First Lady Laura Bush, 54, made her professional solo debut in what she called "our new hometown" (Washington D.C.) Thursday, the same day that her husband, President George W. Bush, called (hastily, at that) his first news conference. Making good on her campaign promise to put education in the forefront of the nation's agenda, Laura Bush launched a drive to recruit professionals willing to give up six-figure salaries in favor of two-year teaching stints at inner city schools. "My husband is partial to teachers," she quipped at a gathering held at the Patricia Roberts Harris Educational Center, which is located in a largely African American area of Southeast Washington. "In fact, he married one 23 years ago." Relaxed and smiling, reported Reuters, Mrs. B told a group of wide-eyed first graders of her having "admired one of my teachers so much that I decided that I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. Her name was Miss Gnagy, and she was my second grade teacher." Meanwhile, at his gathering, President Bush said that he would not comment on the growing pardon scandal surrounding his predecessor Bill Clinton, suggesting that reporters go talk to him instead.