Today and Tomorrow? First Lady as TV Host

When Laura Bush appears on The Today Show tomorrow morning, as a guest host of the 9 a.m. hour, she should provide some desperately needed PR—both for her husband, and for NBC's marathon morning show.

Her live hosting gig is the first ever by a sitting first lady. It's a boost for NBC, which has been scrambling to come up with an extra hour a day of programming since introducing a fourth hour for the show back in September. Earlier this month, the network brought Kathie Lee Gifford on to co-host the 10 a.m. slot, which has had lower ratings than the three previous hours.

"The idea of a sitting first lady hosting the show: It's a bit of a coup," says Charles Rutman, chief executive of MPG North America, a media planning and buying company based in New York.

And her stint may help Mrs. Bush in a post-White House career.

Does she have a second career after the administration is over?" Rutman speculates. "She's a very articulate person and can bring credibility and authority to the face of TV."

Her hour will include a pretaped tour of the Crawford Ranch, with a special focus on the "green, eco-friendly design of the home," according to an NBC press release. She will also take part in a competition with Ann Curry and Al Roker to see who can make the best po'boy, supervised by chef John Besh, the owner of four New Orleans eateries.

Her daughter Jenna will appear to promote Read All About It!, the children's book she wrote with her mom, and presumably to dole out hints about her upcoming wedding, the subject of a piece in this month's Vogue. Her twin Barbara, who has never visited the show before, will join the family on the air.

For President Bush—who is experiencing some of the lowest approval ratings of his presidency and enduring ridicule for a recent proposal to curb greenhouse-gas emissions by the year 2025—the focus on the "green" initiatives of his Texas ranch is no doubt welcome.

And Laura Bush has proved consistently popular throughout Bush's presidency. She can expect to attract a large audience of fans and curious spectators. It may also help that she is appearing on the morning of the Pennsylvania primary, when politics will loom large in the minds of many.

"With four hours to fill, [guest hosts] help spice things up a little bit," says Jim Bell, the show's executive producer. He adds that the White House had been pleased with previous Today Show interviews featuring Laura and Jenna Bush, and "we like to try new things. So why not?"

Sophia Banay

Above, Laura Bush waves as she boards Air Force One with the president.

Photo by Bernd Settnik/epa/Corbis

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