Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Hillary's voice heard at meeting Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 15:07:56 EST Message-ID: \SE A \HD Hillary's voice heard at meeting \BY Frank J. Murray \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Hillary Clinton was portrayed yesterday by President-elect Bill Clinton as a talkative full participant in his first strategy meeting with Democratic congressional leaders. "She was. She stayed the whole time, stayed the whole time," Mr. Clinton said at a news conference when asked if his lawyer wife - barred by law from paid appointive government work while he is president - was at the table for initial legislative talks Sunday night. Mrs. Clinton, wearing her trademark headband that recently has been less in evidence and garbed in a fitted purple suit with gold buttons, was the only woman at a dinner meeting with her husband and the Democratic leadership. "[She] talked a lot. She knew more than we did about some things. I think they would agree with that," Mr. Clinton, grinning broadly, said of his wife, who may speak at her first post-election Washington appearance tomorrow night at a Children's Defense Fund reception. He gestured for affirmation from the others arrayed behind him - Vice President-elect Al Gore, House Speaker Thomas Foley, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt. But Mrs. Clinton's spokeswoman sought to downplay her role when asked by The Washington Times about topics she had addressed. "Mrs. Clinton was a hostess at the dinner last night with congressional leaders. Beyond that, it was a private dinner. I have nothing else to add," said Lisa Caputo, who was perhaps more attuned than the president-elect to the response first ladies have met for advising husbands across a pillow or a conference table. Historically, the critics' harpoons flew when a first lady's role emerged during or after their husband's term: Rosalynn Carter attended Cabinet meetings, Nancy Reagan screened schedules and speeches with the aid of an astrologer, Eleanor Roosevelt was a surrogate for an infirm husband, and Edith Wilson virtually ran the country after her husband suffered a stroke. After her husband left office, Mrs. Carter confessed, "I'd say, 'I just want my legislation out of HHS, Monday 9 a.m.!' . . . If things were not moving as fast as we thought they should, I'd have Jimmy call the staff and say, 'What's the status of Rosalynn's legislation?' " But no first lady was saddled with such candor about her role before entering the White House as the president-elect expressed yesterday. And Mrs. Clinton wasn't talking about it, her spokeswoman said. Miss Caputo said Mrs. Clinton has never directly addressed controversies over the extent to which she should advise the president or interact with others in government but expects she will be asked to address such issues in pre-inauguration interviews. During the campaign, Mrs. Clinton stepped somewhat out of the limelight on policy questions after her personal politics were portrayed as more radical and liberal than those of her husband. "She will be the first first lady, at least in modern times, who has had to balance a career with the responsibilities of a mother and a family," Miss Caputo said. The 45-year-old Mrs. Clinton plans to sever her ties with a Little Rock, Ark., law firm and take a low-key role in the transition, Miss Caputo said. After a family Thanksgiving in Little Rock, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton and their 12-year-old daughter, Chelsea, will vacation Nov. 27 at the California home of Harry and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, wealthy Arkansas-born political supporters in the entertainment industry. The couple created the television sitcoms "Designing Women" and "Hearts Afire" and helped galvanize contributors to Mr. Clinton's campaign. Webster Hubbell of the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock said yesterday that Mrs. Clinton had not yet begun "wrapping up her obligations" and that she remains involved in a trademark case involving Holsum Bakeries Inc. and in other open cases handled by associates. "Unfortunately, we're going to lose a fine lawyer here," Mr. Hubbell said. Mrs. Clinton, who at age 15 organized a church baby-sitting service for children of migrant workers, has said her White House issue of choice will be the interests of children and families. She has given no indication, however, what form that work might take. "She would like to be a voice for children in the White House. She is taking time right now to think that through herself," Miss Caputo said. "As to the specifics of that approach, she hasn't worked through in her own mind." She feels that children and children's causes have been "neglected over the past 12 years," Miss Caputo said. With occasional lapses on issues such as gun control and abortion, Barbara Bush has lent her presence to literacy drives and a few selected causes - keeping policy views to herself and insisting she didn't lobby President Bush. "I'm not elected to anything," she told one questioner after another, sometimes seeming to despair over the passion to elicit views that might be at odds with those of Mr. Bush. One thing that won't happen for Mrs. Clinton is a paid administration job, unless Congress changes a law banning nepotism in appointments. The law was passed in reaction to President John Kennedy's selection of his brother Robert as attorney general. History shows that first ladies who forgo political advice do not buy themselves immunity from criticism. President Andrew Jackson's wife was called a bigamist, Mary Todd Lincoln was mockingly called the "presidentress," Frances Folsom was embarrassed by press accounts of her as the 21-year-old "Yum-Yum" after her engagement to President Grover Cleveland, and a number of first ladies have been haunted by charges of alcoholism. In 1797, in words that have been echoed ever since, Abigail Adams summed it up before her husband succeeded George Washington and they became the first family to live in the White House: "I expect to be vilified and abused with my whole family when I come into this situation." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. 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