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Hillary Clinton poised to grab political spotlight againMemoir due out Monday
By Sean Loughlin
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Demonstrating once more what a polarizing figure she is, Hillary Rodham Clinton stands poised to dominate the political stage next week with the release of her memoir about her White House years. The book, "Living History," hits bookstores Monday, and the former first lady-turned-U.S. senator will kick things off with a book-signing in New York City. "I am a private person, and it was difficult to write the book, but I wanted to give a complete account of my eight years in the White House with my husband," Clinton, 55, said in an interview Wednesday aired by NY1, promising that the book would cover the "very many high points and good times as well as the more difficult ones." Already, "Living History" has drummed up considerable interest in political circles, thanks largely to leaks of the book reported by The Associated Press in which Clinton talks about her sense of betrayal and hurt over President Clinton's affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The publisher, Simon & Schuster, has ordered 1 million copies for its first printing, an unusually high number for a work of political nonfiction. Clinton was paid a $2.85 million advance on the book, part of an $8 million deal. Critics and fansThe buildup to the book's release has prompted a new look at Clinton's role in the public limelight, her political ambitions, her marriage and her policies. That review comes complete with a disharmonious chorus of supporters who see her as a modern role model for women, and detractors who see a power-hungry and manipulative politician. "The fact is she comes into public life during a time of change," said Ann Lewis, White House communications director during the Clinton administration. "She speaks openly about issues and the interests she has in them." Her style, Lewis said on CNN's "Crossfire," elicited strong responses. "People reacted to it differently," Lewis said. That may be an understatement. On radio talk shows and news programs, discussions of Clinton and her book were often visceral and heated, a reminder that the former first lady remains a divisive figure. "I think she is power hungry," said Sandy Rios, president of Concerned Women for America, a conservative public policy organization. "I don't think it's a healthy emotion ... that Hillary brings to the stage." Said Victoria Jones, a radio talk show host in the nation's capital and a Clinton supporter: "She has presence. She has leadership. She just has to blink and the press comes running." Presidential ambitions?The book comes as Democrats gear up for the 2004 race for the White House. Although Clinton has said she is not running for president -- this time -- her book promises to steal the spotlight, at least temporarily, from the nine Democrats seeking to win their party's nomination. And the book is helping fuel speculation that Clinton wants to launch a White House bid in 2008, should President Bush win re-election next year. Clinton has never ruled that out, saying only that she is focusing on serving the people of New York, her adopted home state. She made history in 2000, becoming the first first lady to win election to a public office. The book figures to revisit familiar terrain: Clinton's botched effort at reforming health care, controversies over Whitewater and her stock investments, the suicide of White House aide Vince Foster, her many travels abroad in which she promoted the rights of women and children, her successful efforts as a Democratic fund-raiser, and, of course, her sometimes enigmatic marriage to Bill Clinton. Public opinion about Clinton remains divided. In a CNN/USA TODAY/Gallup from early June, 19 percent of responders said they had a "very favorable" opinion of Clinton, compared with 24 percent who said they had a "very unfavorable view of her. The remaining percentages fell between. On the question of whether Clinton is qualified to be president, 50 percent said yes and 44 percent said no. The poll has a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. What does Clinton hope people will take away from her book? "I hope that they will, you know, get a better understanding of, you know, my background, my beliefs and certainly then, I think, people will be able to make judgments based on the entirety of the book," she said. -- CNN congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl contributed to this report.
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