Laura Bush says Obama is doing a good job

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Former first lady Laura Bush broke ranks with many Republicans when she said Monday she thinks U.S. President Barack Obama is going a good job.

In an interview with CNN, Bush defended Obama's decision to deliver a back-to-school address to students, saying the president should talk to schoolchildren and encourage them. She didn't completely dismiss the conservative concern the president will use the address to push his agenda.

The former first lady spoke in Paris, where she was attending a United Nations meeting on global literacy.

Bush noted Obama has a lot on his plate, making it difficult to accomplish everything.

She praised first lady Michelle Obama for making the White House a comfortable home for her family.

The former first lady criticized the intensely polarized nature of American politics which she attributed to many congressional districts being represented by either very conservative or very liberal politicians. She said it is not fair to label Obama a socialist, as many of his conservative critics do.