Feature

Hill Climbing

In one of its cattier moments, the Washington Times recently conjectured that Hillary looks worse in photographs these days because she lost her stylist when she left the White House. But I doubt that's the case. I think the reason is because her time is less stage-managed now than it was in the past. Today, there are plenty of random opportunities to catch Clinton staring unbecomingly into space or looking harried as she flies through the halls.

"She's gotta get used to bags under her eyes, her makeup coming off," sighs Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, the Democrat who represents the East Side. "My constituents have seen me that way. Because I tell you, you spend four hours at these hearings, you have eighteen-hour days, you're running to meetings . . . that's how you look."

Two weeks ago, I revisited some of Hillary's biggest skeptics. Predictably, they were singing a different tune. Pardon hearings seem much less interesting to them, for one thing. "Senator Clinton's on my subcommittee," said Hutchinson, who doubtless has seen her smile by now. "I've got to work with her every day. There's just . . . " He stammered. "I'm with President Bush: Just let it go away."

Gregg, presumably, found a way to approach her, in spite of her Secret Service cadre. "This is a person I deal with," he said. "Because when I do business on the Senate floor, I need 51 votes, or 61 votes, and she's certainly one of them. We're negotiating on a couple things right now -- I hope to have her join myself and Senator Carper on the charter-school bill."

"Getting to know somebody on a human level can eliminate a lot of misconceptions." That's Hillary herself talking. I caught up with her that day, too, briefly, as she was making her way back to her office after a vote. "I feel that a lot of my colleagues are really -- not only polite, but interested in what I really believe in and what kind of senator I'll be. And I think that's good." As we headed toward the subway, four teenage girls stopped her and started to squeal.

"Oh, Mrs. Clinton! Can we take your picture?"

"Sure, though I'm late -- "

"Please?"

One nestled herself under the senator's arm. Flash.

"Thanks!"

"Bye, girls. Thanks, thanks." We missed the subway.

"Shoot." We started to walk down the long, underground corridor toward her office building.

"You know what's surprising?" she continued. "How much goes on at one time." She started recounting a harrowing day when she had to attend two committee markups simultaneously.

"But there's a lot of humorous asides that kind of cut the tension and keep people from taking any of this personally," she said. "Senator Lott came up to me on the floor the other day and said, 'What is it about our hair? Why is it that your hair and my hair draw all this attention?' " She gave a weary smile. Lightning didn't strike; she's a senator now. "I suggested we start a hair caucus."