Really? If I were Senator Graham I would give that some more thought.
He was correct in saying that other women have stood in for the first lady in years past, but they were rarely sisters. That's a very special kind of relationship. Has he never heard of sibling rivalry?
Here are some little known things about "First Ladies."
- Andrew Jackson's wife, Rachel, was a bigamist. She married Jackson before she was divorced from her first husband.
- Grover Cleveland's sister served as House hostess until President Cleveland married his wife, Frances who was 21 years old at the time. (I wonder how sis felt about that replacement.)
- William Howard Taft's wife, Nellie drove a car, supported women's rights and smoked cigarettes.
- Jacqueline Kennedy had her own press secretary and won an Emmy; Betty Ford was a professional dancer, Nancy Reagan was, like her husband, an actor and Barbara Bush was both first lady and first mom. (And might be again.)
But being a sister is a different thing. I can imagine one of my sons being president. I can imagine one of my daughters being president. I cannot, under any circumstances, imagine one of my daughters functioning as her brothers' "First Lady."
Jeb Bush, when he announced his bid for the presidency this week said that the best thing that happened to him that day was that his mom, Barbara Bush, finally admitted she loved him best!
Sibling rivalry is a real thing.
Food for thought, Lindsey Graham.
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