Presidential good time, minus the president

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT COAST -- First things first. He didn’t show.

Together with about 3,000 others at Michigan’s inaugural ball, Resa

Hempfling would have liked to catch a glimpse of the country’s new

president on Jan. 20.

“There’s always a hope that he will stop by,” said Hempfling, a

Newport Coast resident and alto jazz singer. Her performance at this

year’s ball marked the third time in a row she had lent her voice to

celebrating a newly sworn-in president in Washington, D.C.

But while former President Clinton shook hands with Hempfling at both

of his inaugurations and hopped from dance floor to dance floor in the

Capitol, President George W. Bush called it an early night instead.

“He went to Florida[‘s inaugural ball] -- obviously,” Hempfling said

with a smile. “And Texas’ [inaugural ball] -- obviously. And from what we

were told, he was home by 11 p.m.”

Hempfling pushed the presidential absence aside and entertained her

audience along with The Shirelles and Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes on

the main stage set up inside the American History Museum.

“Being on an enormous stage and really do a show, that’s a great

thrill,” she said, adding that it was hard to say which of her three

inauguration experiences was her favorite.

“The first one, of course, was the first one,” she said of Clinton’s

1993 inauguration, where she sang for such celebrities as Dionne Warwick,

Richard Dreyfuss and Lauren Bacall.

“There were many stars that I grew up with,” she said, sitting in the

community room of the apartment complex where she’s living while awaiting

completion of her Newport Coast home in June.

“I got into singing from listening to Dionne Warwick,” she said.

The Clintonites also seemed a little livelier than Bush’s followers,

said Hempfling, who emphasized that she had no political inclinations

either way.

“I’m neither a Republican nor a Democrat,” she said. “It really

depends on the man and what he can do.”

Clinton’s “a tremendously charismatic person,” she continued. “You can

see why he was so successful and loved by so many people.”

In turn, security at the Bush inauguration seemed far more strict than

during Hempling’s previous experiences.

“I have never seen so many Secret Service people,” she said. “They try

to blend in, but they don’t.”

Not that she disagreed with the cautious approach.

“You can never have enough security,” she said, adding that last

year’s close presidential election might have raised additional concerns.

“God forbid something would happen to anybody,” Hempfling said. “There

are enough people out there who want their 15 minutes of fame.”

President or no president, Hempfling came back to California with many

inaugural mementos, including a silver cup engraved with Bush’s name. She

also took home the biggest paycheck. Ever.

“Usually it’s in the hundreds, and this one was higher,” she said,

adding that she didn’ want to disclose the exact sum.

For now, Hempfling will perform in Palm Springs and on Long Beach’s

Queen Mary in the coming months. She’s also working on setting up regular

appearances with a few Newport Beach hotels.

But should she get another call in four years to return to the East

Coast, she wouldn’t hesitate to pack her bags.

“I would love to have met President Bush,” she said, another smile

appearing on her face. “Maybe next time.”