif.   June 19th, 2007 1:07 pm ET

In return for the phony government provided by George, I intend to send Laura $61 in Monopoly money. Well, it's either that or 61 pictures of Iraqi children drenched in blood. (Or, if you prefer, 61 pics of orphaned children of US service men/women…)

I hope they rue the day they thought up this scheme.

Tyrone Tanic, Los Angeles, CA   June 19th, 2007 12:50 pm ET

An innocuous little item sparks a flood of liberal hate speech. What a surprise.

Ian, Seattle, Washington   June 19th, 2007 12:06 pm ET

Is there an impeachment fund because I will send $61 to that.

I would have been more amazed and willing if she had said to send $61 to a Katrina fund where it is more needed than any GOP fund.

adsosletter, skleewax, CA   June 19th, 2007 11:50 am ET

Does Laura mind if I send it to him in Iraqi Dinars? Bring your brown bag, Laura…

A Forton   June 19th, 2007 11:34 am ET

Hey Thelma- Don't disparage librarians! We'd vote her out of the Library Association, except she's not a member!

Truth B Known Washington, DC   June 19th, 2007 11:13 am ET

To the lady who disparaged Laura Bush as a "Librarian": Librarians belong to a noble profession in which the search and provision of knowledge is central. Criticize Laura and George W. for their faults but do not decry or attack a profession full of the kind of liberal minded folks that would turn this fiasco-laden administration out in a minute. Viva la biblioteca! And let's impeach Bush and Cheney.

Thomas Mc, Colorado Springs, CO   June 19th, 2007 9:50 am ET

$6.66 would be more appropriate.

Bon, Salina, KS   June 19th, 2007 9:34 am ET

Once again Laura, who also proclaimed to Ann Curry of The Today Show that "nobody suffers more than (she) and the President do", shows that she has absolutely NO SHAME! They've already looted the country, and they still want more? Sheesh…..

Marcy, Texas   June 19th, 2007 8:51 am ET

Not that she's stealing the idea from John Edwards' campaign or anything….

Bette Jack   June 19th, 2007 7:55 am ET

TACKY,TACKY,TACKY!!!

party-of-one, Maimi, FL   June 19th, 2007 6:57 am ET

Every one of the 2/3 of Americans who do not admire George Bush should respond to Laura's challenge by sending at least $61 to organizations dedicated to defending the U.S. Constitution or advancing world peace.

Ken Mitchell   June 19th, 2007 6:55 am ET

Why not give him notice of impeachment.

Gene Gregory   June 19th, 2007 6:30 am ET

I cannot imagine giving birthday money to this cabal of thugs now occupying the White House. This country was hoodwinked into a disasterous war, and the weak excuses that were cooked up by the Cheney administration to justify their false justifications… well… I think this group may be headed to Nuremberg in a few years.

R. S., New Tripoli, PA.   June 19th, 2007 6:15 am ET

Bush should be impeached, not paid. What will the corrupt GOP think of next?

Mark, San Francisco, CA   June 19th, 2007 1:57 am ET

You mean…fool me once, shame on…shame on me… fool me twice… won't get looed again!

Mick wellington NZ   June 19th, 2007 1:54 am ET

I'll donate $61 if he'll resign anybody else ?

Griff Braun, New York, NY   June 19th, 2007 1:36 am ET

Re: W. Brucker

Wow. So, after the Bin Laden memo, My Pet Goat, the "mushroom cloud," WMDs, Mission Accomplished, Abu Graib, warrantless wiretapping, habeus corpus, unfunded No Child Left Behind, energy policy written by big oil, evisceration of environmental policy, multiple "surges," attorney firings, thousands of missing e-mails, and on and on, it's immigration that stops you from supporting this president?!?

Well, at least you got the "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" saying correct. I've seen others blow that one…

David L. Wachter, New York, NY   June 19th, 2007 1:10 am ET

I am all for tight border control. I just do not see any administration being committed to it. The supply chain of contractors, lobbyists, expense, huge drain on resourses going to Iraq and the bribery of low saliered workers on teh border have me very realistic.

Joseph Wilson, Atlanta, Georgia   June 19th, 2007 1:04 am ET

I have an idea, I would like to buy Bush for what he is worth (less) and sell him for what he thinks he is worth. It would be better than winning the Powerball!

Saeed Jones, Atlanta, Georgia   June 19th, 2007 12:10 am ET

Sorry Laura, but I just can't celebrate the birth of a man who has caused so much destruction.

The Riddle Family, Living in all 50 of the United States of America   June 19th, 2007 12:07 am ET

The Republican and Democratic political parties are declining drastically.

A sitting President and an ex-Senator, both begging for money to maintain their political power.

The citizens of the United States have had enough of these two parties contolling them for over 160 straight years.

"We the People" have the power to stop their insatiable quest for power by simply holding onto our money and not feeding their greed through taxes. Want more of the same old crap? Then vote for Republicans and Democrats. If not, THINK INDEPENDENTLY!

L. DesRoche, Lakewood, CA   June 18th, 2007 11:48 pm ET

Tell George I sent his $61 as an attacment to an e-mail I sent to his RNC address.

Beth Andrews, Nashville, TN   June 18th, 2007 11:44 pm ET

The RNC gets no more money from me either until the open borders policy is fixed. Members of my family have lost jobs to illegal aliens because the illegal aliens are willing to work for LESS. Illegal aliens drive down wages, and the Bush government is successfully turning America into a third world country. SHAME ON BUSH!!

Roze Pirvany: Miami, FL   June 18th, 2007 11:38 pm ET

Actually, W. Brucker, I believe the saying is "Fool me once, shame on…shame on me. Fool me, can't get fooled again." (It's a saying in Tennessee and Texas.)

Ben Franklin, santa monica, CA   June 18th, 2007 11:33 pm ET

That money and everything else little bush owns should be divided between all the families that have lost someone to his, "Oil War II." If you count the Iraqis as people too, which little bush might call a bunch of commas, there won't be that much to go around. July 6 should be a day of "Global Mourning!"

Scott Kane Pa   June 18th, 2007 11:25 pm ET

July 6 is a day that will live in infamy. On that day the worst man to ever occupy the White House was born.No Thanks Laura the last thing that this nation needs is more of the GOP in power. It will take a generation to undo the damage they have done

F. Morgan, Roscoe, IL   June 18th, 2007 6:42 pm ET

How swarmy can you get. Donate to my husband's political party? Laura has not become aware of any better causes than that since being in the white house?

W. Brucker, MD, Eau Claire, Wisconsin   June 18th, 2007 5:16 pm ET

Normally, I am the first in line to support my party and the President. The Immigration fiasco/sellout that President Bush and others are pushing has caused me to rethink things. I declined to donate anymore until immigration is fixed. By fixed I mean border control first-funded, built and staffed, then legalization/visas as separate law next. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Thelma Heywood, Lawrenceville, Georgia   June 18th, 2007 5:14 pm ET

Re John Edwards' birthday and George II's birthday. Just what I would expect: the Democrats lead with originality and creativity and the Republicans play copycat. Imagine that!

At least Mama Edwards gave us her pecan pie recipe. Guess Laura isn't that great a cook. She wasn't that great a teacher, either. That's why she was a librarian.

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