Clinton Gets A Few Hours Off

President Clinton, the transplanted Arkansas traveler who has no real home but the White House these days, returned to his hometown Monday for a bit of post-New Year’s relaxation, visits with old pals and the dedication Wednesday of an elementary school named in honor of a former governor who worked to improve education in the state, William Jefferson Clinton.

“It’s wonderful to be home,” Clinton told a crowd as Air Force One touched down at Adams Field shortly after noon. “We’re looking forward just to spending some personal time visiting with our friends, saying hello to people, driving around the state a little bit. And I’m even going to have a few hours tomorrow where I have nothing on the schedule for the first time in years and years.”

Knowing Clinton, that might not last long. His entourage was abuzz Monday with reports that he might go duck hunting or even take his old ‘67 blue Mustang convertible out for a spin, although it is now in a car museum near Morrillton.

Clinton is a notorious leadfoot, and the logistical prospects of such a venture had his staff mildly aghast. The president and his wife, Hillary, are staying at the home of her mother, Dorothy Rodham, in Little Rock.