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�·.
I.
THE WHITE HOUSE
.
a"
Office of the Press Secretary
Internal Transcript
June 30, 1993
INTERVIEW OF THE FIRST LADY
WITH SUSAN WATERS OF W MAGAZINE
The Residence
Q
Would you ever like to roll up the rugs at the
White House and jitterbug on the floor?
MRS. CLINTON:
Q
Sure, I hope we get to do that some time.
I mean, have you thought about that, you know?
MRS. CLINTON:
I have thought about it; it's something
that I'd like to do sometime.
Q
Would you be able to roll up the rugs here or -
MRS. CLINTON: No, probably in the East Room. That's
where the 19th and the first half of the 20th century balls and
dances were held a lot.
Q
So would you do jitterbugging?
MRS. CLINTON:
Sure.
Q
And as a member of your generation, I mean of this
generation, how much do you honor tradition and how much can you
experiment? I mean, how do you decide?
MRS. CLINTON: Well, I think you have to strike a
balance, and we're trying to do that.
You know, we've looked for
unusual places to entertain in the White House like the Green Room
and the book cellars, courtyard, and try to keep thinking of new ways
to use this wonderful house that are consistent with the history and
dignity of the house.
Q
Have you read about any first ladies that did
things that you -- how do you handle the history of the house? I
mean, how do you research or do you read about -
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MRS. CLINTON: Oh, I read lots of materials about the
house and stories about what kind of entertaining different
.
presidents and first ladies had in the past are very interesting to
me.
I'm particularly interested in the 19th century because they had
an incredible entertaining schedule. And oftentimes their parties
didn't start until 9~OO at night.
Q
I didn't know that.
MRS. CLINTON: They might eat at midnight, and then
dance after that.
It's remarkable to me the pace of socializing.
But then, when you stop to think about it, there wasn't any
television, there wasn't the increased mobility.
You know, people
really sought their primary way of communicating through socializing
with one another.
I'm not surprised by it, but I'm a little
awestruck at how organized and extensive the entertaining was in the
19th century.
Q
Would you be doing that yourself that late?
mean, it's hard in washington to go that late.
I
MRS. CLINTON: Well, I don't know whether we will do
that or not, but I am impressed by all those who went before me.
Q
My last -- but this sort of is to follow it
with
people feeling sort of disconnected in a fragmented city or
fragmented country, and the idea of needed change causing
unsettlement, what's the best a good party can accomplish? I mean, I
know a good party can't heal wounds and right wrongs, but what
MRS. CLINTON:
I think a good p~rty anywhere, not just
in the White House, can help people get to know one another a little
better and learn from each other and enjoy each other's company as
human beings not as a functionary in some other capacity in life.
And it can be a relaxing and energizing opportunity to be with other
people. And I think that's always positive.
Q
Would you seat two people next to each other who
you knew didn't agree, or would you -- maybe you wouldn't.
MRS. CLINTON:
I'm not going to say.
Q
Have you started to think about what you'll do for
first -- how you'll handle your first state dinner or how you might
-- what it would entail?
MRS. CLINTON: Well, we haven't had any occasion to have
it. The State Department thought that it was better for the
President to get to know the world leaders he didn't know in a more
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business-like working session. And so, there have been dinners and
luncheons that are certainly important and we try to do a very
appropriate job of those.
But we haven't had the occasion to have a
state dinner, and I'm looking forward to that. And when we do, I
hope it will be a lot of fun as well as carried off with the grace
and dignity that one should expect in the White House.
Q
Have you done any research into that area, what
other people have done?
MRS. CLINTON:
focused on that because -
Q
We've looked at it but I haven't really
You've got so much else -
MRS. CLINTON:
-- there are so many other things to be
done.
Q
What's been surprising about entertaining as the
First Lady?
MRS. CLINTON: Just how much fun it is.
It is just an
enormous amount of fun and the people who we've had in all kinds of
contexts because someone told me that we've already entertained -
everything we've done, you know, more people than some presidents did
in their whole term because we've had huge events that have brought
lots of people from different backgrounds together as well as much
smaller private events. And it's all been fun.
We've had a great
time.
Q
What's in your mind when you put together a guest
list? Do you mix generations, professional interests, political
people
Donna Karan, of course, we're interested in and -- when you
put together a list what's in your mind?
MRS. CLINTON: We do all those things. There are people
we know, people we want to get to know, people who are doing
something interesting or noteworthy in our country in the arts or in
business. And so, we have a wonderful opportunity here to bring
people together across a lot of lines that they would never cross
otherwise.
Q
I had a question.
When you come back from a busy
day have you ever thought of saying, well, you handle it? I do this
-- somebody else does the flowers, menu, everything because I have
had it and just let me know?
MRS. CLINTON:
all this wonderful help.
It's a lot easier for me because I have
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Q
Well, I say this to my husband.
MRS. CLINTON:
I remember saying that to my husband in
the old days.
But here there are so many professionals with
extraordinary experience to do the work that you have to do on your
own if you give a party under most circumstances.
So, for me it is
important to know what's going to be done and how it's going to be
done but then I leave much of the actual work of doing it to the
people who are so well prepared to do that.
Q
So, where might -- what detail might you get
involved in?
MRS. CLINTON:
I get involved in all the details but
once we decide on the details, it's somebody else's responsibility to
carry them out. And then I'll do a walk-through or have a last
minute conference about and make any final decisions that have to be
made.
Q
Would there be an order of things like whether or
menu or the guest list is most important?
MRS. CLINTON:
Q
Usually the guest list is most important.
And then flowers?
MRS. CLINTON: Well, food is -- I mean just everything
goes together. There really is no way to rank it.
I mean, it all
just fits together if you're looking at when we have a dinner that is
followed by a movie it's a much more casual evening than if we have a
dinner is followed by some kind of entertainment.
Q
Would you ever mix china patterns?
MRS. CLINTON:
Sure.
We have.
Q
In the small dinners for 40 have you set like one
of each -- have you done a table with one of each?
MRS. CLINTON:
mixed china patterns.
I don't know about one of each but we've
Q
I know that entertaining isn't didactic, it's not,
but there are values that you can encourage and -- for example, you
said no smoking.
I wonder do you drink yourself?
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MRS. CLINTON: Oh, sure.
serve a full bar and wine at dinner.
Q
Wine or a drink, yes.
We
Would you say grace at meals?
MRS. CLINTON: We don't at our dinners where people are
invited from all walks of life. We do in our private quarters at
meals.
Q
You said some values already - mixing people,
people you know and people you don't know. Any other values that you
MRS. CLINTON: No -- we just want people to have a
relaxed and enjoyable time and to feel better about themselves and
the world when they leave than when they came.
Q
I'm sure, because people would get -- it's
thrilling to be invited.
MRS. CLINTON:
Well, it's fun for us.
Q
And to be invited with 40 people where you know
that you can say something to you, you can say something to the
President and the First Lady.
MRS. CLINTON:
Well, it's fun for us, too.
Q
We've heard a lot about the gilded cage.
a fairy tale aspect to living in the White House?
Is there
MRS. CLINTON: Well, it's a wonderful house to live in.
It is filled with history and excitement at the same time. And so,
for us, it's been a thrill just to be part of our country's history
in this way. And the entertaining is something that gives us a lot
of pleasure because my husband loves people and he loves to have
people around and he loves music and he loves good food and he loves
good conversation. And so do I, and so for me, it's a real pleasure
doing that for him as well as for all the gue~ts that we entertain.
Q
Growing up, can you remember a favorite party that
you went to and what made it good?
MRS. CLINTON: Gosh, I went to so many parties.
Wonderful birthday parties where the pony would come, all the fun
where people had a great sense of humor about themselves.
I had a
great party one time where it was a surprise birthday party not only
for the woman who was surprised, but for all of us. We were picked
up out of bed in the morning and taken to her house.
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Q
6
That's fun.
MRS. CLINTON:
It was fun.
I was wondering why my
mother was asking me to be sure to wear my best nightgown that night.
All kinds of parties can be fun if people have the right attitude
about them.
I'm going to have to get to those parties again.
Q
How long do you like to sit at the table if you -
or do you -
MRS. CLINTON:
Q
It depends upon the setting.
What makes a good guest?
MRS. CLINTON:
Someone who comes with an open mind and a
big heart and wants to have an experience that's positive and
participates in the party.
Q
Good dinner table convers~tion?
MRS. CLINTON:
It can be broadly ranging, all different
kinds of issues talked about as long as people are polite and they
can state their opinions strongly, but they have to be respectful of
other people's views as well.
Q
Do you ever take a nap before dinner or do anything
as a quick refresher?
MRS. CLINTON:
Q
No.
(Laughter.)
No.
Because you said in one interview that naps are
good -
MRS. CLINTON:
I'm a true believer in naps, but usually
I don't have time to do them before dinner.
It's a good idea,
though, I think I'll start.
Q
And then, I read that you and your husband, when
you went to the Tabard Inn, had to bring his own water.
MRS. CLINTON:
Q
That was news to me.
I never heard that.
I'll forget that, but is it hard to be normal?
MRS. CLINTON: Well, there are some things you can't do,
but I don't know anything about bringing your own water.
I never
heard that before.
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Q
What things -- because you vowed to be -- you went
shopping at Giant -- I know it's my Giant.
(Laughter.)
But you've
got out for expeditions. Where? Are there other kind of spontaneous
things that
MRS. CLINTON: There are, but I'm not going to talk
about those, then they wouldn't be spontaneous anymore.
(Laughter.)
Q
I heard that - I remember - being told that when
you were in Arkansas you'd invite pals over after something. And I
was
MRS. CLINTON:
We still do that here
a lot.
Q
And I wonder, did you get to do it last night, or
can you think of a -
MRS. CLINTON: No, but we had two couples as houseguests
last night, so we came home and spent some time with them.
Q
Who was that, or -
MRS. CLINTON: Oh, a friend from -- a couple from
Arkansas and a couple from Kansas who are friends of ours.
Q
And how do you deal with those guests?
MRS. CLINTON:
time with them as we can.
Just have fun with them.
Spend as much
Q
And there was one -- I have one fashion question
left. And you may -- but anyway, what do women love and hate about
fashion?
MRS. CLINTON: Oh, gosh, I have no idea. I think it's
such an individual matter.
I think one person's fashion is another
person's disaster. So I think it's so totally individual, which is
what makes it fun and wonderful.
Q
Well, I think what's wonderful about your
entertaining is the mix of people.
MRS. CLINTON: It's been great. We've had a just superb
time with the people who come. We've all enjoyed it.
Q
And these small dinners, I don't remember ever
hearing
to do those, you know, a lot of them. And then as you
come to greet your -
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MRS. CLINTON:
Well, this was fun, and
4It'
I feel very strongly about that.
Q
Good, good.
all my questions, and -
No, this was perfect, and you answered
MRS. CLINTON:
If you need any additional information,
call Lisa, and I'll talk to you or she can' get the information -
Q
And good luck on your trip.
MRS. CLINTON:
Thank you.
END
•
See you later.
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Lissa Muscatine - Press Office
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First Lady's Office
Press Office
Lissa Muscatine
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1993 - 1997
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<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36239" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431941" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
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2011-0415-S
Description
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<p>Lissa Muscatine first served in the Clinton Administration as a speechwriter. Within the First Lady’s Office, she served as Communications Director to the First Lady.</p>
<p>Lissa Muscatine’s records consist of materials from First Lady Hillary Clinton’s Press Office, highlighting topics such as health care, women’s rights, the Millennium Council, Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign, and deal extensively with press interviews given by the First Lady; her domestic and foreign travel; and speeches and remarks, on a wide variety of topics, given by her before and during her time as First Lady. The records include interview transcripts, press releases, speeches and speech transcripts.</p>
Provenance
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
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Adobe Acrobat Document
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1,324 folders in 27 boxes
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FLOTUS Press Office Interview Transcripts Volume I 01/29/93---9/30/93 [Binder]: [06/30/93 Waters, Susan W Magazine]
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Box 1
<a href="http://clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/Systematic/2011-0415-S-Muscatine.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431941" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Creator
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First Lady's Office
Press Office
Lissa Muscatine
Identifier
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2011-0415-S
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
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11/26/2012
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2011-0415-S-flotus-press-office-interview-transcripts-volume-i-01-29-93-9-30-93-binder-06-30-93-waters-susan-w-magazine
7431941