Woman’s Place in the House Is Free for All

So the inauguration’s over and the jig is up.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, as the First Spouse now prefers to be called, has a big-time White House policy job, an office just upstairs from the Oval one, and a wifely willingness to work for free (expenses not included).

This is a down-home twofer concept unseen in the White House since 1919, when Woodrow Wilson had a stroke and virtually every document addressed to the President went to his wife, Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, as she preferred to be called.

But during last year’s election campaign, the focus groups disapproved of such coziness.

It seemed OK for everyday working stiffs, say the nice couple who own the dry cleaners, or in some backwater place like Arkansas, but the feeling among the focus groupies was that such an arrangement was unseemly for a First Couple.

In other words, it was fine for Bill to sleep with Hillary, but he better make damn sure he kept his policy to himself.

And, naturally, what with Bill and Hillary being politicians, the would-be First Couple went along. If America wanted to believe that two egghead policy wonks were going to restrict their conversations with each other to such issues as whose turn it was to change Socks’ litter box, then so be it.

Hillary sort of faded from the photo-ops--certainly no more interviews with Barbara Walters!--and started honing her cookie-baking skills.

In a bake-off sponsored by a women’s magazine, her recipe even beat out that of Barbara Bush, who Tammy Wynette might have had in mind when she wrote that song that got Hillary in so much trouble way back when.

Yes, the so-called image problems that surfaced during the Clinton campaign seem rather dated now. In the meantime, we’ve had First Brother Roger Clinton on the “Howard Stern Show,” and Elvis impersonators, a precision lawn-chair team and chain-saw jugglers in the inaugural parade.

What would the focus groupies say about that ?

(Question: Would you be more or less likely to vote for a presidential candidate who, in the interests of ensuring that his government does not lose touch with real Americans, vows to work toward elevating the tractor pull to an Olympic sport?)

But this Hillary business is, of course, something else. Something Serious. Something Not Done. Something Pretty Darn Uppity. Something that Republicans, for starters, might use to top their list headlined “I Told You So.”

(Or maybe Hillary would be No. 2, behind Zoe Baird.)

I, however, say this: Hip Hip Hooray! Let the woman feel free to openly use her brain. Let her have at this health care morass. America could use her help.

I’ve read as much about Hillary as I have about Bill, and let’s just say that if both of them were facing Alex Trebek for the final “Jeopardy!” countdown, the odds would be even as to which one of them would be coming back as champion the next day.

And I get the impression that both of them would gladly compete. These are people who thrive on showy wins.

Too bad about this no-salary business, though. I suppose the notion of equal pay for equal work is still far too radical a notion for many people to understand.

(Question: Who do you think is going to put in more hours for their country, Hillary or any of the other presidential advisers on whose work she will sign off?)

On the other hand, maybe Hillary could start a trend. Public servants who really believe in serving their country could work for room and board. Remember, the concept did wonders for Ross Perot.

Yet in the end, none of this diminishes the old focus group bugaboo of voting for Bill and getting Hillary wearing pants. Many Americans feel very strongly that this is wrong.

“He’s not bad, but her, I can’t stand,” I heard from more than one voter during the countdown to the election. And then there was, “I’m not voting for her .”

These were the sentiments that helped persuade the Clintons to change their tact, to drop the talk of a twofer, or at least not to use that word.

(Although, personally, I’ll never understand how these same Hillary-bashers could then turn around and openly vote for Dan Quayle.)

I suppose what Hillary and Bill are really up against is tradition and all those politically sensitive notions of a woman’s place. First Ladies have had an image to maintain. Much like the old adage about children, they were supposed to be seen but not heard.

Well, a new generation is in the White House now and at least in one respect, America will be forced to grow up.

Naturally, Elvis impersonators and chain-saw jugglers don’t count.