Elizabeth Platt ([email protected])
Sat, 5 Sep 1998 10:27:24 -0700 (PDT)
--eaplatt
Clinton Trying To Appear Calm At Eye Of Storm
RTw 09/04/98 19:28
Copyright 1998 Reuters Ltd
By Steve Holland
ADARE, Ireland, Sept 5 (Reuters) - He wore a new Irish
sweater. He joked with his aides. He talked about golf, reminisced
on his trip.
It was U.S. President Bill Clinton on Friday night, trying to
appear calm in the eye of the storm.
Clinton ventured back to the press cabin as Air Force One took
him from Dublin to Adare in southwest Ireland. It was his first
time he had visited the press pool on his plane since admitting his
affair with Monica Lewinsky last month.
His first order of business was to present a green alarm clock
to White House deputy press secretary Joe Lockhart to tease him
about oversleeping in Moscow and missing the Air Force One flight
to Belfast on Thursday.
Then, instead of standing near the reporters' seats, he went
further back to the photographers, sat on the arm of a chair and
engaged in happy talk. Reporters who had been watching a goofy
movie, "Dirty Work," turned their attention to the president.
As he chatted, White House press secretary Mike McCurry
whispered to reporters that the nifty charcoal gray sweater Clinton
was wearing had been purchased that day by his wife, Hillary Rodham
Clinton.
The president has been trying to do some healing in the family
since his denial of an affair with Lewinsky fell apart.
Clinton talked about seeing U2 lead singer Bono and other
members of the Irish band. They dropped by the U.S. ambassador's
residence in Dublin before he left for Adare for a golf game on
Saturday at nearby Ballybunion golf course.
Bono, said Clinton, gave him and his wife a book, "The History
of Dublin," and they had a nice visit.
"They're nice people. He's a smart man," Clinton said of U2
and Bono.
Comparing this visit to Ireland and Northern Ireland to his
euphoric trip here in 1995, Clinton reflected that "1995 was
magic," a celebratory time to help the budding peace process.
Now that Northern Ireland has an elected assembly and hopes
for the future, Clinton said, "The peace process is much further
along this time but it's also at a critical juncture."
At one point in his 15-minute visit, a reporter tried to ask
Clinton about more serious news, the possibility that Attorney
General Janet Reno could name an independent counsel to look into
fund-raising for Clinton's 1996 re-election.
McCurry good-naturedly shouted the reporter down and Clinton
shook his head that he did not want to get into it. Nobody brought
up Lewinsky.
Clinton preferred to talk about his scheduled golf round at
Ballybunion, one of the world's most difficult courses. He was
supposed to play there three years ago but was not able to find
time.
He has not played golf in a month and skipped his usual rounds
while on vacation on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard
after his August 17 admission of lying about a relationship with
Lewinsky that was "wrong."
The forecast was for a windy day on the oceanside course and
Clinton said the wind may play havoc with his game.
"I'll be lucky if I don't lose a dozen balls tomorrow," he
said.
He said the course would be tough but that he was trying to
keep the right attitude.
"I'm sort of laid-back, I'm just going to get through it and
be out there," he said.
Soon afterward, the plane touched down.
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