Posted on 06/22/2004 11:30:44 AM PDT by ambrose
Fans Line Up to Buy Clinton's Book Hundreds Crowd Along Several City Blocks Near New York
Bookstore to Get Bill Clinton to Sign His Book
The Associated Press
NEW YORK June 22, 2004 Eager for a few seconds of face time with their idol, hundreds of Bill Clinton's fans crowded along several city blocks Tuesday near a Manhattan bookstore where he was scheduled to sign copies of his new memoir, "My Life." "Bill Clinton is a rock star," said Lynne Roberts, 37, who set up camp Monday night, nearly 15 hours before the signing was to begin. "He is our cultural icon and we miss him now more than ever, given everything that's going on in the world."
The Rockefeller Center Barnes & Noble planned to give out more than 1,000 wristbands that would allow customers to purchase several copies, but only one autographed by the former president, who was to arrive at 12:30 p.m.
Although fans were told there would be no time to talk to Clinton, Dana Scinto of Stamford, Conn., said she would try to convey a message anyway.
"I want to thank him for eight fun years where he didn't insult my intelligence or rule by fear like our current president," said Scinto, 39, as she waited on 48th Street, a short distance from the Fifth Avenue store entrance.
By midmorning, a sea of umbrellas appeared as a steady rain began falling on the orderly and undeterred assemblage, estimated by police at at least 1,000. The line snaked from Fifth to Sixth avenues and 48th to 49th streets.
Some people, happy to buy the hefty tome and leave without waiting for Clinton's signature, exited the bookstore clutching a Barnes & Noble bag like a prized possession.
Those who spent the night on the concrete said an atmosphere of camaraderie helped speed the waiting. Roberts said she played gin rummy with her boyfriend and read a newspaper before swaddling herself in a sleeping bag for a few hours' nap.
Yvette Clarke of Brooklyn got on line at 7:30 a.m.
"I love the man. He was a great president. Fabulous," said Clarke, who hoped to buy two copies. "He's wonderful, and his wife and their daughter Chelsea. He had a problem with his reputation, but who doesn't? Nobody's perfect."
Clinton was also scheduled to sign books Tuesday night at Hue-Man bookstore, near his Harlem office.
Bookstores in New York, Washington and Little Rock, Ark., stayed open late Monday night for buyers who wanted to snap up their copies right at midnight.
"It's a historic moment for me," said Margaret Woods, a Manhattan billing consultant who stood in a late-night line of about 100 people at a Barnes & Noble near Lincoln Center. "When he was in office, the country was prosperous, people had jobs, the budget was balanced and we weren't at war. He gave a lot of people hope."
The Books-A-Million store in North Little Rock, Ark., staged a party with trivia contests that drew about 80 people.
Although initial reviews have called the book self-serving and dull, Garry Caldwell, 54, of Sherwood, Ark., said he wanted to read "My Life" to better understand Clinton's political legacy.
"I believe in listening to both sides of the argument and making up my own mind," he said. "I think he was a good president I think he could have been one of the best presidents except for the scandals."
Alfred A. Knopf has given the memoirs a first printing of 1.5 million. Mary Ellen Keating, a spokeswoman for Barnes & Noble, said the chain ordered 300,000 to 400,000 copies of the book for its stores across the country.
To promote the book, Clinton has served as keynote speaker at BookExpo America, the publishing industry's annual national convention, and been interviewed by "60 Minutes," Time magazine and the British Broadcasting Corp., among others. Over the next month, he will visit independent booksellers, chain superstores, black-owned stores such as Hue-Man, and price clubs such as Costco.
The book also went on sale Tuesday in Britain and Ireland; translated copies were being readied in France for a Wednesday launch.
In other countries where translations remained months away, "My Life" arrived in the form of newspaper serializations that focused largely either on Clinton's relationship with his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, or with former intern Monica Lewinsky.
In Ireland, which the ex-president still visits yearly for golf and lucrative speaking engagements, Dubliners lauded Clinton as a driving force behind both the country's 1990s economic boom and the peace process in neighboring Northern Ireland.
"Clinton was a charmer, whereas Bush is just scary," said Pat Huxtable, a psychotherapist thumbing through a copy of "My Life" in Eason's, the flagship bookstore of Ireland.
Critics and Clinton's political opponents have not been kind. Rush Limbaugh has said the book should be called "My Lie." The New York Times' Michiko Kakutani, in a front-page review Sunday, called it "sloppy, self-indulgent and often eye-crossingly dull."
On NBC's "Today" show, Bay Buchanan, chairwoman of the conservative-oriented American Cause organization, called the book's marketing "masterful" and Clinton "a brilliant man." But she said it was "boring and too long."
Also on the show, Clinton's former press secretary, Joe Lockhart, said he thought "My Life" will make a major contribution to the national dialogue.
"I think people are going to find the book fascinating," Lockhart said.
With advance orders already topping 2 million, Clinton's book, which runs from his Arkansas childhood through his presidency, appears guaranteed to justify his reported $10 million advance and outsell the memoirs of his wife, who received $8 million. According to her publisher, Simon & Schuster, Sen. Clinton's "Living History" has about 2.3 million copies in print, including both hardcover and paperback editions.
The former president joked about his advance at a Monday evening book party in his honor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, saying, "I hope my publisher makes back its money."
He also quipped that despite the size of his advance, "by the time I finished this book I was just about down to minimum wage," so long had he worked on it.
Close to 1,000 people filled the museum's Great Hall, including actress Lauren Bacall, folk singer Judy Collins, comedian Al Franken, recent presidential candidate Al Sharpton and TV personalities Barbara Walters and Paula Zahn.
Pre-orders for "My Life" have tripled over the last week at Barnes & Noble and also increased by double digits for Borders, even though the Borders discount for the $35 book dropped from 40 percent to 30 percent for orders made after June 14.
Associated Press writers Jennifer Friedlin, Ula Ilnytzky and Jocelyn Noveck contributed to this report.
Liberal "intellectuals" who were educated beyond their intelligence.
Wish I was there. I could make a fortune with my "Rent a Knee pad" concession.
Well, here in ORlando, the talk-radio DJ sent a live report out to a local bookstore where the on-site reporterette reported that...no one was in line to get "MY Lies". She said she had to go next door to the coffee shop to find anyone remotely interested in the book. This was on 580AM, Orlando.
Heck, Clinton gave "100's of 'I don't recall' answers" in a *single* appearance. All of the following are verbatim from Clinton's 8/17/1998 appearance under oath before the Grand Jury:
Let me begin with the correct answer -- I don't know for sure. I have no specific memory [...] But I do not remember when they were or at what time of day they were or what the facts were. I just don't know. I don't remember. But I'm giving you what I specifically remember, and then what I generally remember. I don't remember that, [...] I don't remember who requested the meeting though. I'm sorry I don't. I don't remember what the bag was I gave them in. I don't remember that, sir. I mean, there could have been. I just don't remember. I don't remember what else. I don't -- I didn't remember the cherry chocolates. I seem to remember I gave her some kind of pin. I don't remember that. I'm not denying it. I just --I'm telling you what I remember and what I don't. But I was trying to remember [...] My memory is not clear. I'm not sure, [...] I do not know [...] I have searched my memory for this [...] I can tell you what I remember about the conversation and you can see why I'm having trouble placing a date. [...] I'm not sure it happened [...] That's the memory I have. I don't remember that. I remember, sir -- I've told you what I remember. It doesn't mean that my memory is accurate. My experience was totally different. I asked them to help me because I couldn't remember the specifics. My testimony is that my memory is that [...] I'm sorry I don't remember when it was -- [...] QUESTION: Do you remember that? CLINTON: No, sir. Just because I don't remember doesn't mean it wasn't there. I wouldn't deny that. I just don't remember it. You asked me if I remember it. I don't. She might have done it. I don't remember when I said that. I don't remember whether it was in 1996 or when it was. I don't remember. I do not know when I said this. So I don't know whether we did have any sort of inappropriate relationship at the time I said that to her. I don't remember. I don't know. I don't know the answer to that. Yes, I think what I meant there is I don't recall what they were, not that I don't recall whether I had given them. [...] but I did not remember giving her a gold broach, [...] I didn't remember it. I may have given it to her, but I didn't remember giving her one. And I don't know why I didn't think to say anything about them, [...] [...] what I was trying to determine was whether my recollection was right [...] I was downloading what I remembered. I don't remember exactly what I did say with her. That's what you say I said. And what I might have meant by that is, [...] It depends upon what the meaning of the word is means. I didn't -- I don't know that I was really paying that much attention to him. I am not even sure that [...] I don't know -- I didn't pay attention [...] And his memory of these events, I think, would be better than mine [...] I don't have independent memory of that, [...] I would be inclined to trust his memory over mine, [...] I do not remember exactly [...] I don't think I know him. All I can tell you, sir, is I certainly don't remember him saying that. And I could have just forgotten it. But I don't remember him ever saying that. No. I don't remember him saying that. I remember that -- I don't remember any -- [...] I'm sorry. I just don't remember that. QUESTION: That is something that one would be likely to remember, don't you think, Mr. President? CLINTON: I think I would, and I'd be happy to share it with you if I did. I only had one encounter with Ms. Lewinsky, I seem to remember, [...] I don't remember the other thing you mentioned. I just -- I might well remember it if he had said it. Maybe he said it and I've forgotten it. But I don't -- I can't tell you that I remember that. I was trying to remember [...] And I thought that Bruce Lindsey was the first person and that's how I was trying to remember that. Several of my answers are somewhat jumbled. I don't think so. [...] I was trying to struggle with who -- at where I had heard this. But they knew a lot more than I did. I did the best I could. I was struggling to remember them. So I didn't have perfect memory of all these events [...] I honestly tried to remember when [...] QUESTION: If Vernon Jordan has told us that you have an extraordinary memory, one of the greatest memories he has ever seen in a politician, would that be something you would care to dispute? CLINTON: No. I do have a good memory. I have been shocked and so have members of my family and friends of mine at how many things that I have forgotten in the last six years [...] I'm amazed -- there are lots of times when I literally can't remember last week. If you ask me a lot of questions like that, my memory is not what it was when I came here because my life is so crowded. [...] I believe this answer reflects I was trying to remember [...] I have a memory of that. Or he -- seems like he said that [...] I believe -- I may be wrong about this -- my impression was that at the time [...] It's quite -- this is sort of a jumbled answer. It's quite possible that I had gotten mixed up [...] I was doing my best to remember. All I can tell you is I didn't remember all the details of all this. I didn't remember what -- when Vernon talked to me [...] [...] I didn't remember all those details. So I don't necessarily remember all the details [...] And I think I may have been confused in my memory [...] But there were a lot of other things going on, and I don't necessarily remember it all. [...] I'm just trying to explain that I don't have the memory that you assume that I should about some of these things. I wish Mr. Ruff were answering this question instead of me. His memory would be better. I've tried to remember [...] I don't recall whether I talked to her on the phone before she came in to visit, but I may well have. I'm not denying that I did. I just don't recall that. Well, I don't remember all that. I don't remember that. I don't remember whether it happened on that very day. I don't know that I said that. I don't remember what I said, and I don't remember to whom I said it. I think maybe -- you know -- I don't know. QUESTION: You don't recall [...?] CLINTON: No, sir. No, sir. I don't recall that. [...] I don't recall that I gave orders to fire anybody, [...] I don't remember that, first of all. And I remember -- as I usually do when I'm mad, I -- after a while, I wasn't so mad about it. But I don't remember the whole sequence of events [...] [...] whatever I said, I don't recall, [...] I certainly have no memory of doing that. I have no memory of saying anything to anybody [...] I don't remember anything I said to him in that regard. I have no recollection of that whatever. And the only thing I -- what happened in the couple of days after what you did was revealed is a blizzard to me. But I do not remember the specific meeting about which you asked or the specific comments to which you referred. I'd have no way to remember, no. And I do not remember what I said to John Podesta. Look, I'm not trying to be evasive here. [...] the next three days are just a blur to me. I don't remember to whom I talked, when I talked to them or what I said. I honestly don't remember -- no. I'm not saying that anybody who had a contrary memory is wrong. I do not remember. You will have to ask them what they thought I was saying. It might have been. That is not my recollection. My recollection is that I did not have sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky. At some point, sir, I believe I talked to Erskine Bowles [...] I do not know what the date was. I don't know. I don't know when the date was. I'm not in a position to deny it. I won't deny it. I'm sure that they're both truthful men. I don't know when the date was. And I think that that's my recollection. My recollection is that --slightly different from that. Now, that's my entire memory of this. I don't have any memory of that whatever. QUESTION: Do you recall making that conversation [...?] CLINTON: No, sir, I don't. But it would -- it -- it would -- it is quite possible that that happened [...] [...] and I was struggling to try to remember [...] I don't have any memory of it, but I certainly wouldn't dispute that I might have said that. I don't remember. I don't remember exactly what I told her that night. I don't remember that. I do not recall saying anything like that [...] [...] but I have no specific memory of that conversation. I might well have said that. Well, again, I don't recall, and I don't recall whether I might have done something like that, [...] And this thing -- and I searched my own memory. This is -- you're dealing with, in some ways, the most mysterious area of human life. I'm not sure that I do remember that. I did talk to her that day? I'm trying to remember when the last time I talked to her was. I may have talked to her, but I don't remember the specific conversation. My impression, my belief was that she gave me that book for Christmas. Maybe that's not right. But, anyway, maybe I didn't get it until January. I don't remember her asking me that. No, I don't remember that at all. Oh, no, sir. I don't remember that. Maybe somebody -- maybe she did. But I only remember -- well, I don't remember that. That's all I can tell you. I don't remember that. I have no recollection of that whatever. No, sir. I'm telling you, I want to say I don't recall -- I don't have any memory of this as I sit here today. And I don't have any recollection of the specific thing you are saying to me. [...] I do not recall a conversation. QUESTION Do you remember the note that it came with, Mr. President? CLINTON No, sir, I don't. I'm not saying I didn't. I have no recollection of that. So -- but, it could have happened. I wouldn't say it didn't. I just don't remember it [...] [...] I asked her to try to quickly refresh my memory. Well, I don't recall whether I did or not, [...] So, I think there was -- I'm not entirely sure what I meant by that [...] And I think that's what I meant. [...] and I'm sorry to say for reasons I don't entirely remember [...] [...] her memory and mine may be somewhat different. I do not know whether I was asking her about a particular time [...] I do not know what I meant. I'm not sure of that. I don't remember whether Betty was there or not, [...] That would be my guess. I don't know. [...] I told you, the only thing I remember is when all this stuff blew up, I was trying to figure out what the facts were. I was trying to remember. I was trying to remember every time I had seen Ms. Lewinsky. There was a time -- it seems like there was one or two things where she said, well, remember this, that or the other thing, which did reflect my recollection. I remember having this one time. I was, I was -- I don't know that I did. I do not remember how many times I talked to Betty Currie or when, I don't. I can't possibly remember that. And if her memory was different from mine, it was fine, just go in there and tell them what she thought. QUESTION What time of day, sir? CLINTON I have no idea. I don't remember. MR. KENDALL: I think the witness is confused on dates. That's all. That's what -- I didn't think it was the night of the 17th. Can we have a break and I could get straightened out? Yes, and it bothered me, too, that I couldn't remember the answers. It bothered me that I couldn't -- as Mr. Wisenberg pointed out, it bothered me that I couldn't remember all the answers. But if you give it to me, and I look at it and remember that she gave it to me, I'll be happy to produce it. I don't remember that she gave it to me. I have no earthly idea. I have the impression -- it's kind of a vague memory, [...] Now, I'm not sure of that. I don't know that I've seen it, [...] I'm not so sure that I didn't ask Don Beyer, [...] I knew I had seen her before and I didn't remember her name. QUESTION Do you recall that you sent Nancy Hernreich for her telephone number? CLINTON No, I don't. QUESTION Do you recall, having received her telephone number, call her that night? CLINTON No, sir, I don't. QUESTION Do you recall inviting her to meet with you at your hotel that night? CLINTON No, sir, I do not. I won't deny that I called her. I don't know whether I did or not. I don't recall. I may well have done it and I don't know why I did it. I don't remember talking to her. I have some vague memory of that. That's it. Well, I don't know if I would -- maybe that's what she said I should have. I don't remember. But I have no recollection, sir, of asking her to come to my room. I -- and I -- I'm sorry, I don't. I can't -- I won't deny calling her. I don't know if I did call her. I don't know if she tried to call me first. I don't know anything about that. I didn't -- I didn't remember that she's written us as much as she had [...] Well, yes. I just didn't want to, I didn't want to -- yes. And I didn't -- I made the -- I actually, I think, made the call, or at least I supported the call. I don't remember giving, her giving me this tie. If she did, I, I, I, I don't remember it, [...]
Just reading all these comments by clinton-worshipping sociopaths and fellow-traveling utter fools reminds me once again why the Left should never be allowed in control of this country, it's laws or it's courts.
Hell, they shouldn't even be allowed out on the public road in cars, or wandering around the house with sharp pencils. They're a complete menace to society!
No, you weren't too harsh. Wonder how many books the DNC bought to make clintoon look good on the ratings?
Now that was good.
It sounds like most of these folks are aging hippies from the Connecticut suburbs. Probably the same sort who used to come in to visit those nightclubs with the strobe lights. Same as the folks who turned up at Woodstock.
I predicted that the book would do well. More than a million will buy it, for sure, although I doubt that 1 out of 10 of them will manage to get through it. They can put it on the coffee table, get out a weed, look at it and sigh for the good old days.
What, no quote from Greg Packer?
I wonder which definition they're using here...
This entire article reads like a book review...rather than the book reviews themselves...
Gennifer gives it two t*ts up while Monica gives it both knees down...
"Bill Clinton is a rock star"
"He is our cultural icon and we miss him now more than ever, given everything that's going on in the world." (only he can save us??)
"I want to thank him for eight fun years where he didn't insult my intelligence or rule by fear like our current president," - (anyone who understands the Clinton administration MO, knows this to be written and inserted by one of them, as they did nothing but insult intelligence and rule by fear).
...clutching a Barnes & Noble bag like a prized possession.
(I clutch toilet paper like a prized possession too...
"I love the man. He was a great president. Fabulous,"
"He's wonderful, and his wife and their daughter Chelsea. He had a problem with his reputation, but who doesn't? Nobody's perfect." (typical liberal legacy deflection)
"When he was in office, the country was prosperous, people had jobs, the budget was balanced and we weren't at war. He gave a lot of people hope." better read as "the Clinton's were prosperous, illegal immigrants took the jobs of needy Americans and had to pay no taxes, the budget was ignored and Kosovo never happened...
"I think he was a good president I think he could have been one of the best presidents except for the scandals." (more typical liberal legacy deflection)
...black-owned stores such as Hue-Man (was this color thing necessary, anyone else catch this?)
"Clinton was a charmer, whereas Bush is just scary," (a great charmer does not a great leader make...)
"by the time I finished this book I was just about down to minimum wage," Huh?! - connecting to the little people although the folks in Ireland do not agree... - (snip) which the ex-president still visits yearly for golf and lucrative speaking engagements....
Bill Clinton loved our children more than we did. He loved them so much he even tried to have sex with them....
"Clinton was a charmer, whereas Bush is just scary," said Pat Huxtable, a psychotherapist thumbing through a copy of "My Life"
My sentiments exactly. That people in this country can really be that stupid is what is scary!
"A fool and his money..." and there aren't any bigger fools around than Democrats.
Bet they were Dem party hacks, staffers, and autograph seekers. Wonder how many were paid, or were re-imbursed for buying the book?
I liked the comment from one idiot - "he did not insult my intelligence" (what intelligence?) and another one "he did not rule by fear as the current one" (Dud!)
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