There’s a part of Hillary Clinton’s autobiography, “Living History,” where she writes about moving into the White House in 1993, and how Bill and her set up their respective banks of offices.

As she describes them, the offices of the President get arranged much as you might imagine them, or at least as you have seen them on TV: a series of glass-walled, closed-door rooms, with, she writes, “staffers jockeying over who gets the office closest to the President.”

Hillary’s bank of offices – she goes to the trouble of detailing this – were set up as a series of open cubicles, smaller spaces and lower walls, a stash of candy, and crayons on hand for visiting children. This was eventually dubbed “Hillaryland,” and although she doesn’t say it, you can probably imagine the tone in which this moniker was first applied (probably by one of the aforementioned staffers). Oh that’s just Hillaryland, just a bunch of middle-aged women hanging around, laughing and eating candy! Can't take that too seriously! It was like the White House ghetto where the real people worked.

And then the next thing that happens in the book is that the Hillary staffers take the name for themselves and decide to own it, and they make these Hillaryland badges that look like they are made out of felt and wear them. For two terms, apparently.

But when I read this, I had to wonder to myself… why couldn’t the Presidential offices be like that? Why did they have to be closed off and cold and uptight? This Hillaryland place sounded, well, normal and real and welcoming and funny; they even apparently had baked goods lying around. How on earth can you run the free world without an ample supply of baked goods? Or music? Or coloring books?

I think we have been trying to do just that for far too long, and that is half the problem right there. If one had to wear a decorated felt badge to get into the White House, I can’t imagine we would have as many wars as we do. I just don't. Why couldn't "Hillaryland" be where the President worked?

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Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia tomorrow night
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Where: Temple University, McGonigle Arena
1800 Broad Street
Philadelphia , PA 19122

Join Hillary in Philadelphia for a "Solutions for America" Rally. Doors open at 4 p.m. Event beings at 6 p.m.