RHINEBECK, N.Y. – Bill Clinton made a long-anticipated appearance in the upstate New York village where his daughter is getting married, drawing crowds of onlookers Friday afternoon as preparations continued largely out of sight for the grand and secretive occasion.

The former president, looking fit and relaxed in blue jeans and a black knit shirt, walked with security a few blocks north from the quaint village’s main intersection to the Gigi Trattoria.

To questions blurted from the huge crowd he attracted, Clinton rattled off easy answers.

How are you?

“We’re all fine.”

“We love it here,” he said. “Chelsea loves the area as well.”

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How’s she doing?

“She’s doing well.”

Chelsea Clinton is expected to marry her longtime boyfriend, investment banker Marc Mezvinsky, at a ceremony this evening attended by 400 to 500 people at the grand Astor Courts, an estate on the scenic east bank of the Hudson River. Rumors had abounded for weeks leading up to Friday, including one that Rhinebeck was an elaborate decoy planned by the media-shy Chelsea and that the wedding would be elsewhere.

The appearance of the former president put all the conspiracy talk to rest.

And what does he think of his soon-to-be son-in-law?

“I like him very much,” the popular Democrat said, picking up more people with each passing step. “I really do. I admire him. Hillary feels the same way.”

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That would be Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chelsea’s mother, a former first lady and U.S. senator from New York, and the sitting secretary of state in President Barack Obama’s Cabinet.

The sight of an ex-president captivated many in the crowd. For the record, Dutchess County, which contains Rhinebeck, voted for Clinton and Al Gore in 1996.

“We thought it was great that he walked down here,” said Carol Chestney, of Rhinebeck. “He could have parked right outside. He looks great.”

Marybeth Cale, also of Rhinebeck, said: “It’s amazing, all this excitement. We’re thrilled that he’s here.”

After lunch, Clinton slowly wound his way out of a restaurant, taking time to shake hands with the kitchen staff and customers, who took pictures of him with their cell phones. The restaurant’s owner said it would be impolite to reveal what he had for lunch.

He emerged to an enthusiastic crowd of hundreds of people who shouted, “We love you!” and “Congratulations!” He took a moment to comfort a little girl who got jostled by the huge crowd but broke into a huge grin after the former president asked her name and whether she was all right.

There are still mysteries. The VIP guest list is said to include the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and some of the Clintons’ political allies, and the village was filling with those hoping to catch a glimpse of an honored guest.

 


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