Mrs. No-Nonsense

What? No non-sense when one son is involved in a Bank collapse that requires a billion dollar tax payer bail-out. Another son, thanks to mom's millionaire circle, has investors who arrange a tax payer subsidized windfall of $15 Million when a team in a stadium (another tax windfall) is sold. Osama bin Laden brother is an early energy/extraction company investor of same one son? Ah well. No-nonsense about this mom. Apple pie. Stories about wiping runny noses and schlepping to little league games. Perfectly orchestrated family saga. Married up into an American oil dynasty and never looked back. Scandal? Mistresses? We are the Bushes, dear. Mr. Buckley. What nonsense.

Please, as a reader I beg the New York Times to cease the endless celebration, the hagiography, the canonization of this dreadful example of the worst in the American oligarchy. Her comments on Katrina and Iraq were not only obscene, they were vulgar and crude. So much for the “class” and “decency” everybody is raving about here. Please, stop. Let her friends celebrate her in peace and in private but there’s no reason to subject the rest of us to it. Maybe the worst of this are the lies that everyone knows and continues to tell. Everyone knows the truth of her life; continuing to paint it as sacred is one of the greatest vulgarities of all.

not funny, humorous or enlightening. why publish this drivel? you forgot to ask, 'who cares about this?'

Couldn't stand her. She shares the blame for what we did in Iraq. She may have been able to prevent both Bush wars. Complicit.

Was never impressed by her What exactly did she accomplish? Per the drink anecdote I found her rudeness to the waitress to be cruel Reeks of patrician condescension

Men, as a whole, do not do well after their wives die. God, in His Infinite Wisdom, knows that. That is why wives usually out live their husbands.

I always liked Barbara Bush for the reasons stated: she did not suffer fools. And clearly she had a good eye for spotting them. Pollyanna indeed. Why, I wonder, would the writer — who claims to have respected Mrs. Bush — interfere with the clearly protective actions of a wife toward her ailing husband? What a childish power play! How inappropriate and disrespectful, not to mention potentially dangerous. I only wish Mrs. Bush had given you what for at the time, Christopher Buckley! I certainly would have. I guess she had better manners than I.

She famously would not allow FDR's name mentioned in her house. I wonder if she collected on her Social Security?

This First Lady was WAY too honest to have ever been a progressive. The GOP was the only place she could have fit. She was the mom we wished ALL our presidents could have had. AND spouse.

Barbara Bush has some very admirable qualities and she did some very good things. Maybe she had blind unconditional love for George Jr but her silence on the Iraq war was unfortunate.

Oh, what a great woman! Between her husband and son, both of which she wholeheartedly supported. tens of thousands of people needlessly died. What a great woman indeed. Apparently death instills greatness somehow.

Thank you Mr. Buckley for giving us a glimpse into Mrs. Bush's mind. Former Ambassador Stephenson today at Southern Methodist University declared Barbara Bush to be one of America's greatest first ladies. Civility, style and the fact she answered my letters puts me in agreement.

Thank you for this funny and sweet remembrance of Barbara Bush. She was a class act and a tough broad all in one package. She had my heart when she went to meet HIV/AIDS patients and held infected babies in 1989 when people thought of those with the disease as lepers that should not be touched, hugged or loved. She was involved in promoting literacy and raised $110 million dollars for literacy programs in all 50 states and Washington DC. Many thousands of people in this country learned to read because of her efforts. She was a treasure and we were lucky to have her as our First Lady and a citizen of our nation. May she rest in peace.

Stuck elevators are a thing with Bush Sr. Four or five years ago he was stuck between floors in a small guest house/bar at Goose Rocks, Maine, not from Kennebunkport - those who were there will remember he wasn't at all bothered by the hassle once a waiter figured out how to get him his G and T while awaiting the local fire department.

How calloused and uninformed. Try reading at least one of her books. She persevered through enormously difficult emotional times that included the loss of her young daughter, and shunned the "ladies who lunch" existence she so easily could have lived. Instead, out of love for her husband and children and service to her beloved country, she moved all over the world and at times lived in less than luxurious circumstances or downright basic conditions. Strikingly, she and her husband really knew how to live -- balancing service with wonderful fun and intense outside interests and boatloads of friends. -- literally hundreds of people. She was a definition of class, imparting lessons you obviously can use.

Nicely done, Mr. Buckley. The column captures her feistiness and authenticity in very few words. She was a great woman.

While she did not graduate from Smith College, you can always tell a Smith graduate: you can't tell them anything.

Good one, especially about the "mongoose." Heh heh. I always thought George HW Bush had to move fast to keep up with her.

I’m confused . Why all the gushing over Ms. Bush. Other than shooting from the lip, there is really nothing that she significantly accomplished. She read to children. Okay. Her son read to children too. She supported Planned Parenthood. Is there evidence? She held a black child at a photo op. I guess our nation is so bereft of heroes of late, that we lionize anyone who has a modicum of decency.

Yes, she seems like she was a decent, down to earth woman. But her son was a total failure as President. I've often wondered if Gore had taken office if the warnings about terrorist attacks would have been so blithely ignored. Perhaps the twin towers would still be standing. But, hey, that Martini/Mongoose story is killer.

I don't recall any of the Bush family speaking about Trump "with the bark off". Silence is assent. May she rest in peace.

I had limited contract with the woman. I was neither intimidated nor impressed but it was always clearly her desire. unimpressed, sorry.

Barbara Bush... wasn't she the person who commented about the Katrina victims who had to be evacuated and ended up in the Astrodome? About the people who lost their houses while her son was saying "Heckuva job, Brownie" she said this "And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this - this is working very well for them." Right. Working very well for them. So Buckley's comments about her telling it like it is seems more like a precursor to Donald Trump than a paean to the woman...

This is lovely. Affectionate and funny, and the real Mrs.Bush comes across. Nothing pollyannish about this story. May she rest in peace, and condolences to her family. I may not agree with their politics, but "all happy families are alike", and it seems obvious the Bushes are a happy family, in no small part thanks to Barbara Bush.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful reflections on a marvelous human being. Heaven is richer and Earth is poorer with Mrs. Bush being called home.

A lovely tribute to a class act. Your affection shines thru

What is being described are memories of overt behaviors. By a fellow human being. A mensch. Notwithstanding her status. For which the label "no-nonsense" is irrelevant. Although this article does not use the word, Mr. Bickley infers that Mrs. Bush took responsibility for her words and deeds. Those said. Those done. Those not said. Or done. For whatever the reasons and whatever the consequences. An admirable model for daily living in our conflicted, divided culture and country in which taking personal responsibility for words and deeds by elected and selected policymakers, local to national ones, is more "foreign" than the very THEMs who are "foreignated" and "danger-mongered." In a nation of immigrants from all over. Throughout our UP and DOWN history. You have written a warm tribute to a complex "mensch." Mrs Bush lived a long life. At many levels. And as a "mensch" she too was surely flawed. Which reminds me of the old tale of a person telling a relative, or friend, about some one they both know, who has died."You know, one shouldn't say bad things about people who have died." "Yup" "X died." "Good!" RIP Barbara Bush. Your very human, daily, BEING, could surely handle behavioral "flaws" as being a basic ingredient of just being human. Amidst many, both THEN and NOW, whose flaws outweigh their daily gift of being alive and having the opportunity to say and do good for the many. "No-nonsense" need-not-be-shameless! Complacency and shameful behavior has infected so many.

Wasn't HW a VP in 1981?

I'm just waiting for the articles that acknowledge her classist and racist remarks. See her comments about Hurricane Katrina. Have you all lost your minds? She was the wife and mother of Oil zelaots -that pried property and dignity away from people in search of Oil money at all costs. To knowingly marry into a family like that, shows what character she might have had. I am sorry that she has passed, but lets not say that she brought grace to the White House. She kept company with international bullies.

She was a great woman as well as First Lady and a humanitarianl. She was devoted to her marriage and wasn't a nagger. She knew how to handle her husband and yet, make him whole.

Thanks Chris, for generating a smile and warm memories. I had dinner with the VP and the Silver Fox in DC, back in 1984, when I was working for Walter Mondale's campaign, and she was so upset that i was not working for the incumbent - even though she acknowledged that Fritz was a 'good man' who had been gracious during the handover back in 1981 - i thought she might take my plate away. The awkwardness was ultimately dissipated by the vice-president's charming wit and the request for tolerance voiced by the one of her sons who was also in attendance. The memory, of course, is still alive. Thank you, Mrs. B, for your inspiring loyalty, wit and strength. We will miss you.

The drink anecdote is cute but troubling. If my husband was taking medication and ordered a drink that I knew could potentially harm him and an acquaintance overruled me and when I said "no" to the drink, I'd be really angry. It's the wife or husband who has to deal with the results of people on meds who have a drink, not the acquaintance. Never a good idea to mix booze with medication for any reason and, frankly, not entertaining to read about making a concerned wife appear to be an ogre.

Yes, she was blunt. When I met her at a reception at Blair House in 1988 and was introduced as Chairman of Students for Bush in the District of Columbia, her response after shaking my hand was, “My goodness! Everyone has a title!” ;-)

How does the author's self-deprecating deflection of praise make him a "Pollyanna"?

"Mr. Bush’s fingers reached for Mrs. Bush’s derrière and gave it a pinch." Old habits die hard, apparently.

May I recommend "Loving Mum and Pup" to the readers who appreciated this column. I've read it more than once and, like this account, it will bring you to both tears and laughter. He's a wonderful author.

Beautiful article. Your tribute is heartfelt and authentic. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for writing this article, Mr. Buckley. I laughed several times while reading it. I was fortunate to see George W. deliver a keynote address at a conference I attended last week. It was really more of an informal interview and covered many topics. Mr. Bush mentioned his parents several times, in passing, during the conversation, and he chuckled several times when he mentioned stories about his mother and the audience laughed along with him. What a lovely blessing Barbara has been for us all. I love the nickname, Mrs. No-Nonsense. And that she gave people feedback with the "bark off". Great piece of writing.

I remember hearing of the deep affection and high regard for Mrs. Bush in the Indian Village neighborhood of Rye, an affection and regard that I -- a liberal Democrat who never had the privilege of meeting her -- shared. We have lost a great American and a great lady. Thank you, Mr. Buckley, for sharing your delightful memories!

Don't mean to detract from all the cute anecdotes about Barbara Bush. But, if she did have "a bull-detector like no one and "gave it to you with the bark off," she should have used it on "her own (adored) son" when he and his cronies (Cheney & co.) led us into the Iraq war on a bull excuse that it had weapons of mass destruction -- a war that has caused us to be militarily engaged in the Middle East for 15 years at a stunning cost in blood and treasure.

Worth a mention that, with George at her side, she enjoyed a bourbon and fielded calls Monday, according to press accounts.

A truly classy First Lady. I can't help but think that maybe America would have been better served if some of the wives had been running things. I'd vote for Michelle Obama.

This was wonderful, Mr. Buckley. Too bad Mrs. Bush had to die for us to read so many interesting and fun things about her. For the Bush family I would say, so sorry, cherish you memories. For you three words: publish more columns.

Oh, my word. The heir apparent to Russell Baker, Christopher Buckley, writes a self-deprecating, hilarious but affectionate account of an encounter with Barbara Bush. After reading Buckley's insight into her "No-Nonsense" personality, I fantasize about sitting next to Barbara Bush on a plane. I try to strike up a conversation by recalling what I imagined was her reaction to her son's speech at the Republican Convention. I tell her how she seemed impassive when he said something to the effect that if he doesn't do the right thing that woman over there with the white hair will have something to say about it. I would say that I remember the camera panning over to her while laughter erupts on the Convention floor. I muse that I imagine her saying, "Get on with it George." Reacting to my lame attempt at insight, she would fiercely protect her son and again remain impassive as if to say, "I am not amused." I would feel like a jerk. It would sting.

Your conclusion is exactly what I thought when I heard the news: What will he do without her?

None of the old WASPs who used to run America before the disastrously self-centered, nonsense-loving boomers took over had any tolerance for nonsense. Only Robert Mueller is still around to remind us of the tremendous virtues of these old-school Republicans (I'm a Bernie bro myself), epitomized by FDR the Dem traitor to his class of course, which is now, alas, from "the world of yesterday," as we now slip deeper and deeper into the swamp of "the culture of narcissism" the boomers created. The swamp of self most grotesquely epitomized by our incredibly childish Boomer-in-Chief. Like Mueller, his nemesis, the other old WASPs were, above all, clear-eyed, highly educated realists and ADULTS--now a fading memory, alas.

That’s not what being a Pollyanna means.

Thank you sir for a fond remembrance of Mrs. Bush. And the former president was entitled to his vodka martinis, even if the former First Lady objected. I doubt that you outfoxed "the Silver Fox". She undoubtedly saw through the charade but acquiesced to her husband's martini request and approved, frosty smile and all. That's the way love is.

Lovely.

"But when you earned her affection... you knew it was real." A Roman Catholic nun I know tells of walking along the beach in Maine some years ago while on her annual spiritual retreat. Totally unexpectedly, she met Barbara Bush, also walking on the beach. They chatted as strangers do and exchanged contact information. They stayed in touch, and a few years later, Barbara Bush sent the nun a gift plant on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of her religious vows. That's real.

Thank you for your moving piece. Having lost both parents, in-laws, and increasingly, friends too young, I was again reminded that loss will be a companion until my own end. I neither knew the Bushes personally nor always agreed with their politics, but I share their loss of Mrs. Bush as an engaged citizen, respected member of society, and a model for prioritizing family relationships above other earthly concerns. Thank you for your life example Mrs. Bush, we are all better for knowing you, even from a distance.

I Googled Christopher Buckley a few days ago to see what he had written recently. I remember when he was in his late teens and learning to ice skate in the rink in Stamford CT near his home. This column today is surely one of his best. Thank you for sharing some special moments with a very special lady.

Mr. Buckley, you certainly delivered with this piece-and nothing Pollyanna about it! Wonderful. Thanks.

"What is conceivable, today, is the awful weight of Mr. Bush’s loss, and America’s." Well said.

thank you for these stories. my take is that she is the archetype for the well educated, type AAA east coast blue blood . a genre that is dying or has died out with her passing. as you mention, this is not an easy type of person to be close to at times..... which brings to mind her eldest son. i have known a lot of men that were the eldest and most suffered under the inexperience and expectations of their parents. peace to all of the bushes and eldest sons everywhere.