The XX Factor: Slate women blog about politics, etc...

A Tale of Two Families

The Times' Sewell Chan wrote a good blog post yesterday on Lauren Bush, a fashion model and niece of the president who's promoting the FEED bag: "[A] reusable cloth bag that costs $60 and enables the food program to feed a child for one full school year." News of Lauren Bush's do-gooding got me wondering how the younger female members of our two dynastic families—the Bushes and the Clintons—match up.

I'm a loyal Democrat, but I must admit that the Bushes are racking up all the karma points. Besides promoting the FEED bag, Lauren Bush has served as an honorary spokeswoman for the U.N. World Food Program. And Jenna Bush just published a book called Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope, which chronicles her experiences working with U.N.-sponsored charities in Latin America. Chelsea Clinton, on the other hand, has joined the corporate ranks. She left McKinsey not too long ago to work at a hedge fund.

I find it interesting that the daughter of two Democrats chases cash while the Bush girls advance liberal causes. Is Chelsea acting out? Are the Bush girls rebelling against their conservative forebear? Or am I being too cynical? Maybe Chelsea figures the private sector is the only way she can get any, um, privacy. Maybe Lauren and Jenna really care about the United Nations.