Former First Lady Laura Bush has requested that the pro-gay marriage organization “Respect for Marriage Coalition” remove footage of her from an ad they have created.
Bush spokeswoman Anne MacDonald told the Dallas Morning News that the first lady “did not approve of her inclusion in this advertisement nor is she associated with the group that made the ad in any way.”
“When she became aware of the advertisement last night, we requested that the group remove her from it,” MacDonald told the paper.
“We used public comments for this ad from American leaders who have expressed support for civil marriage,” the group said. “We appreciate Mrs. Bush’s previous comments but are sorry she didn’t want to be included in an ad. The ad launched a public education campaign that will now move to new and different voices that reflect the depth and breadth of our support.”
A previous version of the ad featured Bush telling CNN: “When couples are committed to each other and love each other then they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has.”
“I guess that would be an area where we disagree,” Bush said, referring to her husband. “I understand totally what George thinks and what other people think about marriage being between a man and a woman, and it’s a real reversal really for that — to accept gay marriage.”
Respect for Marriage is now planning to begin airing an edited version of the ad during Sunday political talk shows.
