WASHINGTON INSIGHT

PARTY POWER: To understand how much California matters to the politically precarious Clinton White House, look no further than the Washington premiere of “The Lion King,” Disney’s latest animated feature. Although it was held on a sweltering summer night, Administration officials and prominent Democratic politicians turned out by the score. Vice President Al Gore was there, posing for photographers with Disney chief Michael Eisner. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbot broke away from the Korea crisis to attend, along with Laura D’Andrea Tyson, head of the Council of Economic Advisers. But what drew the glittering crowd was not just the made-for-Disney fairy tale. For Disney, the spectacle was a way of demonstrating its own clout on the eve of congressional hearings on its controversial plan to build a theme park outside Washington. And no one in the Administration ever forgets that California’s 54 electoral votes are critical for the President’s future, while Hollywood remains the mother lode for politicians seeking campaign funds.

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MAD FOR MADELEINE: When the White House needs a foreign policy spokesperson, it often turns to U.N. Ambassador Madeleine Albright. After all, the other choices--Secretary of State Warren Christopher and National Security Chief Anthony Lake--are seen as lackluster speakers, while Albright is considered a whiz at the art of “doing television.” . . . On her primary playing field at U.N. headquarters, however, her stature is less sure. She has annoyed some Security Council ambassadors for moving too slowly, they say, on Rwanda. And critics compare her unfavorably to a predecessor, Thomas Pickering, who was seen as a decisive force during the Persian Gulf War. . . . Now, however, Albright has a real chance to quiet her U.N. critics: She will be responsible for guiding an American-sponsored resolution on sanctions against North Korea through the Security Council. Winning approval will require as much diplomacy and tenacity as anything Pickering faced.

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MYSTERY CAMPAIGN: They have been rolling into congressional offices for weeks now, hundreds of pre-printed postcards emblazoned with stars and stripes seeking information on lawmakers’ upcoming public forums. Each says the sender may want to attend--suggesting that some interest group may be planning to pack the events with members. What makes the mailings unusual--and the reason they have piqued the curiosity of congressional staffers--is that the cards do not mention a specific issue or cause. But a survey of Capitol Hill offices indicates a pattern: Many include handwritten notes from individuals identifying themselves as members of the National Rifle Assn. or as opponents of a proposed assault weapon ban now before Congress. As to whether the NRA is orchestrating the stealth campaign, the pro-gun group won’t say.

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VACATION DILEMMA: President Clinton, his wife, Hillary, and daughter, Chelsea, were so enthralled by Martha’s Vineyard last summer that they are eager to vacation there again in August. But where to stay? As the first First Family since the Trumans without their own vacation home, the Clintons have had to depend on friends’ generosity for their summer sojourns. Last year, they borrowed the Vineyard home of former Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara. But this time, White House sources are murmuring, the Clintons may have set their sights on the Vineyard estate of the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.