Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2004 | 9:33 a.m.
First lady Laura Bush exemplified leadership to her twin daughters back when they were in the first grade.
With everyone wearing matching pajamas, the now-first lady led the twins and their friends in an slumber party conga line throughout the house, with the girls matching every step, kick and shimmy, her daughter, Barbara Bush, said during a political rally Monday at the Valley View Recreation Center in Henderson.
Today, the 22-year-old twins could probably show their mother a few things on the dance floor, Barbara Bush said, but they still strive to follow their mother's example in life, whether it's promoting education or women's rights in Afghanistan.
Barbara and her twin sister Jenna shared that and other stories with a group of about 60 supporters of the Nevada W Stands for Women organization on Monday. The twins and a panel of female political leaders, including President Bush's sister Doro Bush Koch, promoted the president before the predominantly female crowd by touting the women who support him.
"My dad always says that one huge benefit for voting for him is to keep Mom in the White House for four more years," Barbara Bush said.
With Condoleezza Rice as his national security adviser and Margaret Spellings as his assistant on domestic policy, women are in leadership positions both at home and abroad, Barbara Bush said.
President Bush has more women in his administration than any other president before him, Barbara Bush said, and her mother was the first first lady to give one of the president's weekend radio addresses.
Jenna Bush said that when her father proposed, her mother was unsure if she wanted to marry into such a political family. She made him promise that she would never have to give a political speech.
"He agreed, and they were married," Jenna Bush said. "And she's given 30 political speeches in the last month."
Barbara Bush said the crowd usually goes wild when her mother speaks.
"It's a little bit like having a rock star for a mom, except she goes to bed at 9:30," Barbara Bush said.
The two did share some stories about their dad. Jenna Bush said when they were younger, he would drag the whole family to Texas Rangers games. Bush owned the team.
On one particularly hot August game when the Rangers were losing as usual, Jenna Bush said she dressed up like a mummy with wet paper towels in order to "embarrass" her father into leaving the game early.
But he stayed until the end, Jenna Bush said.
"Dad always supports his team to the very last pitch," she said. "Dad sticks with his commitments and he can take the heat -- literally."
The speeches by the twins were followed by a panel on domestic policy issues moderated by Nevada Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt. Koch and Spellings were among the participants.
In an interview before the rally, Koch said the twins were doing a great job on the campaign stump, and that their young, hip attitudes were "breaking the stereotype of the Republican party."
"I'm very proud of Jenna and Barbara," Koch, co-chair of the W Stands for Women national steering committee, said.
"It's very hard to be 22 and to be in the public eye, but because they love their dad so much their willing to do it and they've been a hit on college campuses."
Attendance at Monday's event was open to the public through invitation only. Two news radio journalists were escorted out of the meeting room after they were unable to show sufficient credentials.
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