IN SEARCH OF SKELETONS

Sometimes in politics, the best offense is a good defense. So when Pete Wilson's ex-wife telephoned the California Governor's office six weeks ago with the news that the long-divorced couple had once employed an undocumented immigrant as a maid -- and neglected to pay her Social Security taxes -- Wilson's chief of staff, Bob White, knew what to do. Before anyone could say "Zoe Baird," he requested John Davies, a San Diego attorney, to look into the matter. Davies, in turn, hired a bilingual tax preparer to check the laws, speak with the housekeeper and Wilson's former wife, and clean up the mess -- quickly.

Presidential candidates are often unable to recall -- or reluctant to reveal -- deep, dark secrets; their aides are forced to hire special gumshoes to unearth them instead. In fact, as the 1996 presidential race gets under way, investigating the boss before an opponent does it for you has become as integral a part of fledgling campaigns as fund raising and free media are. "It's essential," said Jack Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College. "You really need to see where the other side is going to come at you." Done right, counter-oppo (short for counter-opposition research, as the strategy is called) isn't defense at all. It's good offense.

That was what Wilson's team learned last week. Even as the story leaked, the campaign had ready a four-page memorandum from John Davies explaining that in 1978 Wilson's ex-wife Betty Hosie had hired an undocumented housekeeper from Tijuana named Josefina Klag. The revelation was more than a little awkward-Wilson made illegal immigration a centerpiece of his re-election campaign for Governor. But Davies had to address two legal questions as well: Did the Wilsons "knowingly" hire an illegal immigrant, even though such hiring was not prohibited by law at that time? (No, says Davies: Even though Wilson was mayor of San Diego at the time, neither he nor his wife, who did the actual hiring, knew of Klag's undocumented status.) Did Wilson himself owe back Social Security taxes? (Yes, says Davies: "Because you and Betty shared a household, you share the liability for failure to withhold Social Security taxes prior to your separation.")

In classic counter-oppo fashion, Wilson hoped to extinguish the story quickly by making amends fast, rushing the Treasury a check for back taxes and late penalties. Though the story was embarrassing, its brief arc pleased campaign aides. By week's end Wilson's new campaign manager, Craig Fuller, was praising his boss for bravely tackling the issue "head on."