White House Aides on "Vacation"

August 29, 1996

THE DAILY FED

White House Aides on "Vacation"

Well, it's one way to spend your time off.

At least 26 White House staff members have come to this week's Democratic convention to help reelect their boss. But because federal law prohibits government employees from engaging in political activities while on the job, these aides had to officially declare themselves on vacation.

If you think they're relaxing, think again.

Chief of staff Leon E. Panetta is up early every morning, firing up state delegations with speeches bashing the Republican congressional agenda. Senior adviser to the President George R. Stephanopoulos--fresh from another ``vacation'' in San Diego, where he kept tabs on the Republican convention--makes the rounds of television talk shows. Assistant to the President Harold M. Ickes helps oversee the mechanics of the convention. Other aides spend their days at the Clinton-Gore campaign office.

``We're all pretty much doing the same type of jobs that we do at the White House,'' Stephanopoulos said in an interview. In fact, one of the few top Administration officials who isn't in Chicago this week is national security adviser Anthony Lake, who stayed behind in Washington to mind the store.

The White House staff has always had to walk a fine line between carrying out the President's official duties while advancing his political interests. The Clinton White House is being extra careful.

During the past month, White House counsel Jack Quinn has held briefings for Clinton aides about the distinction between official and political duties. Attendance was mandatory, White House press secretary Michael D. McCurry said.

According to a White House aide, Quinn also sent a memorandum to White House staff members telling them they could engage in political activity only if ``government resources are not used to assist in that activity.'' As a result, aides had to turn in their pagers before heading to Chicago, and although the campaign furnished replacement pagers, they turned out to be much less reliable.

Most White House staff members earn vacation and compensatory time. But senior officials--including Cabinet members and those with the title of assistant to the President--are allowed to take as much vacation time as they want.

``For the top people there are no time cards kept,'' a spokeswoman for the Office of Personnel Management said. ``It's like the CEO of a company.'' Presumably, that also applies to OPM director James B. King, who's on vacation in Chicago this week managing the convention podium.

Republicans aren't likely to raise a fuss about White House aides' working at the convention, because they did the same thing when they were in control. ``You're entitled to a reasonable amount of time off, but no one keeps track of anything,'' said James W. Cicconi, who was an assistant to President Bush and worked as an issues adviser to Bush's 1988 and 1992 campaigns. ``It's a rule of reason, and it has to be that way'' because of the demands of working in the White House, Cicconi said.

But several junior White House aides are at the convention, too, even though their time here will be deducted from their two or three weeks of annual leave.

Wouldn't they rather lie on a beach somewhere or spend time with their kids? Isn't it a little weird to volunteer to spend your vacation with your boss?

Heavens no, a White House aide replied. ``I can think of no better way to spend my vacation than working to reelect the President who has done so much for this country,'' the aide said.