Smut books
THE NATIONAL Archives still isn’t finished binding President Clinton.
Archivist of the United States John W. Carlin announces that the second of two volumes of the “Public Papers of President William J. Clinton, 1999” is now complete and available for sale at $75.
The 1,376-page hardcover volume contains texts of Clinton’s public statements, speeches, news conferences and communications to Congress.
Still, collectors of presidential memorabilia should be reminded that the 1999 Clinton papers aren’t nearly as extraordinary or valuable as the volumes the president presented us with in 1998 — an unprecedented year of presidential history that began with, “I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I’m going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky,” and ended with: “I’m trying to be honest with you and it hurts.”
The Clintons’ twice-told tale
The word is out that both Bill and Hillary Clinton are being paid huge sums to write their biographies. The pundits have had a heyday with the news, but the Washington Post has come out with the most hilarious analogy, to date: “Thrown ashtrays, hand-holding and love-pecking, dry-cleaning bills, changing the kitty litter. Who knows what tender or tawdry details will appear in the autobiographies by Bill and Hillary Clinton — both scheduled to be published in 2003?” writes Linton Weeks in the Washington Post.
“Writing a book is tough work. Making two memoirs of the same shared life agree could be a nightmare. Two people, two views of reality, two competing publishing houses.
“Will the two writers go to war in the same house, like updated versions of Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman? Will his editor at Knopf call her editor at Simon & Schuster to reconcile troublesome discrepancies? And what will the final versions look like? One can only imagine how the different accounts will turn out.”
Jan. 26, 1992: Bill — “Hillary and I appeared on an abbreviated version of ‘60 Minutes’ with Steve Kroft. I denied having an affair with Gennifer Flowers, but said, ‘I have acknowledged causing pain in my marriage. I have said things to you tonight and to the American people from the beginning that no American politician ever has.’ Two observations: 1) I was so glad Washington beat Buffalo in the Super Bowl tonight. Believe me, that made the Washington press so slap-happy they pretty much forgot about me and Hillary for a day or two. And 2) Thank goodness ‘60 Minutes’ didn’t send Mike Wallace.”
Jan. 26, 1992: Hillary — “They call it ‘60 Minutes.’ The interview only lasted about 10 minutes. It felt like 10 hours. And I wish Buffalo had won. I’ve always been a New York woman at heart.”
Aug. 17, 1998: Bill — “Ken Starr’s grand jury grilled me about my relationship with Monica Lewinsky. My lawyer had told the judge in the Paula Jones case that as far as Ms. Lewinsky is concerned, ‘there is absolutely no sex of any kind in any manner, shape or form, with President Clinton.’
“The grand jury pressed me and I told them, ‘It depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.”
Aug. 17, 1998: Hillary —”Bill has been busy busy busy. Tomorrow we go to Martha’s Vineyard for a vacation. Day after tomorrow is Bill’s 52nd birthday. Think I’ll get him a dictionary.”
Jan. 20, 2001: Hillary — “Our last few hours in the White House were so romantic. We danced in the foyer one last time. It was a little painful because Bill’s coat pockets were full of souvenir golf balls and a ceremonial pen. There was rain in the sky, but sunshine in our hearts.”
Jan. 20, 2001: Bill — “That last night in the White House was exhausting. I couldn’t believe it. I had been there eight years and still had so much work to do — all those calls about Marc Rich and them. I was tired and it was quiet. It scared the dickens out of me when Hillary tiptoed in and said, ‘Pardon me.’”