Bill & Tom’s Obsequious Adventures : Television: NBC’s ‘A Day at the White House’ proved a chance for newsmaker and news media to polish their images in the wake of a rocky 100 days.

They greeted each other in the Oval Office, shaking hands across the President’s desk. And there they stood, the First Executive and the Network Anchorman, Mr. Bill and Mr. Tom, face to face in the White House.

“How you doin’?” Mr. Bill asked.

“Fine,” Mr. Tom replied. “How you doin’?”

“Good,” Mr. Bill replied.

It was a photo opportunity deluxe, and this handsome, graying people’s servant hoped to use it to improve his image and create public sympathy and admiration. And use it he did.

He looked sincere. He looked confident. He looked resolute. He looked sharp. He looked strong. He looked thoughtful. He looked wise. He looked relaxed, yet firm. He looked humble, yet determined. Above all, he looked presidential.

And Clinton didn’t look bad, either.

The occasion was Friday night’s “A Day at the White House,” which chronicled the Thursday of last week that NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw spent with President Clinton. Brokaw to viewers: “You’ll be at the President’s side as he makes the tough decisions throughout this day.” Like, sure, with a TV camera sitting on his nose.

*

What viewers saw, instead, was something classic: a mutually glorifying newsmaker/news media symbiosis.

Beset by Bosnia, feisty Republicans and other headaches, the President had just come through a rocky first 100 days in office. And Brokaw and NBC News had emerged from their own lousy last 100 days, during which a news staging debacle on “Dateline NBC” and other journalistic boners eroded the credibility of the news division and led to the departure of its president, Michael Gartner.

The maiden news venture under Gartner’s successor, former CBS News producer Andrew Lack, “A Day at the White House” granted each side the opportunity to appear in prime time in a golden light, with Clinton warmed and nurtured by a folksy format that he could control and Brokaw earning prestige by association for fusing himself to the President’s hip.

Co-anchors Mr. Bill and Mr. Tom were nearly inseparable, sitting, standing, strolling and schmoozing together, with Clinton sharing most of his close-ups with Brokaw’s face.

It was almost as if Brokaw had been hanging in cellophane on a hook in a White House coat closet, just waiting to be dusted off and trotted out for just this sort of exercise in presidential self-flattery. Despite a few early questions about Bosnia, Brokaw gave the impression that he boned up for his big day by watching reruns of Clinton’s inaugural eve interview with Mr. Rogers (“Were you little one time?”).

To Clinton, flanked by Chief of Staff Thomas (Mack) McLarty and his assistant: “Can you ever have enough good help in the White House?”

To Clinton, in the presence of Vice President Al Gore: “We’ve been grilling the vice president a little bit. He’s been very forthcoming about the relationship. He’s been very happy with it. Is something like Bosnia . . . where you really count on his counsel?”

Clinton: “A lot.”

Later, Gore candidly told Brokaw: “I couldn’t possibly be more satisfied.”

*

No less memorable was the imperial trio--Brokaw, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and the President--descending a steep staircase together. Then Brokaw pressed the Clintons on their life after hours: “Are there some times on Saturdays or Sundays when you just look at each other and say, ‘We’re just exhausted,’ though?”

The President swung and the ball left the stadium.

Clinton: “Is there ever a Saturday or Sunday when we don’t say that to each other?” He chuckled, his wife chuckled, Brokaw chuckled. Clinton: “But y’know, we signed on for the whole load, and we like it and we believe in it and we’re very upbeat about our prospects to help change the country.”

“Very upbeat” described this program.

In addition to First Cat Socks, viewers met members of the White House staff, who were young, bright, vibrant, committed and, well, incredibly likable. Brokaw: “Staying in touch with people is a daily goal of this White House.”

Gen. Colin L. Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Les Aspin arrived at the Oval Office in good spirits. Brokaw: “Even with Bosnia hovering, they find time to laugh.”

National Security Adviser Anthony Lake found time to welcome and joke with his boyhood idol, baseball great Stan Musial.

Everyone, including that master of the snide, Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.), seemed to understand his role. Arriving at the White House, Dole was uncharacteristically mild spoken, knowing that if he uttered a snide word about Clinton on this unpaid commercial he’d be hissed off the stage like a villain in an old-fashioned melodrama. Nor were there tart words from those extraterrestrials, the White House press corps, with even ABC News sourpuss Brit Hume describing Clinton as “remarkably personable.”

Inevitably, it was time for the obligatory cornball shot through an Oval Office window of Clinton working late into the night. Later he told Brokaw: “I’m just gonna keep gettin’ up every day and goin’ to work and doin’ the best I can to push the rocks up the hill.”

For emphasis, the final credits rolled over footage of Clinton leaving the Oval Office for the evening, laden with a briefcase and a sack full of material. “Good night,” he said.

For Mr. Bill and Mr. Tom--and their image shapers--a very good night.

*

REBUTTAL: “You impugned my integrity by implying that I do this for personal gain, and that’s not true,” said KTLA-TV Channel 5 reporter Warren Wilson.

Wilson was responding to my Friday column on reporters who cross the line, in which I cited the frequency with which criminal suspects have surrendered to him instead of to police. In one instance, he accepted $25,000 from the Los Angeles City Council for bringing in a suspect in the 1988 slaying of an LAPD officer. I wrote that even if Wilson had earmarked the funds for charity, it was still wrong for him to accept a reward because “it made it appear he had crossed a line--become part of a story--for personal gain.” My opinion is unchanged.

Wilson said that he kept “a little bit” of the money, giving the rest to black organizations. The last time a suspect surrendered to Wilson was in March. He said if offered reward money in that case, he would accept it, but give it away to finance junior college for Compton high school students. “It wouldn’t even have to come to me, it could go directly to them,” he said.

Wilson said there is “a question in my mind” about the propriety of reporters accepting such rewards under any circumstances, but that this wouldn’t deter him from “the bigger issue” of using the money to help others.