February 11, 2001

Gowns? What Gowns?

By JOHN LELAND

JACQUELINE KENNEDY took a pair of valuable antique tables. Millard Fillmore took a coach and six bay horses, then sold them after he left the presidency. Ronald and Nancy Reagan, after his two terms in office, left the White House with more than $1 million worth of dresses, jewelry, shoes and accessories.

When Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton moved out of Pennsylvania Avenue last month with a hefty boodle of gifts, they were widely criticized. But, clearly, the first family was in good company.

As William Seale, who edits the newsletter of the White House Historical Society, said, the Clinton harvest was bigger than that of most recent presidents, but the question of presidential gifts "has been a raw nerve for 200 years." Mr. Seale dates presidential gift controversies to James Monroe, who sold his personal furniture to the White House to finance his presidential travels, then reacquired it before leaving office in 1825. The resulting uproar was loud enough to ensure that American political life would forevermore include gifts as a topic that would allow "enemies to attack a president in a way anyone can understand," Mr. Seale said.

Presidential gifts have long been as slippery as campaign finances and have inspired as much creativity. Chief executives have left the White House bearing everything from precious jewels to, in the case of the last President Bush, at least 39 fishing rods. Several presidents had friends who bought them homes; Woodrow Wilson's bought him the White House limousine.

Most of the accumulation — including the Clintons' — is within the law. Presidents have few restrictions on what they can accept, other than from foreign rulers or foreign citizens. They cannot, however, pocket any gift intended for the White House itself.

The king of swag was Ulysses S. Grant, said Carl Sferrazza Anthony, author of "America's First Families: An Inside View of 200 Years of Private Life in the White House" (Touchstone, 2000). General Grant considered all presents to be rewards for his accomplishments in battle. He and various family members made off with tables inlaid with pearl and precious metals, Asian ceramic urns, scrolls of gold brocade and other riches, Mr. Anthony said.

Similarly, no one objected when a bereaved Mrs. Kennedy moved out with several items donated for the restoration of the White House. Two tables sold at auction in 1996 for $107,000 and $48,875. At the same auction, the White House paid $16,100 to buy back a drawing she removed.

Nancy Reagan drew criticism — and the interest of the I.R.S. — for her propensity for "borrowing" $20,000 couture dresses from designers, a practice which she said supported the fashion industry. Mrs. Reagan promised to stop, but then changed her mind. In "My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan" (Random House, 1989) she addressed her critics, concluding, "One reason may be that some women aren't all that crazy about a woman who wears a size 4, and seems to have no trouble staying slim."

But a majority of incoming gifts are less glamorous. Mr. Seale said that presidential coffers are filled with sculptures of the chief executive done in corn cobs, sugar, what have you. Most of these get shunted to public archives. "We had to throw out some of the peanut sculptures, because they were a health hazard," said Robert Bohanan, chief archivist at the Jimmy Carter Library.

Several presidents chose to avoid the unflattering comparison to hotel guests running off with the towels. Thomas Jefferson, John Tyler and Andrew Johnson all instructed their families not to take any gifts.

What is as striking as the size of the Clintons' haul is the prosaic nature of the goodies. Apart from a bridal shower's worth of kitchenware, much of it from Hollywood supporters like Steven Spielberg and Mary Steenburgen, the takings were modest. The gifts included items like a $350 golf club from the actor Jack Nicholson and a couple of television sets and a DVD player from Paul Goldenberg, owner of Paul's TV in La Habra, Calif.

"This isn't uncommon and seems a bit ridiculous," said James A. Abbott, co-author, with Elaine M. Rice, of "Designing Camelot: The Kennedy White House Restoration" (Wiley & Sons, 1997), referring to the haul and the criticism it has come under. "It's not like we're talking about historical artifacts."

Since Inauguration Day, when Mr. Clinton provided a list of $190,027 worth of intended booty, his haul has been shrinking. First the family agreed to reimburse friendly donors for $86,000 worth of china, flatware and other goods they received last year. Then on Wednesday, they returned another 11 gifts to the White House, because the donors had not specified whether the gifts were meant for the White House or the Clinton family.

So goes the shrinking presidency and its shrinking bounty. Perhaps the parting conflict over goodies was only a matter of closure, as we used to say back in the Clinton years. The scandals of the administration began in real estate and end, maybe, in home furnishings.

-- Tell Me it Tain't True! (but@it.is!), February 12, 2001

Answers

"The scandals of the administration began in real estate and end, maybe, in home furnishings."

And lingered for a time in ladie's lingerie.

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), February 12, 2001.

The difference between a gift and THEFT is obvious to most everyone but you and the Clintons!

"As far as we were concerned, they were government property," Walters said of all the gifts obtained for the $396,000 redecoration project.

This week, the Clintons returned the four items to the White House, along with other furnishings, after questions were raised about whether they actually belonged to the Clintons. Almost all the furnishings had been designated official White House property by the National Park Service in 1993.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 12, 2001.

Yesterday, the National Park Service released an inventory of all the furnishings returned this week by the Clintons. It included $28,500 in furnishings identified by The Post earlier this week as having been legally designated as White House property by the Park Service.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 12, 2001.

Hey Ain't, you moron, who STOLE THE WHITE HOUSE? THE ELECTION?

WHO STOLE DEMOCRACY?

You are a traitor to your country and a traitor to Lady Liberty, who was mugged and assaulted the right wing coup!!

-- Ain't is Pond Scum and a Traitor (traiator@to.democracy), February 12, 2001.

Al Gore is/was the traitor.... NOT Bush!

Al Gore - The Patriot - NOT! Traitor - YES!

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 12, 2001.

off

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 12, 2001.

Shut up Doc

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), February 12, 2001.

Et tu, Buddy?

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), February 12, 2001.

LOL!

Had to be either Doc or you, Pat, who posted the "Who stole the election" comments. Why post anonymously when it's so transparent?

I'm not particularly fond of either the Republicans or the Democrats, but I am certainly not fond of folks running around claiming that the U.S.A. election was stolen by a right-wing conspiracy. I think it was just a bit more complicated than a few thousand bad ballots in Florida. And what about the other thousands of bad ballots in every state in every election?

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), February 12, 2001.

Buddy, I'm surprised. I don't post with other handles, and neither does Doc.

All you had to do was ask.

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), February 12, 2001.

Sorry....

If it is, as you say, "so transparent", then why would either of us even bother with another handle?

Unbelievable. Ciao.

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), February 12, 2001.

Since Inauguration Day, when Mr. Clinton provided a list of $190,027 worth of intended booty

This is demonstrably false. Monica-booty is valued at $20.0 and she was high class booty for Bill.

-- (nemesis@awol.com), February 12, 2001.

It's a bit hard to believe that designer dresses in size 4 were only intended for the White House itself. Sounds more like a modeling fee to me, and most of those creations are only worn once anyway.

All in all, the Clintons didn't much exceed normal practice in this regard, and as this article says, most of their stuff was essence of WalMart. I just don't see any scandal here.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), February 12, 2001.

Who are the REAGONS?

-- Uncle Bob (unclb0b@aol.com), February 13, 2001.

Really Pat?

I suspect many here post with other handles, despite any denials.

Whatever.

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), February 13, 2001.

Buddy, I was going to reply with a remark but I'll keep my opinions to myself this time. Glad to see "et tu".

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), February 13, 2001.

Yes, "really", Buddy. Like I said, all you had to do was ask.

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), February 13, 2001.

I think it's time to tell you, Patricia. The joke's gone on far too long.

You have a battery-powered flashing NEON F*ck with me, please! sign attached to your forehead.

-- Rich (howe9@shentel.net), February 13, 2001.

I wondered, Rich. I thought it might be a "Kick Me" sign on my back. Well, at least I know what the problem is now. Thanks.

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), February 13, 2001.

Nothing personal. Just kicking ant hills. This place has gotten boring lately.

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), February 13, 2001.

Just clearing my conscience, Patricia. (Sniff, Sniff.)

See, I kicked in $5 towards the purchase of the flashing NEON F*ck with me, please! sign. Didn't know you were the intended target. :(

I thought it was meant for Jesse Helms. Can't fault me for wanting to contribute to such a WORTHY cause!

-- Rich (howe9@shentel.net), February 13, 2001.

Rich, you've been acting different lately! Maybe it's your SO (Joke, just a joke!) Though I have noticed you asking Lars for control of his personal stash, maybe there's more to this than meets the eye. Hmmmm

Pat, I'll keep it to the issues, so please take that f*ckin' sign off your head! Truce. :)

Buddy, if you think it's been boring around here you haven't been paying attention. This past full moon has seen many a posters goin' lunar. It's been like watching a car wreck.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), February 13, 2001.