Clinton Connections

By Mike Allen

Conservative conspiracy theorists speculate that the hit ABC drama Commander in Chief--starring Geena Davis as President--doubles as a campaign ad for Hillary Rodham Clinton. And it turns out the show does have Clinton connections. The Senator has been sphinxlike about the show--her office won't even say whether she has watched it. But Capricia Marshall, 41, who as White House social secretary helped Clinton buy everything from hosiery to a house, is a series consultant--and believes it isn't just entertainment. "It shows that a woman can quite successfully run this country," she says. Marshall, who sees Clinton for lunch or other get-togethers every few weeks, advises the show's producers on life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sometimes they overrule her. They insisted that the fictional first children go to school by limo, not minivan as she suggested. But she did convince them that the Secret Service would stop someone from running upstairs in the White House and waking the President. And if they don't listen to her, there's Steve (Scoop) Cohen. A writer on the show, he was once a communications aide to the former First Lady.