Jane Norton to Run for Colorado Senate Seat

Add former Colorado Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton to the list of Republican women looking to run for office in 2010. On Tuesday, September 15, the native Coloradan traveled the state to announce that she would be entering the race to unseat Democrat and current United States Senator Michael Bennett. During her announcement speech, she was not hesitant to tackle Washington D.C.'s "giant hand,"

"Seizing control of our car companies, banks, insurance companies - exploding the national debt - and chipping away at individual liberty. And now, the federal government is attempting a take-over of 17% of our nation’s economy in the form of government-run health care. They have unleashed a tidal wave of spending unprecedented in American history... That is why I have decided that I cannot and will not sit by and do nothing."

Norton also addressed illegal immigration and a subject that has been a big part of her own life: health care. With a Bachelor's degree in health sciences, Norton has served in a number of prominent health care-related positions. Not only did she serve her home state as the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, but she also served under President Reagan as the regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. On health care, she had this to say,

"We need to reduce the cost of health insurance by promoting choice and competition. We need to provide tax equity so that people who buy their own insurance receive the same tax benefits as those who get insurance through their employers. We need real tort reform that limits expensive and frivolous lawsuits that drive up costs. And we need to tell President Obama and Senate Democrats that cutting Medicare for seniors as a way to pay for health care reform is immoral and wrong. And as the daughter of two Medicare recipients, I will not allow this to happen."

So who exactly is Jane Norton?

She was born October 12, 1954 in Grand Junction, Colorado, to Walter "Bus" and Elinor Bergman. After graduating from Grand Junction High School and Colorado State University, she began teaching middle school and would eventually work for Medical Group Management Association, heading its Office of State Government Relations and Office of Strategic Relationships. She also holds a Master's degree from Regis University. Norton is married to Mike Norton, former United States Attorney of Colorado, is the mother of two children and two step-children, and grandmother to seven.

Norton has been involved with Republican politics for most of her adult life and has served in countless leadership roles. She was a member of the Colorado General Assembly from 1986-1987. In 2003, she became the 46th Lieutenant Governor of Colorado where she achieved a number of accomplishments including appointing a state court judge, signing legislation into law, and hosting the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the Jordanian Armed Forces. She also convened a Committee to Promote Adoption, was chair of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, co-chair of the Colorado Space Coalition, worked tirelessly to help small businesses to purchase lower health care plans, restored funding to the Ryan White AIDS Drug Assistance Program, oversaw the Governor’s Commission on Community Service, and was recognized for her countless other efforts in matters such as veterans affairs, education, community preparedness, strengthening families, and numerous other health care-related services. She also served as part of a Council of State Governments delegation to Mexico that worked to promote dialogue between American leaders and their Mexican counterparts on trade, cross border cooperation, and immigration policy.

Jane Norton currently works to support law enforcement as the executive director for the Denver Police Foundation, a group that reaches out to police officers and their families in times of crisis and also, provides equipment, training and technology. She also serves as as President of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Emergency Preparedness Partnership. Norton has participated in a tour of the nation's missile defense operations, the West Point Combating Terrorism Center and National Homeland Defense Foundation Symposium training sessions. She is also a graduate of the FBI's Citizen's Academy.

The Life of Nancy Reagan

A quick search of the internet and it's hard to find very many pictures of Nancy Reagan without her husband, President Ronald Reagan by her side. But then again, the former first lady has been quoted as saying, "My life really began when I married my husband."

While the President and Mrs. Reagan were seemingly one of the closest couples to ever reside in the White House, life for Nancy Davis Reagan actually began on July 6, 1921 in Manhattan. She was born to Kenneth Robbins, a car salesman, and actress, Edith Luckett. Her parents split up shortly after she was born, and Mrs. Reagan would spend a few years living with her aunt and uncle in Maryland, but in 1929, her mother married Loyal Davis, a neurosurgeon, the man she would refer to as her father. The family moved to Chicago where she attended Girls' Latin School and spent her time swimming, playing tennis and dancing.

Mrs. Reagan attended Smith College in Massachusetts where she studied English and theater. Upon graduation, she returned home to Chicago where she worked as both a nurse's aide and a sales clerk in a Marshall Field's department store, but soon the acting bug bit and Reagan moved to New York City to follow in her mother's footsteps, becoming a professional actress. There, she gained roles in Zasu Pitts' 1945 road tour of Ramshackle Inn and the Broadway musical Lute Song before moving to Hollywood and signing a seven year contract with MGM. During that time, Reagan appeared in eleven feature films including Hellcats of the Navy in which she starred opposite her husband. Mrs. Reagan's acting received mixed reviews but in an 1975 interview, she claimed, "I was never really a career woman but became one only because I hadn't found the man I wanted to marry. I couldn't sit around and do nothing, so I became an actress."

Despite dating several Hollywood leading men, including Clark Gable, Mrs. Reagan would go on to marry President Reagan on March 4, 1952, three years after they met and she then retired from acting. The couple had two children, Patti and Ron, in addition to the President's children, Michael and Maureen, from a previous marriage. Throughout the years, the couple was known for being particularly attentive with each other and very much in love. Each spoke very fondly of the other in public letters and interviews and Mrs. Reagan was often thought of as a huge influence on many of her husband's political decisions. Actor Charlton Heston even referred to their relationship as "the greatest love affair in the history of the American Presidency."

As her husband became involved with politics, Mrs. Reagan devoted much of her time to various causes and charity organizations. She visited and worked with veterans, the elderly, and handicapped and she was appointed to the California Arts Commission. As the first lady of California, she was voted "Woman of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times.

In January 1981, Mrs. Reagan became First Lady of the United States. Many say she brought a glamour and formality back to the role that had been missing for many years. Mrs. Reagan was very interested in fashion; her wardrobe consisted of many designer gowns and suits and she employed two private hairdressers. She also attended the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and hosted over 56 state dinners during her eight years in Washington DC. One of her first tasks was fixing up the White House, which, at the time, had been described as being "in a state of disrepair" by an aide. Mrs. Reagan renovated and redecorated many parts of the White House with privately donated funds, claiming, "This house belongs to all Americans, and I want it to be something of which they can be proud."

The "Just Say No" drug awareness campaign is perhaps one of the most notable aspects of Mrs. Reagans's legacy. She traveled over 250,000 miles around the world and the United States to inform people of the dangers of drug abuse. She spoke to schoolchildren, visited drug abuse prevention programs and drug rehabilitation centers, and appeared on several television talk shows. She even made several guest appearances on television shows such as "Dynasty" and "Diff'rent Strokes" and spoke at the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first First Lady to do so.

Once the couple left Washington DC, they returned home to California where they split their time between their ranch in Santa Barbara and a home in Bel Air. Mrs. Reagan continued to stay in the public eye. In 1989, she established the Nancy Reagan Foundation and continued to speak out against drug and alcohol abuse. She also authored a book about her time as First Lady. When the President was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 1994, she often appeared publicly on his behalf, and became very involved with the National Alzheimer's Association. Since her husband's death in 2004, she has made appearances at a number of national events, despite her deteriorating health.

Barbara Bush: The Bush Family Matriarch

As Americans, the Bush family has been a part of lives for the better part of three decades. While male members of the family have served as governors, vice presidents, and presidents, the women behind them served their country and became just as recognizable as their famous husbands. Today, we'll take a look back at the life of former First Lady Barbara Bush.

Much like her daughter-in-law, Barbara Pierce Bush has been one of the most well-received first ladies in American history. Her warm manner, her witty charm, and her love for others has even earned her the nickname "everybody's grandmother." Mrs. Bush was born in 1925 in Rye, New York, to Pauline and Marvin Pierce. Some of her fondest memories include swimming, tennis, and bike-riding, and it was at an early age that she developed a love for reading, which would later inspire to take on a great cause. She attended boarding school in South Carolina and it was there, at the age of sixteen, that she met George Herbert Walker Bush. The two would be engaged a year and a half later, just before he went off to war as a member of the United States Navy. Barbara Bush went on to attend Smith College but dropped out when her fiance came home from war. Two weeks later the two were married on January 6, 1945.

When the future President graduated from Yale, the two moved to Texas to begin life together. While he built a business in the oil industry and started a career in politics, Mrs. Bush took care of the couple's six children: George, Robin, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. Unfortunately, life took a turn for the worse when the couple's daughter, Robin, was just three years old; she died from a battle with leukemia. But Mrs. Bush insists the experience helped "love every living human more."

During President Bush's political career, Mrs. Bush was always at his side. Her friendly, likable manner helped win over both the voters and the press. When Bush became Vice President under President Ronald Reagan, Mrs. Bush decided to take on literacy as her special cause, calling it "the most important issues we have" as Americans. Mrs. Bush donated much of her time to the cause and eventually became the Honorary Chairman of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. She has also been involved with various other issues including AIDS, homeless, work with the elderly, and school volunteer programs. During her time as First Lady, Mrs. Bush was also known for being seen with Millie, her English Springer Spaniel, and even wrote a children's book about the dog.

Since leaving the White House in 1993, Mrs. Bush has remained a public figure. She openly supported her son's bid for President and has been present at many of his events. She has been inducted several women's fraternities, and has had at least five elementary and middle schools named for her. She currently serves on the boards for the Mayo Clinic and AmeriCares and heads the Barbara Bush Foundation for Literacy.

She and the former President split their time between their home in Houston, Texas and Kennebunkport, Maine.

Senator Elizabeth Dole: A Life of Public Service

Mary Elizabeth Hanford Dole was born in Salisbury, North Carolina on July 29, 1936. She went on to attend Duke University, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She did her post-graduate work at Oxford and upon leaving Oxford, took a job as a high school teacher in Massachusetts while pursuing her Master's Degree in education at Harvard. While there, she also graduated from Harvard Law School. In 1972, she was introduced to Senator Bob Dole, who would become her husband three and a half years later.

Dole began working in Washington DC during the last years of the Lyndon Johnson administration and stayed on to work for President Richard Nixon. Under Nixon, she served as Deputy Assistant for Consumer Affairs and was later appointed to the Federal Trade Commission. In 1975, Dole made the decision to become a Republican and campaigned for her husband who ran as Vice President with Gerald Ford on the Republican ticket in 1976. In 1980, she left the White House to support her husband's run for President.

During the Reagan years, Dole served as director of the White House Office of Public Liaison before becoming the first woman to be appointed as Secretary of Transportation. During her time as Secretary center high-mounted stop lamps became mandatory on all new cars She worked with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to withhold federal highway funds from any state with a drink age below 21 and privatized the national freight railroad.

When President George Bush was elected to office in 1989, Dole served as the Secretary of Labor. Two years later, she became president of the American Red Cross where she served for eight years. During that time, she once again campaigned for her husband's bid for the presidency in 1996. In 2000, Dole, herself, ran for President but dropped out of the race before the primaries began. She was later believed to be among the choices of potential Vice Presidential candidates before President George W. Bush finally chose Dick Cheney.

This led Dole to set her sights on her home state of North Carolina. Even though she had not actually lived in the state in over 40 years, Dole won the Senate race by a large margin. In 2004 she became the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. During her time in the Senate, she served on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services where she was able to prevent any North Carolina military bases from being closed. She also served on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Aging, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Dole ran for Senator again in 2008, but lost to Democrat Kay Hagan.

Elizabeth Dole has written two books: Hearts Touched by Fire: My 500 Most Inspirational Quotations in 2004 and along with her husband, Unlimited Partners: Our American Story in 1988 (though it was re-released in 1996). Recently, the Dole's spoke at the University of Kansas. Elizabeth Dole told the crowd she began getting involved in politics when she was in high school and served the student government. She went on to become the class president during her senior year at Duke. "The whole world of public policy and politics was like a magnet to me," she said as she reflected on her many years of public service.