First Lady’s Backers Flock to Book Tour

Hillary Rodham Clinton was preparing to speak at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Wednesday night, autographed copies of her book were stacked up in a corner of a ballroom and Karen Gold was standing in a long line outside the hotel, waiting to get in.

“Liar,” she muttered.

“Phony,” said another woman.

“Hypocrite,” a third woman added.

A few feet away, an indignant woman in line shouted, “How can you say that about her?”

“Not her, him--Alfonse D’Amato,” the women in line answered, referring to the Republican senator from New York.

It turned out there were no Hillary detractors outside the hotel Wednesday, only fans and apologists, wearing “Hillary Clinton Fan Club” T-shirts and buttons. D’Amato, the Senate Whitewater Committee chairman, however, was the object of vilification.

“D’Amato is the scum of the earth,” contended Carol Lawrence-Bell of Anaheim.

“He and the rest of them should leave Hillary alone. I’m here as a show of support for her.”

Clinton was at the Hilton to promote her book, “It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us,” and to help raise money for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

About 1,030 people paid $50 to attend--$30 went to the hospital and $20 went for an autographed copy of the book. Well, not exactly autographed. The books had the first lady’s computer-generated signature.

Clinton gave a 15-minute speech and kept mainly to her book topic. She made no mention of Whitewater and took no questions from the media.

“For more than 25 years I’ve tried to be a voice for children. . . . I am not among those who would argue that all we need to do is turn back the clock. Not only do I think it’s not possible, but I think it’s a nostalgia we can’t afford.”

What is needed, she said, is to be selective about what we glean from the past.

“We need to take the values and ethics that did support families . . . and transplant them to this time.”

After her brief address, those in the audience were invited to shake hands with Clinton while waiting in an extremely long but fast-moving receiving line.

During the first leg of her book tour last month in New York, Boston, Illinois and Arkansas, Clinton had been dogged by Whitewater questions.

While she managed to avoid the subject Wednesday night, she probably will face questions about the book tour when she returns to Washington.

Taxpayers are bearing a significant cost of the tour because the 12-seat government plane she is using costs $2,890 an hour to fly, and Clinton’s publisher is only paying part of the expense.

But those in attendance quickly dismissed any criticism of the first lady.

“I think she’s being savaged in the press for trivial things,” said Sharon Klein of Brentwood. “If you’re a strong, well-educated woman in power today, you’re just a target.”