Nancy’s Noblesse : Mrs. Reagan Ignores Unflattering Book

After two weeks of raging hype over an unauthorized--and highly unflattering--biography of her, former First Lady Nancy Reagan ventured out into public Friday for the first time since the book’s publication and witnessed a minor miracle.

Guest of honor at a Republican Party luncheon in Palos Verdes, she was able to pass two hours under the sun without once hearing her name hitched to those of author Kitty Kelley, singer Frank Sinatra, her daughter Patti Davis, her mother, her ex-agent or her hairdresser.

Basking in glowing tributes from party officials, Mrs. Reagan spoke for nearly 10 minutes before the Palos Verdes Peninsula Republican Women and took several questions--all without commenting directly on the contents of “Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography.”

But amid the praise and bromides, the former First Lady did speak elliptically about Kelley’s central contention that Mrs. Reagan--and not her husband--was the one who ran the White House for eight years.

Insisting that her role was to care for Ronald Reagan’s “human needs,” Mrs. Reagan said that “neither marriage or politics denies a spouse the right to express her opinion.”

If she and her hosts were content to stand above the fray, many of their 500 guests were not. After paying $15 to gather around an Olympic-sized swimming pool not far from the Pacific Ocean and nibble crustless tea sandwiches and strawberries, the Republican women of Palos Verdes were clearly on Nancy Reagan’s side.

Some came to the sprawling Palos Verdes coastal mansion in the hope that they would hear the former President’s wife take on “that piece of trash,” as Carole Machette, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Republican Women, described the book. She had not read it, Machette admitted. “But I can tell by all the talk about it that it’s just trash,” she said.

Others, such as Jean Schoenberg, preferred that Mrs. Reagan take the high road. “If I were her I wouldn’t even comment on the book,” said Schoenberg, who drove from Torrance to jockey for position to get a glimpse of the former President’s wife. “Just say no, you know?”

When Mrs. Reagan appeared, slightly before 1 p.m., a man in a mauve polka dot shirt cued up a recording of “Hail to the Chief” and 500 women rose for a standing ovation. Jane Walsh, who like many of the guests brought a camera for the occasion, was so flustered that she mistakenly opened the camera, exposing all her film.

“Oh, my,” she fumed. “I got too excited for my own good.” She still had a mint copy of Mrs. Reagan’s own biography, “My Turn,” but was too far from the former First Lady to obtain an autograph.

Federated Republican Women Chaplain Cherie Bennett thanked God for “the presence of our wonderful First Lady, who did so much to complement the most popular President in our nation’s history.” Another speaker praised Mrs. Reagan as “a lady of grace and beauty--a lady we’ve all been waiting to see.”

As the speakers lavished praise, Jean Schoenberg found a spot near a Republican jewelry stand and took her measure of Mrs. Reagan. She stood silent, approving, as Mrs. Reagan talked of her eight years in the White House. They were years, said the former president’s wife, in which the “highs were the highest” and “the lows were the lowest.”

Mrs. Reagan said she relished the White House’s “38,000 beautiful pieces of historical and cultural artifacts,” its “more than 100 Christmas parties” and its “thousands of dinners, teas, receptions and other functions.” She added that she did not miss the hectic times, but “wouldn’t trade my time in the White House for extra years added onto my life.”

When Mrs. Reagan finished, quickly exiting while the audience applauded, Schoenberg smiled. There had been no mention of “the book.”

“She did it right,” Schoenberg said.