Town Braced : 1st Lady’s Fury on Mitterrand Visit Denied

With this seaside town braced for a small-scale invasion, reports of First Lady fury over a visit by French President Francois Mitterrand brought a diplomatic denial today from White House officials.

On Walker’s Point, the 11-acre Bush family estate, Barbara Bush was spotted with broom and dustpan in hand on the eve of a 24-hour visit by Mitterrand, his wife, Daniele, and an army of aides, security agents and reporters.

Beneath the surface of that placid waterfront setting, however, were reports of anxiety over the Mitterrand visit.

The New York Daily News reported that the First Lady was fed up with French demands on such particulars as beds and bathrooms for the Mitterrands, who arrive Saturday morning and will spend the night in the house of President Bush’s mother, Dorothy Walker Bush, next to the main family residence on Walker’s Point.

Wife ‘Bawled Me Out’

Bush acknowledged the fray Thursday in Rochester, N.Y. While promoting his commitment to education with a visit to a high school, he confessed that his wife “bawled me out” over the disruption caused by the Mitterrand visit.

In an additional sign of First Family sensitivity, the White House canceled a planned photo session inside the Bush residence Saturday.

“The family feels their home is a private residence and should not be used for publicity purposes,” said White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater.