Clinton Suspends Book Tour, Keeps Spotlight on Kerry
(2004-06-17) -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton announced today he would suspend a scheduled nationwide book tour for his new memoir to "ensure that the national spotlight remains on the dynamic presidential candidacy of my good friend, and our next president, John Kerry."
According to Knopf, the publisher of Mr. Clinton's 199,675-page My Life, shipments to bookstores have been recalled and the first book signing rescheduled for mid-November 2004.
"It's a memoir, not breaking news," said Mr. Clinton. "There's no good reason it has to come out now. My presidency is historic--one for the ages--and my autobiography will be as compelling in six months, or six hundred years, as it is now."
An anonymous spokesman for Knopf said that while Mr. Clinton's decision was altruistic and supportive of Mr. Kerry, who is a U.S. Senator, it was also motivated by "marketing reality".
"There's no way that these two giants--these two magnificent statesmen--can stand on the national stage at the same time," the spokesman said. "Mr. Kerry is sucking up all the oxygen right now, and will do so until at least November. After his election, Mr. Clinton's book will have a chance to attract some attention."
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