WASHINGTON — Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton don't have to scramble for national publicity; it flows to them.
On Tuesday and again today, the couple demonstrates the raw power of celebrity, with scheduled appearances on five national television shows just as the Democratic presidential primary race enters its most competitive stage.
In a post-Labor Day blitz, the former president made appearances Tuesday on Oprah Winfrey's talk show and the "Late Show with David Letterman," while the New York senator got the warmest of receptions on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show.
"I don't know if you know this, but I'm gay," DeGeneres said.
"What!" said the Democratic front-runner, in mock surprise.
That was a prelude to a more serious question about why Clinton opposes same-sex marriage. She didn't answer the question directly, saying she favors civil unions with equality of benefits.
She also said she believed that the "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gays serving in the military hasn't worked. That policy was put in place when her husband was in the White House and has, she said, "driven people out of the military."
Bill Clinton is to appear today on the "Today" show and "Larry King Live." He is promoting his wife's candidacy, of course, but also his new book about philanthropy and service, "Giving."
Not every candidate for president is the darling of TV booking agents, but the appetite for the Clintons remains unabated. There are, for example, the eternal questions about how the marriage works -- an issue that cropped up on DeGeneres' show, when the two women went to a restaurant and chatted with a couple of patrons.
One asked whether Bill Clinton did any housework. Hillary Clinton said that although they did have some household help, "I'll come home late at night and he'll be rearranging the bookshelves or cleaning up the kitchen. He's pretty handy to have around, actually."
Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic political strategist, said the Clintons were capitalizing on the public's fascination with them, using their appeal to reach millions of viewers largely on their own terms.
"They are still America's first family," he said. "They have lived a kind of serial program that has been on the air, without repeats, for nearly 20 years -- and the American public intends to keep tuning in."
