On Monday I joined Tucker Carlson to discuss Bill Clinton's pitiful appearance on the "Today" show, to plug the new thriller he's "written". Unfortunately, his interviewer, if twenty years too late to be useful, preferred to ask about Monica Lewinsky.
I mentioned below that weird moment when Slick Willie began bragging about all the sexual-harassment legislation he signed in the Eighties - see picture at right. One had the sense that finally Bill Clinton's service to the Democrat Party is reaching, to use Ken Starr's word, completion. Click below to watch:
Perhaps the weirdest part of these interviews is Mr Clinton's "co-author", the bazillion-selling James Patterson, sitting patiently alongside and wondering when, if ever, anyone's going to ask him a question.
There is a modest tradition of presidents writing fiction. Many years ago, I wrote about Saddam Hussein's bodice-ripper Zabibah and the King, which he subsequently turned into a musical (seriously). It got rave reviews, if only because, if you were minded to pan it, he'd have you executed. Saddam's story was an allegory: The cruel but wise king (ie, Saddam) saves the lush, nubile lovely (ie, Iraq) from her abusive spouse (ie, western imperialism). But that's the novel Slick Willie should have written, too: The cruel but wise king (Bill) saves the lush, nubile lovely (Monica) from her abusive boyfriend (Monica's high-school drama teacher).
Unlike Clinton, Saddam didn't use a "co-author" for his yarn. He apparently dictated it. Because say what you like, but he's a pretty mean dictator. (I may dust off a few more Saddamite gags from his song'n'dance'n'literature phase later this week.)
~If you're one of that small, brave band that enjoys me on camera, I'll be back with a new video edition of Mark's Mailbox in the next twenty-four hours, taking questions from Mark Steyn Club members around the world. If you prefer me in non-visual formats, you might have to wait until later in the week.
Speaking of The Mark Steyn Club, we are very gratified by all those first-month Founding Members from last May who've decided to sign up for another year - and we hope second-month members will feel the same as June busts out. On the other hand, if you were waiting a year or so to see if we were in it for the duration, we do welcome new members, and you can find more details about the Club here - and about our inaugural Club Cruise here. Or, if you're looking for a present for a Steyn fan, don't forget our limited-time Gift Membership.
