Clinton back in spotlight to hawk tome

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Let the Bill Blitz begin.

Former President Bill Clinton has embarked on his newest incarnation: a weighty author plugging "My Life," his even weightier, 992-page memoir. Mr. Clinton received a $10 million advance for the book, which goes on sale June 22 and includes 32 pages of photographs.

Last night, Mr. Clinton took to the stage at Book Expo America, the nation's premier book convention -- appearing before a crowd of 2,000 authors, publishers, agents and retailers at the Chicago event, which was closed to the press.

"Wow. Better be careful treating me this way," Mr. Clinton told his audience after applause. "You'll have me thinking I'm president again."

His speech is only the first volley in a publicity showdown that culminates with the opening of the massive Clinton Presidential Center down in Little Rock, Ark., in mid-November.

The outreach underscores, in no uncertain terms, a new and improved Clinton brand name.

"I think Mr. Clinton has been strategically storing up all this pent-up energy for the release of this book," said Peter Montoya, a California-based publicity consultant and editor of "Personal Branding" magazine, a journal for high-profile folks intent on shaping public perceptions of their personalities and abilities.

"And while former presidents can end up as has-beens, the Clinton 'brand' is still intriguing. But personal brands can be polarizing. They can both attract and repel people, that's part of it," Mr. Montoya said.

"Consequently, Republicans will still insist Mr. Clinton is lying scum or whale poop, while Democrats would say he's a rock 'n' roll statesman with a youthful edge," he said.

The hubbub surrounding the book's release has garnered the attention of C-SPAN2, which will rebroadcast Mr. Clinton's speech tomorrow, along with an author's luncheon showcasing a spectrum of ideologies. The table will include Linda Chavez, Donna Brazile, P.J. O'Rourke, Ron Suskind and the New York Times' Maureen Dowd, out to promote her new book "Bushworld: Enter at Your Own Risk."