Chelsea Goes to the Nurse...   

On January 25, 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton arrives for her first day at Sidwell Friends , a private school in Washington, D.C. On February 5, the First Daughter gets a headache and visits the school nurse (according to two students who spoke with the nurse and a parent who was in a group briefed by Sidwell's principal). Because the Clintons had not signed a standard release form to permit the nurse to supply Chelsea with medication, AJR's sources say, her parents had to be contacted. When told this, according to the two students, Chelsea responded, " My mom's away – you'd better call my dad." The nurse phoned the White House and spoke with the president, who gave his consent.*

* AJR relied on the accounts of two students who spoke with the Sidwell nurse privately about the incident during the weeks after Chelsea's visit. Both were reluctant to speak with an editor from AJR but were interviewed separately by a student journalist. A third source who spoke to someone who spoke to the nurse said Chelsea had complained of a rash rather than a headache. In an attempt to confirm the details of these accounts, as well as information supplied by a parent who was among a group briefed by the principal, AJR contacted Sidwell's nurse, Jane Lloyd. She refused to discuss the matter and referred us to school spokesman Ellis Turner. He declined to discuss details, citing privacy concerns. He did say that school officials had "never, ever released or confirmed" any information on the episode – and that AJR was the first news organization to ask for verification. At Hillary Rodham Clinton's office, spokeswoman Lisa Caputo described the punchline affixed to descriptions of Chelsea's visit (i.e., "my mom's too busy") as "totally inaccurate." Beyond confirming that Mrs. Clinton was traveling at the time of Chelsea's visit, she too declined to discuss details. Josh Silverman, a spokesman for Mr. Clinton, did not return phone messages.

Reporter
February 11
Herb Caen,
San Francisco Chronicle

Recounting of Story
Last Friday , Chelsea showed up at her school with a slight rash on her arm, so she went to the school nurse. "Doesn't look too serious," said nursie , who started to apply a lotion and then checked Chelsea's file, which said she was not supposed to take any medication without her parents being notified. " Gee ," said Chelsea, "my mother 's been pretty busy the last few days – better call my dad."

Source Cited
A reader, who cites a " highly placed friend in Washington ..who forwards this supposedly absolutely 100 percent true story. "

Scoring
+5 (source cited); -10 (gives story bogus authenticity by hyping source's credibility); -10 (cutesy "Gee" and "nursie" references); +5 (time element). Total: -10

Reporter
February 11
Stephen
Robinson,
Daily Telegraph (London)

Recounting of Story
Chelsea needed an injection shortly after starting at her new private school.... The school nurse told her that, given the litigious tendency of American society, she would require a parental letter of approval. "Sure," replied Chelsea, "but you'd better try my dad. Mom's rather busy these days ."

Source Cited
" A well-connec-ted Democrat who, boasting of his impeccable White House contacts, swore to its truth ."

Scoring
-7 (cheap shot at U.S. legal system);
-5 (Anglicizing Chelsea by addition of
"rather"); -15 (remedy horribly wrong);
+5 (source cited); -10 (bogus authenticity by hyping source's credibility); -5 (naive
reference to "letter" of approval, as if we Yanks don't have phones). Total: -37

Reporter
February 15
Maxine
Mesinger,
Houston
Chronicle

Recounting of Story
One day last week , Chelsea broke out in a rash at school and went to the school nurse. "Does your mother know about this rash?" the nurse asked..., to which Chelsea is said to have replied, "Don't call my mother; she's busy . Call my father." The nurse said she couldn't call her father – after all, he is president of the United States .... I love the story, and I believe it .

Source Cited
" A great story running around New York, and insiders swear it's true," and "my Washington source ," who is " rarely wrong ."

Scoring
+5 (time element); -15 (bogus authenticity by having sources "swear" and offering unsolicited personal opinion as to its veracity); +5 (sources cited); +2 ("said to have" denotes some skepticism); -10 (insinuates that nurse would deny a child adequate health care because she is afraid to call the White House). Total: -13

Reporter
February 15
Craig Winneker, "Heard on the Hill," Roll Call

Recounting of Story
Chelsea went to the nurse's office one day last week and asked for an aspirin . The nurse checked her files and found that First Lady and health czar Hillary and President Bill had yet to sign their daughter's medical release forms. A call would have to be made to get her parent's consent.... "OK," Chelsea purportedly said. "But call my dad, my mom is too busy ."

Source Cited
" Hill tongues were wagging last week over an alleged incident.." and "we've heard it from s everal sources who have Friends at Sidwell."

Scoring
+5 (source cited); +5 (time element); +2 (playing it safe by not naming ailment);
-10 (lame attempt at news peg by applying "health czar" tag to Hillary); +2 (skepticism expressed by use of "purportedly"); -5 (flippant reference to the leader of free world); -10 (bogus authenticity by citing "several" rumormongers). Total: -11

Reporter
February 16
Jeannie Williams,
USA Today

Recounting of Story
Chelsea broke out in a rash at school, but the nurse said before Chelsea could have any medicine, her mother would have to be called. Chelsea supposedly said no, don't call Mom, she's too busy . Call my dad!

Source Cited
"A joke widely circulating in the Beltway."

Scoring
-5 (no source cited); +5 (refers to anecdote as "joke"); -5 (bogus authenticity by citing "widely circulating"); +2 ("supposedly" denotes some skepticism); -5 (superfluous exclamation point). Total: -8

Reporter
February 19
Rush Lim-baugh, "The Rush Limbaugh TV Show"

Recounting of Story
Chelsea...gets a rash on her arm. They take her to the nurse...[who] cannot give her medicine without first getting permission from her parents. So Chelsea says, "Look, my mom's been real busy lately. Why don't you call my dad?"

Source Cited
A "joke" but also an " actual true story ." Cites Herb Caen , then takes credit as "the one that started it," citing previous mention on his radio show.

Scoring
-10 (bogus authenticity by citing Caen);
-10 (just because he's Rush); -5 (for using old material to get easy laughs); +5 (credits Caen); +5 (refers to anecdote as "joke"); -10 (shameless hedging by then suggesting story is true). Total: -25

Reporter
February 22
Eleanor Clift and Mark Miller, Newsweek

Recounting of Story
When Chelsea needed permission at school to get aspirin , she told the nurse to "Call my dad, my mom's too busy ." (The president, on the other hand, had plenty of time to chat....)

Source Cited
None.

Scoring
-10 (no source cited); +2 (playing it safe by not naming ailment); -10 (insinuation that the country's going to hell because the president talks with nurse for a few minutes about his daughter's health). Total: -18

Reporter
February 22
Marla Harper, Washington Post

Recounting of Story
When Chelsea needed permission at school to get aspirin , she told the Sidwell Friends nurse to "Call my dad, my mom's too busy ."

Source Cited
Newsweek

Scoring
-10 (shameless lifting); -5 (bogus authenticity by citing Newsweek); +5 (source cited). Total: -10

Reporter
February 22
Paul Houston and William J. Eaton,
Los Angeles Times

Recounting of Story
When Chelsea complained about a rash on her arm, the nurse at her private school said she would need to check with her parents before putting a salve on it. "You'll have to call my dad," Chelsea is said to have advised. " My mom's too busy ." A White House spokesman said: "We don't know if it's true or not."

Source Cited
A " widely told story " that " maybe apocryphal ."

Scoring
+15 (confirmation call to White House); +2 (skepticism in "said to have" and "story"); +5 ("apocryphal" disclaimer bonus points);
-15 (hedging on disclaimer by prefacing with "may be"); -10 (bogus authenticity by using "widely told").
Total: -3

Reporter
February 23
Ernie Freda,
Atlanta Journal and Constitution

Recounting of Story
When Chelsea needed permission at school to get aspirin , she told the nurse to call her dad because her mom was too busy....

Source Cited
Newsweek

Scoring
-10 (shameless lifting); -5 (bogus authenticity by citing Newsweek); +5 (source cited). Total: -10

Reporter
February 26
Judy Siegel, Jerusalem Post

Recounting of Story
U.S. first daughter Chelsea Clinton..had a headache while attending school, and the nurse said she would have to call her parents for permission before giving her an aspirin . "Call Daddy. Don't call Mommy – she's too busy ."

Source Cited
".. press reports .."

Scoring
-10 (annoying use of "Daddy" and "Mommy" – words no 12-year-old would
utter); +5 (source cited); -10 (shameless lifting). Total: -15

Reporter
March 4
"Quotables," Chicago Tribune

Recounting of Story
"Call my dad, my mom's too busy ." – Chelsea Clinton, when a school nurse needed parental permission to give her aspirin .

Source Cited
None.

Scoring
-10 (no source); -10 (bogus authenticity by archiving anecdote as a "quotable"); +2 (playing it safe by not naming ailment);
-75 (inexplicably repeating the item six weeks later in April 14 "Quotes of the Day"). Total: -93

Reporter
March 10
Bob Dart, Cox News Service

Recounting of Story
A telling episode of the First 50 Days came when Chelsea Clinton felt ill at Sidwell Friends School and the school nurse needed to phone a parent. "You'd better call my dad," the presidential daughter advised. " My mom's busy ."

Source Cited
None.

Scoring
-10 (no source); +4 (playing it safe by not naming ailment or remedy); -10 (bogus authenticity by telling anecdote without even a "reportedly"). Total: -16

Reporter
March 17
Martin Fletcher, The Times
(London)

Recounting of Story
When a nurse at Chelsea's school wanted permission to give her an aspirin , the First Daughter replied, "Call my dad, my mom's too busy ."

Source Cited
".. insiders .."

Scoring
+5 (source cited); -10 (bogus authenticity by citing "insiders"); +2 (playing it safe by not naming ailment). Total: -3

Reporter
March 22
"News for Kids," Atlanta Journal and Constitution

Recounting of Story
Rules are rules, even if you're the president's daughter. Chelsea Clinton recently got a headache at school. Before she could take aspirin , the nurse said she would have to call one of her parents.... Chelsea said it would have to be her dad, because her mom was " too busy ."

Source Cited
None.

Scoring
-10 (no source); -5 ("cutesy" lead); +1 (cautious use of partial quote). Total: -14

Reporter
April 6
Nathan Cobb, The Boston Globe

Recounting of Story
Chelsea was sick in school. The principal wanted to telephone her mother. "Oh, please don't call my mother," Chelsea pleaded. "She's very busy working on health care and all sorts of other important things. Call my father."

Source Cited
A "joke" that "happens to be a reworked version of a reportedly true story."

Scoring
+5 (refers to anecdote as "joke"); -10 (shameless hedging by then suggesting story is "reportedly true"); -10 (citing principal instead of nurse); -5 (no source); -5 (padding quote); +2 (creativity bonus points). Total: -23

Reporter
April 17
Doug Camilli, Montreal Gazette

Recounting of Story
Chelsea started to feel sick . School authorities needed parental approval to give her some aspirin or something, and she told them, "Don't call my mother. She's busy . Call my dad."

Source Cited
None given, but "t his really happened. "

Scoring
-10 (no source); -30 (know-it-all attitude); +2 (playing it safe by not naming ailment); -5 (flippant tone about First Daughter's health, i.e. "or something").
Total: -43

Reporter
April 18
Houston
Chronicle

Recounting of Story
Reprints February 11 Herb Caen column.

Source Cited
See Caen entry.

Scoring
-80 (repeating anecdote more than two months after first mention in Chronicle by Maxine Mesinger on February 15 @ 40 points per month). Total: -80

Reporter
May issue
Charles Oliver, Reason

Recounting of Story
Chelsea had a minor boo-boo at school and had to go to the nurse.... When asked which parent should be called, young Chelsea said, "Please don't call my mother; she's very busy ."

Source Cited
None.

Scoring
-10 (no source); -10 (12-year-olds don't have "boo-boos"); -75 (retelling incredibly stale anecdote). Total: -95

Reporter
June issue
Mary-Ellen
Banashek,
"in brief,"
New Woman

Recounting of Story
And if my Dad's Not Home, Ask For Socks: "Call my dad; my mom's too busy ." – Chelsea Clinton, who needed permission to get aspirin , to her school's nurse.

Source Cited
None.

Scoring
-10 (no source); -10 (inane, "cutesy" headline); +2 (playing it safe by not naming ailment); -10 (bogus authenticity by archiving as a "quotable"); -75 (retelling incredibly stale anecdote). Total: -103