I left the American Library Association conference early because I did not want to be there when Mrs. Bush was there.
Here is more discussion of the matter.
--from the ALA Council Discussion list.
FYI: Response to Councilor Sue Kamm re: Laura Bush's appearance at ALA NOLA.
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I have it on the word of very good sources that Laura Bush inserted herself into the ALA programming by way of the Washington Office which, obligingly, at the behest of the President's Wife (AKA , "First Lady"), got her the podium at the New Orleans Conference for her cosmetic, PR appearance at the scene of one of her husband's administration's most egregious derelictions of domestic responsibility , the horrifying evidence of which was still there all around us, almost a year on, even as the vacuous smiley-face of the Administration cooed to the (smaller-than-expected?) audience at the AASL event at the newly-sanitized Convention Center from Hell, the epicenter of a vast human tragedy still being played out in New
Orleans.
In other words, if AASL wants to take the rap for it, fine. But Councilors and Members should know that it was-- at least according to my sources -- the collaboration of the Washington Office with the Administration which imposed this entirely unnecessary politicization on an ALA event and the conference as a whole.
I'm sure this is not what people want to hear, but the "hoo-hah" over the appearance of Laura Bush was the result of our Washington people doing her --and the Administration for which she stands-- an unearned favor in creating a perfect platform for political hypocrisy by a cheerful representative of those who have presided over the criminal neglect and abandonment of the people of New Orleans.
Mark Rosenzweig
ALA Councilor at large
(expressing my own bloody opinion!)
At 7:04 PM -0400 7/3/06, Sue Kamm wrote:
> >From assorted discussions on the Council floor and on this list, I wonder if we need to review the operating agreement ALA negotiated with its divisions. In the hoo-hah about Laura Bush's appearance at the Annual Conference, I don't recall anyone mentioning that a division sponsored her appearance, and - IMNSOHO - the program was
>the responsibility of AASL.
>As one might gather from my comments, I'm not sure what the agreement says, what kinds of constraints are placed on divisions (and other ALA units), and how the financial issues are addressed.
>
>Your friendly CyberGoddess and Councilor-at-large,
>Sue Kamm
>Inglewood/Los Angeles, CA
>Truest of the Blue, Los Angeles Dodgers Think Blue Week 2000
