Obama apologizes to Nancy Reagan for seance quip

First press conference, first apology.

President-elect Barack Obama, asked today about whether he has spoken to any of his predecessors as he prepares for office, tried to slip in a little joke.

"In terms of speaking to former presidents, I've spoken to all of them that are living....I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances," Obama replied. "And, by the way, President Carter, President Bush, Sr., as well as the current president have all been very gracious and offered to provide any help that they can in this transition process."

His spokeswoman just released this statement: “President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan today to apologize for the careless and off-handed remark he made during today’s press conference. The President-elect expressed his admiration and affection for Mrs. Reagan that so many Americans share and they had a warm conversation.”

And, as the Associated Press points out, Obama mistook the seance reference. It actually wasn't Nancy Reagan, but one-time rival Hillary Clinton.

Nancy Reagan consulted an astrologer to help set her husband's schedule, according to former White House chief of staff Donald T. Regan. President Reagan declared that "no policy or decision in my mind has ever been influenced by astrology."

In a book, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward described how Clinton consulted with a spiritual adviser who led her through imaginary conversations with her personal hero, Eleanor Roosevelt. Newsweek magazine, which was promoting the book, characterized the visits as "seances," a term that White House officials disputed.