Clintons party on with lots of public handholding, kissing

What a difference a year makes

What a difference a year makes. This time last year, President Clinton, fresh from his public admission of an affair with Monica Lewinsky, was skulking around Martha's Vineyard keeping out of the way of an outraged wife.

This year the vacationing First Couple are partying almost every night and, in the words of USA Today, "projecting an image of a twosome in love with lots of public handholding and kissing". A headline in the Washington Post proclaimed "Clinton woos crowd with courtship tales". This was an account of how the president gave a detailed account of his first meeting with Hillary to an awed crowd which hung on every word.

They had paid a $1,000 a head for her Senate campaign but had not expected to get this kind of pep-speech. "She was an interesting, compelling-looking woman, so I followed her out of this class. And I got right behind her and I said, no, this is nothing but trouble," the president recalled.

Later he explained to reporters that Hillary was trouble because he had just broken up with another girlfriend. "I thought I would fall in love with her and I didn't want to fall in love."

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At the fundraiser, the president told how "I kind of stalked her around law school for two or three weeks" but they did not speak until one day when Hillary marched up to him, said she had noticed him staring at her and introduced herself and asked for his name.

"This woman has initiative," said the president, explaining that this assertiveness would be useful in a senator.

The hostess for the evening, Elizabeth Frawley-Bagley, said later the guests were surprised that Mr Clinton talked so personally about his love life because it was such a sensitive subject just a year ago. She said there was an audible gasp when he used the word "stalked" as it recalled how Ms Lewinsky had also been described as a "stalker".

But now instead of a hunted looking president taking solitary walks on the beach with his labrador, Buddy, there is an endless round of dinners, lunches, fund raisers, golf and browsing in bookshops. The White House press corps, which never rests even on presidential holidays, trails at a distance looking for colour.

There is no real news from the presidential retreat in the luxury holiday home of a wealthy supporter on Martha's Vineyard, so what the President is reading gets dutiful coverage. The newspapers printed the full list.

Incidentally, the Clintons have no bother in staying in the homes of wealthy supporters. They do it all the time and the same supporters have been known to be invited to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House in return for a substantial contribution to the next election.

By the time this holiday is over, Mrs Clinton expects to have raised at least $600,000 for her Senate campaign. The president is doing his bit with stories about their courting days and at a brunch fundraiser the guests got value for their $1,000 when Mr Clinton took over the saxophone and played My Funny Valentine for a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary.

His spokesman, Joe Lockhart who has a string of cousins in Co Kerry, tries to keep the press amused. He put on purple spectacles with a big plastic nose for one briefing as reporters begged for crumbs about the health of the First Lady who had to bow out of one of the dinners due to a cold.

"Joe, can you give us a vacation update and also tell us if Mrs Clinton's feeling better?" pleaded one reporter. "They spent most of the afternoon at the beach over by the house, so I would extrapolate from that, that she was feeling a little bit better," answered Mr Lockhart, who then played basketball in a match of White House aides versus the media.

Back at the White House where "deep cleaning" is going on while the Clintons are away, reporters are just as desperate for tidbits.

They are even reporting on what aides have had new haircuts.

Associated Press has solemnly reported that chief of staff, John Podesta, has come back with a crewcut - "only the barest hint of stubble on his tanned pate".

Hold the front page.

If you can take any more of this, you might like to know that the president's golf game is pretty mediocre as usual. Reporters skulking around Farm Neck golf club observed the presidential drive going into the rough and heard him say "I killed it". This was reported as a "mulligan" which means that the fluffed stroke does not count. You can do this when you are president.

Things might get more exciting for the press next week when the Clintons head for the village of Skaneateles in upstate New York, situated on a picturesque lake and surrounded by golf clubs. Most of the natives are Republicans and are suspicious of the Democratic invasion but Mrs Clinton will be seeking votes wherever she can get them.

A staunch Republican, Doug Clark who is owner of Doug's Fish Fry, has been reported as saying that he would not serve the president and his wife. But at Johnny Angel's burger joint, the owner, Mr Angyal, has named a sandwich the "Hillary Special - full of baloney". He says he can't stand the Clintons but would be honoured by a presidential visit and hopes Hillary will try her sandwich, a hamburger roll with three thick slabs of grilled bologna topped with melted cheese.

What a way to spend a holiday.