FIRST LADY WRYLY DEFENDS IMAGINARY TALKS.

Byline: Associated Press 

Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday her imaginary conversations with Eleanor Roosevelt were merely an ``intellectual exercise'' and wondered wryly what the former first lady ``might think of all this.''

Trying to douse what she called ``sensational'' speculation, Clinton rejected suggestions that psychic researcher Jean Houston, who coached her in several White House sessions, was her ``spiritual adviser.''

Clinton opened her appearance at a Nashville conference on family issues by joking that she had just had an imaginary talk with Roosevelt - ``and she thinks this is a terrific idea.'' The friendly audience laughed appreciatively.

President Clinton, too, tried to shrug off the flap with a joke at an evening fund-raiser in New York. Discussing church burnings, Clinton said the past few weeks had been ``dominated by flames - that and conversations with Eleanor.'' When the crowd erupted in laughter, Clinton added, ``Well, at least she's from New York. You ought to draw some pleasure from that.''

In a written statement, Hillary Clinton was firm in her denial that there were any psychic or religious overtones to the sessions.

``The bottom line is: I have no spiritual advisers or any other alternatives to my deeply held Methodist faith and traditions upon which I have relied since childhood,'' she said.

Then she added, ``And I do wonder what Eleanor Roosevelt might think of all this.''

Clinton met with Houston several times from late 1994 until March, according to a new book that says Houston led the first lady through imaginary conversations with her hero, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi. Clinton drew the line at a suggestion to converse with Jesus Christ, saying that would be ``too personal.''

The consultations with Houston and an associate, Mary Catherine Bateson, were described in ``The Choice,'' by Bob Woodward, an assistant managing editor at The Washington Post. The book was excerpted at length in the Post and in Newsweek magazine.

In her statement, Clinton said the women were among many Americans ``from all walks of life who have interesting ideas or insights into what's happening in our country today.''

She said they were helpful in the preparation of her best-selling book, ``It Takes A Village,'' about child rearing.

She said she had publicly noted that she had held imaginary talks with Eleanor Roosevelt even before Houston suggested the idea, and described the conversations ``as a way of discussing what Mrs. Roosevelt would think about the problems of contemporary society and how she would approach her role as first lady.''

``Imagine my surprise when what I have been doing since 1993 in front of large audiences was now being reported as a sensational revelation,'' Clinton said.

The White House seemed anxious to avoid embarrassing comparisons to Nancy Reagan's consultations with an astrologer.

Clinton said she had engaged in hours of ``freewheeling discussion'' with Houston.

``While I have had a number of conversations with Jean Houston, it is simply not true that she is my spiritual adviser,'' she added.

Elizabeth Dole, wife of GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole, was asked the source of her spiritual advice during a campaign stop in New Jersey and gave only a two-word answer: ``My church.''

The flap was immediate grist for Republicans - and comedians.

In Albany, N.Y., Republican Gov. George Pataki opened a state Capitol news conference by quipping, `I'm a little bit late because I was just talking with Teddy Roosevelt.''

Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour chimed in: ``I read somewhere that maybe Mrs. Clinton's press secretary is leaving. Maybe they can get Eleanor Roosevelt's press secretary to come in.''