My 15 minutes with Clinton

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br />BERKELEY, California: There was no scheduled press conference at the book signing event organised at Cody’s book store for Bill Clinton’s autobiography, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">My Life,</span> let alone an opportunity for an exclusive interview.<br /><br />But when you have one of the world''s most admired person in flesh and blood, standing just a couple of feet across from you, it is difficult to keep quiet. <br /></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="0" width="32.6%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/761275.cms" alt="/photo/761275.cms" border="0" /></div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Clinton at Cody’s</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br />Tight security and an even tighter schedule limits access to the former president, but he has his own inimitable way of communicating. No press briefing was scheduled at Cody''s book store, where a book-signing event was organised. But that did not stop the gaggle of reporters from shouting out their questions.<br /><br />Snatching a few minutes with the star of the show was quite a Herculean effort. But it was worth it. Clinton was charmingly forthcoming. <br /><br />"I am coming to India in one year," he said in reply to a question from <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Timesofindia.com</span><br /></div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" color:="" ba0000="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Also read: </span><a href="http://people.indiatimes.com/articleshow/753647.cms" target="_blank" style="" font-size:10ptfont-family:arialfont-weight:boldcolor:000000="">Clinton’s Journey Of Life</a><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" color:="" ba0000="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold=""></span><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" color:="" ba0000="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">React: </span><a href="http://people.indiatimes.com/articleshow/753674.cms" target="_blank" style="" font-size:10ptfont-family:arialfont-weight:boldcolor:000000="">Are you a Clinton Admirer?</a></div> <div class="Normal"><br />While he did not commit to a date, his personal secretary for the book tour said, "Mr Clinton always talks so fondly about India." <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Next Page: </span><a href="/articleshow/msid-761234,curpg-2.cms">Clinton on Sonia</a><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">"He just loves the country and he has conveyed through me that would like to go there again and again." <br /><br />In his memoirs, Clinton describes his first visit to India in 2000 as "special". He writes, "I left India feeling that our nations had begun a solid relationship, but wishing I had another week to absorb the country''s beauty and mystery."<br /><br />On a more political note, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">My Life</span> refers to his efforts to ban nuclear testing in India and his concerns about a possible stand-off between nuclear powers, India and Pakistan. <br /><br />Significantly, Clinton makes a special mention of his meeting with then leader of opposition Sonia Gandhi. "I had a good visit with Sonia Gandhi. Her husband and mother-in-law, the grandson and daughter of Nehru, were both victims of political assassination. Sonia, an Italian by birth, has bravely remained in public life."<br /><br />When Clinton visited New Delhi last year in November, the Clinton Foundation and four leading pharmaceutical companies - Ranbaxy, Cipla, and Matrix from India and the South African Aspen Pharmacare Holdings - had launched an initiative to distribute anti-retroviral drugs to millions affected by HIV/AIDS at almost one-third of the market price.<br /></div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" color:="" ba0000="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Also read: </span><a href="http://people.indiatimes.com/articleshow/753652.cms" target="_blank" style="" font-size:10ptfont-family:arialfont-weight:boldcolor:000000="">Excerpts From Clinton’s ‘My Life’</a><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" color:="" ba0000="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">React: </span><a href="http://people.indiatimes.com/articleshow/753674.cms" target="_blank" style="" font-size:10ptfont-family:arialfont-weight:boldcolor:000000="">Are you a Clinton Admirer?</a></div> <div class="Normal"><br />Hopefully, Clinton''s next visit to India will be of a longer duration.</div> </div>