Backstairs at the White House
United Press International - September 10, 1998 21:18
%COMMENTARY %BACKSTAIRS V%UPI P%UPI
By HELEN THOMAS
UPI White House Reporter
WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton apparently has no intention of
making a public statement in support of her husband at this point.
Her press secretary Marsha Berry says the first lady is ''very
supportive'' of the president, adding she ''does love this man deeply
and she does forgives him.''
''I've sure she believes he will survive,'' Berry said.
The first lady has a very heavy schedule in the coming days and
weeks. She is accompanying the president on campaign trips, as well as
doing solo appearances in behalf of Democratic candidates. She also is
hosting a bicentennial evening on jazz and will be traveling to Latin
America later in the fall to meet with the other first ladies south of
the border.
There had been speculation that she would make a special plea for her
husband in an address to the nation. But so far that is not in the
cards.
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During their vacation at Martha's Vineyard, press secretary Mike
McCurry kept reporters in touch with the healing process between the
president and his wife after the revelation that he had an affair with
former intern Monica Lewinsky. He also indicated the president still had
a way to go for total forgiveness.
But on the way back from the nearly weeklong trip to Russia and
Ireland, McCurry pointed out that the sweater Clinton was wearing was a
gift from his wife, purchased in Ireland.
Press secretary Mike McCurry had mused months ago that some things
cannot be explained.
Other top aides had hung in longer but have developed a gloomy air in
view of the president's public confession that he had an affair with
Monica Lewinsky, a former intern. Many of the aides knew Lewinsky,
saying she used to hang around the West Wing and used to bring them
coffee.
Actually some of Clinton's closest former aides jumped ship months
ago, including George Stephanopoulos, who had been a senior adviser;
former chief of staff Leon Panetta; ex-press secretary Dee Dee Myers and
Dick Morris, his political guru who ran into personal problems himself
during the 1996 campaign.
Stephanopoulos was the first to suggest the possibility of
impeachment. Panetta followed on, calling on the president to ''come
clean.'' Morris, who wound up with his own television show, has also
chastised the president.
With friends like Clinton had, he needs no enemies. But on the other
hand, some of the aides feel the president let them down and allowed
them to go out on a limb for him even when he had not told them the
truth.
--
The trees spread across the White House lawn are among the Executive
Mansion's most cherished treasures, and so removing one is not taken
lightly. But one on the North Lawn, in the area in front of the West
Wing where television camera crews do their work, has been taken down.
Officials said the tree was being killed by Dutch elm disease and had
to be cut down before it fell on top of reporters. It was quickly
replaced by a full grown elm that now stands amid the lawn full of
talking heads.
Fortunately, unlike many of the trees on the White House compound
that were planted by various presidents, the diseased Dutch elm was just
an average citizen, and not a celebrity commemorative.
--
Now that he's apparently out of the golf doghouse, President Clinton
doesn't have to look any further than his own staff for partners. While
the president was shooting a 94 on the world famous Ballybunion golf
course in Ireland, his press aide, Michael Teague, shot an 88 and
thought he could have done better if he'd had a hint about the
intricacies of the challenging course.
''I could have used an old Irish guy or two,'' Teague said, instead
of the young caddies who offered such helpful suggestions as ''just aim
for the fairway.'' Clinton, by the way, was well versed on the course,
having pored over the details in books in the three years it took him to
get to Ballybunion. His biggest worry, he told reporters, was skewing a
ball off to the right on the very first hole, into the tiny graveyard
that parallels it. That, luckily, didn't happen.
Clinton may want to think twice, however, about tapping his national
security adviser, Sandy Berger, for a partner. Berger didn't disclose
his score, mumbling about a few bad holes, and declared, ''I played
Ballybunion and Ballybunion won.''
Clinton had originally planned to play the course in Western Ireland,
which sits perched on the edge of the Atlantic, in 1995 but had to
cancel when U.S. troops were dispatched to Bosnia.
--
The White House press room was built over a swimming pool that was
installed for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who suffered from infantile
paralysis. It was built with pennies from school children throughout the
country and sponsored by The New York Daily News.
Workers says the deep end of the pool is up front where the press
secretary's podium stands on a platform. From time to time when
reporters and cameramen have irritated the powers that be, there have
been quips about filling up the pool again, which is do-able.
Presidents Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson enjoyed the pool and often
swam to take a break from their official duties.
--
Copyright 1998 by United Press International.
All rights reserved.
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