Clintons: Surviving as MOTB, FOTB and Converting

By Ilana Arazie July 19, 2010

“If you can survive being an MOTB, being the special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism seems like a relief,” Hillary Clinton quipped recently to fellow MOTB – Mother of the Bride – U.S. Special Envoy To Combat Antisemitism Hannah Rosenthal at an event honoring Rosenthal in Washington.

Clinton has been taking time from Middle East policy to help her daughter Chelsea with tastings and dress fittings for her upcoming wedding to Marc Mezvinsky on July 31. Specifics of the wedding have been kept so quiet that “details are harder to ferret out than the president’s Afghanistan strategy,” the New York Times Style Section declared this Sunday.

One of the hottest debates surrounding the wedding is will Chelsea, a practicing Methodist, convert for Mezvinsky, an observant Jew. But just like the exact location of the wedding (rumored to be Rhinebeck, NY) and the designer of Chelsea’s dress (likely Oscar de la Renta or Vera Wang) no one really knows.

Close to 500 guests are expected to attend the wedding. The guest list includes Hillary’s boss along with Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. Chelsea is making sure all attendees have a personal tie to the bride or groom.

As for the FOTB, Bill Clinton, he’s just a big ball of mush. “I am going to try not to cry,” he said on a recent trip to South Africa. Bill’s also been instructed by his little girl to lose 15 pounds if he wants to walk her down the aisle. (Ouch!) Looks like Chelsea is developing real chutzpah. Maybe she is ready to convert?!

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