Laura Bush did not disclose skin cancer surgery
It is reported that First Lady Laura Bush had a skin cancer tumor removed from her right shin in early November. It was disclosed yesterday, but an aide said that she did not disclose it because it is no big deal and they knew it was no big deal at the time.
Regarding claims from the press that it had to be disclosed because the First Lady is an important public figure, spokesman Tony Snow said at a White House briefing, “Unlike her husband, the First Lady is not an elected official. She has the same right to medical privacy that you do.”
Mrs. Bush's comments came a day after the White House acknowledged that she had a skin cancer removed from her right shin a few days after the November 7 election. As soon as it was disclosed, correspondents at the White House urged Snow to tell more. They criticized the White House’s attitude to keep it secret, asking, “Tell us more about her skin cancer. Is she okay? Why did you decide not to reveal it until we asked you?”
Snow briefly said, “She is okay. It is not a big deal, and she has the same right to medical privacy that you do.” It was revealed only after the First Lady's press secretary, Susan Whitson, was asked why Laura Bush was wearing a bandage on her leg. The reporters criticized the White House’s secretive policy, asking, “Is the Vice-President okay now? Weren’t there any healthy problems for him?” Vice President Dick Cheney has had several heart disease operations.
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 / 입력시간: 2006. 12.21. 08:06
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