CHICAGO , Illinois ( CNN ) -- President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan on Friday to apologize for a remark about seances he made during his first news conference earlier in the day . President-elect Barack Obama 's spokeswoman syas he apologized to Nancy Reagan for `` offhanded remark . '' When a reporter asked Obama if he had spoken with any ex-presidents since his election on Tuesday , he responded that he had spoken to all former presidents `` that are living . '' `` I did n't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about , you know , doing any seances , '' he said . Nancy Reagan , wife of 40th President Ronald Reagan , was derided in 1988 when his former chief of staff Donald Regan revealed in a book that the first lady had consulted an astrologer to determine the president 's schedule . Obama apologized to Reagan `` for the careless and offhanded remark , '' Obama transition team spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said . Watch Obama make the seance remark » . `` The president-elect expressed his admiration and affection for Mrs. Reagan that so many Americans share and they had a warm conversation , '' Cutter said . President Reagan died in 2004 at 93 . Other first ladies have reportedly used spiritual advisers . In his 1996 book , `` The Choice , '' Washington Post editor and writer Bob Woodward said that as first lady , Sen. Hillary Clinton had seance-like sessions at the White House during which she conversed with late first lady Eleanor Roosevelt . At the time , the White House said the sessions were not seances . Abraham Lincoln 's wife , Mary Todd Lincoln , was rumored to have held seances at the White House in order to contact her two dead sons , Eddie and Willie . She also reportedly went to seances under an assumed name after the president 's death to attempt to contact him . Immediately after the seance remark , Obama said he had `` re-read some of Lincoln 's writings , who 's always an extraordinary inspiration '' and mentioned that former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W . Bush and current President George W. Bush `` have all been very gracious and offered to provide any help that they can in this transition process . ''
Obama makes remark when reporter asks if he 's spoken to any ex - presidents . ` ` I did n't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing ... doing any more , '' he says . Reagan was derided for consulting wife over husband 's schedule . First with Hillary Clinton , Mary Todd Lincoln reportedly had spiritual advisers .