What Should the Wife of a Politician Do?

Re “First Lady Wouldn’t Be Her Full-Time Job,” Aug. 6: Is it really still an “issue” that a politician’s wife chooses to pursue her own career? How many politicians’ husbands do we condemn for not staying home to bake cookies? Why is it an issue that people don’t know what she looks like or what she sounds like. Who cares? I’ll bet that most Americans would say the same thing about Vice President Dick Cheney.

So, it sounds like the fact that former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s wife, Judith Steinberg, is an intelligent, hard-working woman is a detriment to his campaign because, as Jennifer Duffy [of the Cook Political Report] puts it, “America wants a first lady.”

You’ve got to be kidding. I guess that means that the office of the chief executive is open only to married men and lesbians? We as a nation need to take a hard, serious look at our priorities.

Genevieve D. Sapir

Beverly Hills