White Elephant Gifts Besiege Clintons

The Elvis stuff is neat. So are the jogging suits, the baseball caps, the T-shirts. And the plastic iguanas gave the mail room folks a chuckle.

But stop sending President-elect Bill Clinton gifts of food. He’s not eating them.

“I hate to say this--don’t use my name--but it gets thrown out,” said an aide. “Secret Service won’t let him eat it.”

Hundreds of unsolicited gifts are sent each day to Clinton, his family and his staff--even to his family’s pet.

The items are boxed up by his staff, and an inventory list prepared. The Clintons can scan the list and take a peek at the more interesting items.

“I think the reason they’re getting so many gifts is everybody is so excited about the new President,” said mail room clerk Tony Poe.

Some of the gifts are wacky, even bizarre. Others are sent in the hope that the gesture will be rewarded.

Clinton’s mother, Virginia Kelley, is swamped with books from authors who hope she’ll sample their writing, and allow them to write her biography.

Clinton has received a giant dollar bill, pansy seeds, underwear and a handmade clock. One fan sent Clinton an artistic interpretation of his “New Covenant” campaign theme: an oil painting of an angel with ribbons reading, “Hope,” “Responsibility” and “Community.”

Socks, the family cat, has received several gifts, including a “tuxedo collar” for inaugural activities and a cozy Afghan, appropriate for catnapping.

The cat gets letters too.

Spokeswoman Lisa Caputo said Morris the Cat wrote recently to thank Socks for “taking a stance and supporting a cat’s right to privacy” when photographers lured him within camera range with kitty treats.

“Morris offered his paw of support,” she said.

The gifts aren’t limited to the Clintons and their cat. A news organization recently sent a Clinton spokesman some coffee beans and mixed nuts.

But most of the packages come addressed to the President-elect.

Pictures of Clinton jogging have prompted dozens of people to send running attire.

Skip Rutherford, a longtime Clinton friend who works on the transition team, said he arrived home late one night and nearly stumbled over a cardboard box full of swashers addressed to Clinton.

“Somebody apparently looked me up in the phone book and dropped off the box on my porch,” Rutherford said.

Three gallons of chocolate-chip ice cream arrived at the transition headquarters in a box full of dry ice.

“We’re trying to figure out what do with it,” Poe said.

The problem is the Secret Service won’t allow the Clintons to eat food sent by strangers. That’s why the Clintons haven’t eaten the hundreds of shortbread cookies, his favorite, sent his way. The batch of exotic fruit never made it, either.

Poe said Elvis Presley items, especially T-shirts, are a popular gift for the man dubbed “Elvis” by the press corps.

The oddest gift Poe said he has seen is the box of plastic iguanas.

“They were a token of good luck from somebody,” he said. “We have iguanas all over the office now.”