NEWS that the Clintons are considering adopting a child comes as the Republicans highlight a sexual harassment charge against the President as part of their election campaign.
Their TV advertisements jeer at Mr Clinton using his position as Commander in Chief to get charges arising from the allegations of Ms Paula Jones postponed until he leaves office.
The White House spokesman, Mr Mike McCurry, commented that the presidential campaign "turned very nasty, very ugly, very quickly once the Republicans became desperate about their situation".
But the Republican camp has complained about the Democratic TV spots criticising Senator Bob Dole for "giving up" and quitting the Senate. The Dole campaign manager, Mr Scott Reed, points out that the President had "warmly praised Bob Dole as he resigned from the Senate and today Bill Clinton viciously attacks him for the same decision".
Observers are surprised that "character" advertising has surfaced so early in the campaign, which does not begin officially until early September, after the party conventions. Some predict that this is going to be one of the dirtiest presidential campaigns in recent times.
Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton has revealed that she and her husband have been discussing the possibility of adoption. In an interview in the current issue of Time magazine, she says "it would be terrific" if they had another child of their own as a sibling for Chelsea (16).
"I would be surprised but not disappointed. My friends would be appalled, I'm sure. But I think it would be terrific," Mrs Clinton (48) said.
She and the President also "continue to talk about" adopting a child but these talks were not likely to get serious until after the November election.
A spokesman for Mrs Clinton said that the First Lady's interest in adoption was nothing new and that she and the President have discussed it in "abstract terms".
President Clinton must be regretting that his lawyers tried using his role as Commander in Chief to have the sexual harassment charges against him by Ms Paula Corbin Jones deferred.
In addition to the Republican campaign advertisements, five recipients of the Medal of Honour - the highest US bravery award - will run full page ads today, Memorial Day, when war dead are honoured, denouncing his claim to be an active military man.
Referring to Mr Clinton's efforts to dodge the draft during the Vietnam War, the ads say: "To retreat from the call to arms and then later to embrace its code, when it is convenient is an outrage to all who served and those who remember the loss of those who paid the ultimate price."
But Mr Clinton's attorney, Mr Robert Bennett, says that the ads are a "lie" because they say the President is claiming to be "on active duty" to have the charges postponed under the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act of 1940. Mr Bennett said that in his plea to the Supreme Court, the President cites the Act but does not claim he is on active duty.
On a lighter note, the White House has announced that President Clinton has passed his annual medical check up but that his doctors have prescribed a change in his golf swing, jogging lessons, stretching exercises and lots of shade.
While his weight has stayed the same as last year, at 216 lbs and his cholesterol level is down, the President has developed a number of minor ailments. A pre cancerous lesion was removed from his nose and skin blotchiness was attributed to allergies, sun and wind burn.
His sore left wrist and back are sports related. A change in golf swing should help his wrist and his back specialist will jog with the President to see how to change his technique and relieve his lower back pain, the White House spokesman said.
. The United States will send 25 more Marines to the Central African Republic where rebellious army troops have been fighting for the past week, the Pentagon said yesterday.