WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton will work out of an office in the West Wing of the White House near the Oval Office, an unprecedented move in first lady history, her spokeswoman said Thursday.
Mrs. Clinton's press secretary Lisa Caputo also announced that the first lady's office would be on the official side of the White House because 'that's what the president wants.'
In the past, first ladies have had their offices, and staff housed in the East Wing of the White House where the social secretary and tour offices are located.
As had been widely predicted, Mrs. Clinton will be a major player in her husband's administration. When the Clintons threw open the doors of the White House Thursday to ticketed vistors and hundreds more showed up, causing a major mob scene, it was the first lady who whispered advice to the president on how to handle the situation.
Mrs. Clinton, 45, had been a prominent corporate lawyer in Little Rock, Ark. and had some troubled moments during the presidential campaign when she appeared to be critical of women who stayed home, gave teas and baked cookies. But she recouped fast from that and passed around chocolate chip cookies in a gesture of self deprecation.
Caputo said the first lady will be the president's close adviser on domestic policy and will be very much involved in drafting a health care plan, one of Clinton's key priorities and pressing campaign promises.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Mrs. Clinton would be taking a leading role in meeting with health advisers on the transition team to try to work up a health care proposal. The newspaper said that the decision to put Mrs. Clinton in charge of preparing a health care blueprint stemmed from her husband's dissatisfaction with some of the proposals he has received so far on the controversial issue.
George Stephanopoulos, White House communications director, said that Mrs. Clinton 'will be part of the discussions' but no decision has been made on whether she will head a health care task force.
Mrs. Clinton's staff of 16 persons will have offices in the Executive Office Building, another switch from the past. Occupying those offices will be Caputo and her staff, the correspondence office and an office for volunteers who will be helping out the first lady.
Meantime, Ann Stock, former vice president of Bloomingdales who has been named social secretary at the White House and will handle the planning of state dinners and receptions, has taken over most of the former first lady offices in the East Wing for her operations.
