Lady Bird Johnson is dead.

[MADem]

Source: MSNBC

Lady Bird Johnson dies, spokeswoman says
Former first lady was 94 years old

AUSTIN, Texas - Former first lady Lady Bird Johnson has died, a family spokeswoman says.

This breaking news story will be updated.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19717425 /

---

RIP, Lady.

[musette_sf]

1. Ann and Molly are in the welcoming party n/t

[Hekate]

43. Oh yes, we've lost some great Texas ladies lately. RIP Ms. Lady Bird. nt

[Hand]

54. Eleanor and Jackie will be right behind them! nt

[MissMillie]

75. and Barbara Jordan (n/t)

.

[JNelson6563]

76. Hear, hear!

[saracat]

2. RIP .One wonderful woman!

[MADem]

4. She sure was--they're doing a nice retrospective on MSNBC

A smart woman, ahead of her time--she loved WILDFLOWERS.

Lyndon was a guy who catted around, not always faithful, but he always came home to Bird. She was sharp as a tack, and a class act all the way.

[DURHAM D]

5. I would rather they talk about the fact she was

an early feminist.

[MADem]

18. They probably will in the days ahead. What you're seeing now on all the stations is the

"obit in the can." All those "Headliners and Legends" that you see at zero dark thirty in the morning? What they are is the obituary files--they figured they might as well use them for some cheap programming that people might be interested in--and most people do enjoy those every now and again.

I'm sure they were working hard to update her obit since she was released from hospital, figuring it was only a matter of time. Eh, her passing brings back a lot of memories from that time--that was quite an era--so many challenges, so much hope. War, and demands for peace. Civil rights, demonstrations...it certainly wasn't a boring era, anyway...!

[brentspeak]

3. Rest in peace, Mrs. Johnson

[kimmerspixelated]

6. At least, in her lifetime

she managed to beautify our nation's highways with wildflowers. Yep, SHE was the person behind that!

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. CNN.com has it as a red "Breaking news" banner but no story yet

http://www.cnn.com/

[MADem]

11. MSNBC finally has the print version, all it says is she died, she was 94 and the story will be

updated.

The best info is on the TV at this stage, I guess.

[LiberalFighter]

42. They don't have something already available? Geesh

I thought the news media had obituaries wrote up ahead of time.

[MADem]

47. The real papers will be ahead of the cable stations' on-line coverage

They probably also want to verify cause of death, get some background on her last days, so they have a good lead off paragraph. Since she's 2nd Tier in the Celebrity scheme of things (though she's tops in my book) they feel they can wait. They've got it all written up, make no mistake, they probably want the details of her final days to lead off with, is all. And their stock in trade, really, are the visuals, as well.

My concern (not, though, my FEAR--that's for Republicans!) is that the coverage of her will be eclipsed by this Chertoff "gut" nonsense. And that's unfair to her important legacy.

[Penndems]

44. The Washington Post has an outstanding tribute with photos:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[MADem]

50. Yep, the print outlets always do better with the written word and the stills.

And on edit--that's a beautiful and heartfelt piece, too.

[skyblue]

77. Thank you.

[caligirl]

8. Her nick name Lady Bird was given to her by her care taker as a child.

So now I finally know that. wondered for years where she got that.

[BeyondGeography]

9. A kinder, gentler First Lady

The Society for a More Beautiful National Capital...The Highway Beautification Act...she actually cared about BEAUTY.

All blessings to Lady Bird and her survivors.

[uppityperson]

10. RIP

[Grandrose]

12. Rest In Peace!

Such a great lady.

[LynneSin]

13. You will be missed - rest in Peace Lady Bird

..

[LSparkle]

14. I always really liked her -- especially her wildflowers/highway program

I learned about her interest in wildflowers in elementary school, while she was First Lady. I didn't like her husband necessarily but I always thought Lady Bird comported herself with dignity, humility ... just a genuine LADY.

Rest in peace ...

[Placebo]

15. She was an environmentalist before it was cool.

Godspeed Lady Bird.

[MADem]

20. She sure was! A smart one too--who says an "easy care, low maintenance" expanse of land

can't look great?

She also established a wildflower center. They named it after her.

[Tekla West]

16. Thank you

for being such a wonderful first lady. You will be missed.

[ceile]

17. RIP, Lady Bird.

Gosh, my state is losing all it's pioneering women. I'll miss you. I'm sure Lynda and Luci will keep up your legacy.

[daleo]

19. She had a long and interesting life. n/t

[yardwork]

21. I was just telling my kids about her the other day.

Every time I pass the fields of wildflowers along North Carolina's highways I think of her, and her many other contributions to our society.

She's in a better place now.

[elfin]

22. Sad here - a dear friend went to her home as part

of a National Garden Club meeting -- and was thrilled to report that in her bathroom was hung the same nightgown (Lanz (sp?)) that my friend wore.

Humanized Lady Bird even beyond my initial admiration of her for her groundbreaking work fir the environment camnoflaged as a "First Lady" interest.

May wildflowers become ever more exuberant in her honor.

She was a true friend of the natural environment - taking on entrenched corporate ineterests of her time.

Whatta woman!

I just hope her legacy is appreciated.

[MADem]

25. Everytime I see any splash of color on a highway I do think of her.

As long as I live, at least, so will her memory!

They say ya never really die if someone remembers who you were or what you did.

[madrchsod]

23. the list of lady birds accomplishments

is what every first lady should strive to achieve. why do the democratic first ladies accomplish far more than the republican first ladies?

[flakey_foont]

24. Rest in Peace

[LiberalEsto]

26. She also worked to ban billboards

There would be an awful lot more ugly billboards along America's highways if it weren't for her tireless efforts in the 1960s.

rest in peace

[MADem]

49. In some interesting irony, the HBO series "BIG LOVE" had a billboard executive in Utah bellowing at

a picture of his nemesis, Lady Bird, that he had posted over his trash can on one of those trash-basketball backstops. The main character in the series, the polygamist Bill Hendrickson, yelled at the guy for disrespecting the first lady.

[Madspirit]

27. RIP ...k&r....

As someone else said, Molly and Ann will be waiting. : <

RIP

Lee

[Beaverhausen]

28. Oh, rest in peace dear Lady Bird

[Penndems]

29. She was President Johnson's greatest asset

What a lovely, gracious and charming lady. Her Highway Beautification Projects literally changed the landscape of America.

RIP, Mrs. Johnson.




Mrs. Johnson's official White House portrait.

[mikelgb]

30. rip

i am sure to lean more about you through your passing

[Stinky The Clown]

31. Self Delete - dupe

Source: MSNBC

No link yet .... being covered on MSNBC live now.

See this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

No link yet.

[ChazII]

32. RIP n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

34. I'm sorry ... I deleted in favor of the thread that had replies before mine

[napi21]

33. God bless her. 94 is a very old age, and as far as I know, she didn't

suffer in her later years.

[Stinky The Clown]

35. Sorry .... deleted in favor of the other thread, which had replies before mine did.

[BeyondGeography]

36. Lyndon married well...what a great run

She actually cared about beauty. One has to admire her.

RIP

[BlueJazz]

37. At least...in this case, The good didn't die young. n/t

[wildhorses]

38. thanks for the wildflowers

rest in peace

[lovuian]

39. When I see the wildflowers on Texas Highways

i think of her Beautiful

[endarkenment]

40. A good person. A fine Texan. nt.

[cureautismnow]

41. R.I.P., Lady Bird

You were one of the classiest First Ladies we ever had.

[aquart]

45. Rest in peace, lady.

[StarryNite]

46. RIP Lady Bird

[Joey Liberal]

48. She couldn't stand Bush/Cheney any longer - RIP n/t

[Canuckistanian]

51. RIP. A gracious lady.

I just heard it on the radio.

[Faygo Kid]

52. God bless her. Dedicated to civil rights and the environment. Class act.

Of course, it was no "act." Couldn't have been easy being married to LBJ. One of the great First Ladies, and a great American.

Another icon of the '60s gone. Time is indeed marching on.

[lynnertic]

64. that took a lot of courage to do, too

In 1964 she went on a four-day, eight-state train tour of the southern United States, where she was met with hostility at each of 47 speeches she delivered in favor of the landmark Civil Rights Act and other programs her husband was promoting.

http://www.deadnotforgotten.com/blog/history-american/l... /



Do you think our current First Lady could handle that kind of criticism?
Remember how she looked at Coretta Scott King's funeral?

[Faygo Kid]

68. Thank you. Can you post this as a new thread?

I think your response deserves its own thread. Beautifully done; more importantly, a lesson in history not generally known. To speak out for civil rights in the Deep South in 1964 - well, she was an American hero.

[Hand]

53. She was a true First Lady.

Gracious, kind, warmhearted, and genuine. RIP Lady Bird--loved you then, will miss you now.

[sonias]

55. The great lady has gone home

May she rest in peace.

Loved her.



Sonia

[VelmaD]

56. I can't even begin...

to talk about Mrs. Johnson yet. She was wonderful, for all the reasons people have already brought up and more. I was fortunate enough to meet her during grad school (I went to the LBJ School at UT) before her health started to decline. She was a wonderful woman and had such an aura about her.

She had always been a bit of a hero of mine. I can remember seeing pictures of her (and Lyndon) when I was younger...mostly what I remember were pictures from when they were really working to get the Great Society programs passed. Pictures of Lady Bird with poor people and their children of all races in Appalachia and the South and inner cities. She always looked completely at ease no matter where she was and she put other people at their ease around her.

She will be missed but she lived a long and productive life. She brought more beauty into the world...no mean feat that. And I hope she and Lyndon and hanging out upstairs with all the other larger than life Texans and having a good ol' time.

[bluestateguy]

57. An outstanding First Lady

One of the best we have ever had.

[nevergiveup]

58. What a wonderful first lady she was

May she rest in peace.

[Neecy]

59. very sad news

I remember her well and always liked her.

The Bush family had nothing to do with her. I wonder if Laura will even show up for the funeral.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

60. Deepest condolences to her family and friends

Texas has lost another rose.

Rest in peace, Lady Bird.

[pitohui]

61. so sorry to hear this

we actually have two threads and perhaps they can be blended to put all our respects in one place

a woman who truly paid attention to the good, the beautiful, and the true -- those who honor beauty honor truth

[ChazII]

62. You were a gracious lady. RIP. n/t

[Greylyn58]

63. RIP Lady Bird

You were a wonderful First Lady and will be truly missed.

[burrowowl]

65. Thank you for the flowers, Lady Bird!

and for your work on Civil Rights and for everything!

[Odin2005]

66. RIP Mrs. Johnson. You were one of our greatest First Ladies.

[lonestarnot]

67. RIPJohnnie Appleseed Lady Bird Johnson,

[struggle4progress]

69. We really should get rid of some billboards in her memory

[TankLV]

70. May she rest in peace - she was a great lady and humanitarian...

unlike ALL repuke "first assholes - I mean "ladies"...

[Drunken Irishman]

71. Even though I new this was coming, it doesn't make it any easier.

Lady Bird was truly a giant and one of the most important American women of the 20th Century. Her forcefulness in supporting civil rights and the environment made America a far better nation. She was a true progressive that cared deeply about the planet and the people that inhabited it.

Godspeed, Lady Bird and hopefully we can continue working on saving our environment and helping those that are truly disadvantaged.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

72. May you rest in peace Lady Bird Johnson

You were a woman of honor, integrity, grace, class and dignity which was reflected in the way you lived your life and in your accomplishments both before, during and after your time as First Lady. You were a great woman and will be sadly missed by many in America and around the globe. Thank you for making this world a better place during your time here.

My deepest, most heartfelt and most sincere thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to Lady Bird Johnson's family tonight -especially her daughters, their spouses and her grandchildren

[Vidar]

73. RIP Lady Bird.

[Bridget Burke]

74. The story of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center....

Lady Bird Johnson, our former first lady, and Actress Helen Hayes founded an organization in 1982 to protect and preserve North America's native plants and natural landscapes. First as the National Wildflower Research Center and later as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, this special place exists to introduce people to the beauty and diversity of wildflowers and other native plants. Every day, the Wildflower Center brings life to Mrs. Johnson's vision in its public gardens, its woodlands and sweeping meadows as well as in internationally influential research. In 2006, the Center became an Organized Research Unit of the University of Texas at Austin.

Decades ago, Mrs. Johnson recognized that our country was losing its natural landscapes and its natural beauty. As much as 30 percent of the world’s native flora is at risk of extinction. The Wildflower Center was intended to help preserve and restore that beauty and the biological richness of North America. Since then, the Center has become one of the country’s most credible research institutions and effective advocates for native plants.

www.wildflower.org/about/

Check out the lovely pictures. Find wildflowers that will grow in your state or province, not just Texas. (You can even buy seeds.)

Here's the Tribute Page: www.ladybirdjohnsontribute.org /