Coalition for Traditional Values criticizes Laura Bush-Fiction!

Coalition for Traditional Values Criticizes President and Mrs. Bush for Her Stand-Up Comedy Routine at the White House Correspondent’s Association DinnerFiction!

Summary of eRumor:

A letter from the “Coalition for Traditional Values” that is critical of First Lady Laura Bush for her widely publicized comedy routine at the White House Correspondents dinner in Washington DC on 4/30/05.
The letter cites the Bible and says that she failed to “submit” to her husband and that he failed to exercise control over her.
 

The Truth:


This letter is a hoax.
There is no Pastor Roy Delong and no group in Washington DC known as the “Coalition for Traditional Values.”

The story caused a bit of a stir for a legitimate organization called “The Traditional Values Coalition,” a Conservative group long founded by the Rev. Louis Sheldon.
The hoax letter used a redesigned version of their logo but used a borrowed address that includes the wrong zip code for the address.

Matt Drudge published the letter on his Drudge Report web site and the phones at the Traditional Values Coalition started ringing with inquires from reporters.

Laura Bush’s performance at the Correspondent’s Dinner was widely applauded.
Those who were there say she delivered her lines like a pro and had everybody in the room laughing.
The Los Angeles Times said she “stole the show.”
The dinner is an annual occasion characterized by the White House and the correspondents poking fun at each other.
On this occasion, President Bush took the microphone and delivered a couple of humorous lines and was in the middle of telling a joke when he was interrupted by a pre-arranged voice from the audience that heckled, “Not that old joke—-not again.”
Laura Bush stepped up to the microphone, nudged George Bush aside, and started a stand-up routine that joked about her husband, the Bush family, and their ranch in Texas.

Some excerpts:

“George always says he’s delighted to come to these press dinners. Baloney. He’s usually in bed by now. I said to him the other day, ‘George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you’re going to have to stay up later.’ “

“A typical White House evening goes like this.  Nine o’clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep, and I’m watching ‘Desperate Housewives’ — with Lynne Cheney. Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife.”

“My husband and I are complete opposites — I’m quiet, he’s talkative; I’m introverted, he’s extroverted; I can pronounce ‘nuclear.’ “

Last updated 5/4/05