Rookie Clinton Learns Ropes

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to prepare for her new job as a freshman senator and her soon-to-be-colleagues made every effort to treat her as just one of 100.

Except, of course, she wasn’t.

As she attended an orientation for the 11 new senators taking office in January, a pack of reporters was kept at a distance by the Secret Service and Capitol police.

And when Sen.-elect Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) stopped to speak with reporters, the first question asked was, “What’s it like having the first lady in your class?”

Stabenow, a veteran politician who won a tough race herself, gushed: “It’s terrific. . . . This is such a historic moment for all of us coming into the Senate.”

Clinton’s role as one of her husband’s key advisors already had broken the mold for most first ladies. And her victory in November’s New York Senate race made her the first presidential spouse to win election to public office. Political analysts said that how she builds on this achievement will depend on what kind of senator she wants to be.

“Her celebrity is a great resource,” said John J. Pitney Jr., a government professor at Claremont McKenna College. “But it’s going to take some skill on her part to use that resource effectively. . . . It’s a new kind of setting and it’s going to test her patience and her ability to accept sometimes a subordinate position. It’s quite a transition to go from being first lady to being one of 100.”

Thomas E. Mann, a political scientist at the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, said: “My own guess is that she’s going to try not to take full advantage of the publicity opportunities presented her and instead try to build a reputation for serious work within the Senate, getting on committees with jurisdictions of great interest to her . . . doing her homework . . . occasionally deferring to other colleagues to take the lead.”

Indeed, the junior senator-elect from New York sought to keep a low profile during her Capitol Hill visit.

She steered clear of the press most of the day. After attending a seminar on the history of the Senate led by Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), Clinton said: “I intend to work as hard as I can and to represent the people of New York to the best of my ability.”

She also took pains to share the limelight. Appearing with fellow freshman Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), she declined to answer another question until Corzine was given a chance to speak. Corzine said that Clinton showed a desire to be “a part of the team.”

During a private meeting in which the new Democratic senators took turns speaking, she did her best to put on a humble face.

According to those present, the first lady told her colleagues that she “wants to be a workhorse, not a show horse.”

But many senators recognize that Clinton will be no ordinary newcomer to their ranks.

“She comes as a freshman, but she’s not really a freshman,” said Sen. John B. Breaux (D-La.).

Clinton as a young lawyer worked for the House Judiciary Committee. She was recognized as an articulate spokeswoman for liberal causes even before Bill Clinton won the presidency. And her clout within the Democratic Party’s liberal wing only grew during his two terms in the White House.

As first lady, her dealings with Congress were frequently contentious. She spearheaded the massive health care reform plan that her husband pushed early in his first term, only to see it widely criticized and ultimately scuttled in Congress. Capitol Hill also was the site of highly partisan hearings into the Clintons’ ill-fated Whitewater land deal. And now she is serving in the same chamber that tried her husband on impeachment charges that stemmed from an illicit sexual affair--a case that ended with his acquittal on a largely partisan vote.

If there was any lingering bitterness on her part over the impeachment process, there was no public sign of it Tuesday.

“I’m absolutely hoping to build relationships and create consensus with every senator,” Clinton said.

The day’s agenda for Clinton and the other new senators included a visit with Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), who shortly after her election snapped: “I tell you one thing, when this Hillary gets to the Senate--if she does, maybe lightning will strike and she won’t--she will be one of 100 and we won’t let her forget it.”

But Tuesday’s session was described as cordial. And Lott extended what seemed like an olive branch.

“When she raises her hand [for the oath of office on Jan. 3] and says, ‘I do,’ she’s a senator. And she’ll be treated accordingly,” he said. “She’ll be given all the consideration she’s entitled to, which is a lot . . . and will be a very important part of this body, just like every other senator.”

“Everyone comes here equal,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).