Her Story is Released.
Hillary’s memoir Living History was released on Monday of last week, accompanied by a book tour and several prominent interviews on television and radio. Simon & Schuster estimated that 200,000 copies were sold in bookstores nationwide on the first day alone. Executives at the publishing company said that such first-day sales were highly unusual for a non-fiction work, and were closer to the sort of figures enjoyed by fiction writers like John Grisham. Apparently, these executives overlooked the fact that Hillary’s book is historical fiction, at the very least. Before her book was officially launched, some of the story—the part about Bill "finally" telling Hillary about Monica—was "leaked" to the Associated Press. Simon & Schuster were up in arms over this allegedly unauthorized leak, but the end result, according to some publishing experts, was that the juicy leaks undoubtedly helped boost sales by creating a swell of public and prurient interest. No doubt, if the leak had been about Hillary’s plan to nationalize health care, initial interest in her book would have plummeted. It also appears highly likely that, despite the protests and threats of lawsuits by Simon & Schuster, the unauthorized leaks were done by liberals who like Hillary and hoped to benefit her book. Different Versions of History.
The Washington Post’s "Reliable Source" helpfully pointed out that Hillary’s account of when her husband finally confessed to his sordid affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and its aftermath is contradicted by two other books about the Clinton presidency. In Living History, Hill says that Bill told her "for the first time" on August 15, but in Peter Baker’s The Breach, Hillary actually got the real story on August 13, from trusted attorney David Kendall. Even The New York Times, in an August 14 front-page article thankfully not written by Jayson Blair, headlined President Clinton’s imminent confession that he had a sexual affair with Monica. Finally, Hillary wrote in her memoirs that there was a "bitter chill" between her and Bill immediately after his confession, but in Sidney Blumenthal’s The Clinton Wars, the author recollects how he listened in on a phone call to the playful banter between Hill and Bill in background: "They were still working as a team," said Sid. Tough Road to the White House.
Many political pundits, including Rush Limbaugh, Dick Morris and several prominent Democrats, are claiming that Bill and Hillary are doing all they can to prevent any of the current 2004 Democratic presidential candidates from winning next year, in order to clear the way for Hillary in 2008. This argument makes sense. But first Hill has to win re-election to her New York Senate seat in 2006, and there are rumors that former N.Y. City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will challenge her for the seat. A recent Marist College poll showed that Giuliani would throttle Hillary, 56% to 39%, in 2006. This includes a lead of more than 30 points in every part of New York State, except the City, where Sen. Clinton holds a very slight edge over the former Mayor. Even if Hillary managed to win re-election in 2006, she may still have a tough time in 2008, according to an ABC News poll. The poll showed that 48% of Americans—a very high number—view Hillary unfavorably, and that more than twice as many people view her "strongly" negatively as strongly positively. The poll also showed that only 4 in 10 Americans think that she should ever run for President, while 53% think that she should never run. Hill on Boob Tube.
After you have managed to finish reading the 562-page Living History, you’ll have the chance to sit down in your living room and watch A&E put on a two-hour movie about Hillary. The movie is expected to air in early 2004, right in the middle of the Democratic primary season, and producers have already spoken to Basic Instinct actress Sharon Stone (!) about the title role. No choice has been made yet about who should play Monica Lewinsky. The A&E production will not be based on Living History, though, but on author Gail Sheehy’s best seller, Hillary’s Choice. According to the network, the movie will begin at the start of her husband’s presidency, and "will focus on Hillary’s quest to fulfill her high hopes and ambitions as she repeatedly faces humiliating personal setbacks." Robert DeBitetto, senior vice-president of programming for A&E, says that "It’s a fascinating story and one that has absolutely captured the imagination of the public."
