CNN Interview

LARRY KING, HOST

Good evening – I think. And welcome to LARRY KING LIVE. I don‘t see myself; I assume we‘re on. Senator HILLARY Rodham Clinton, or should I say "Harry Potter," is our guest. Two hundred thousand copies, according to Simon and Shuster, sold yesterday of her book Living History. What do you make of that?.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON , NEW YORK

Well, I‘m very gratified.

KING

Why did you do this?

HILLARY

Well you know every first lady-- and you know this so well, because I think you‘ve interviewed everyone, I don‘t know how far back-- but many of my predecessors -- and I always enjoyed their books. I thought they gave us insight and information about what the experience was like in the White House.

So long before Bill‘s term ended, I began thinking about thinking to do the same. And I‘m really glad I did, because although it was difficult in many respects, it gave me a chance to talk about the full range of the extraordinary time I had.

KING

Has it been hard to talk about the Lewinsky thing and the things you had to deal with?

HILLARY

Yes.

KING

Hard?

HILLARY

Yes, it was hard. I mean you know that. It was hard because these were very personal, private, painful matters that unfortunately were made public and I regret that. But given the fact that they were, they became part of history, not just my personal history. So when I had to sit down and write the book and think about what would go in, I felt obligated to address these issues.

KING

You do think, though, that once it came out it was a journalistic story ?.

HILLARY

Yes, yes.

KING

But what about the author, what about HILLARY? She has to stand by and yet be hurt.

HILLARY

You summed it up very well.

KING

Supporting your president and you‘re pretty mad at your husband.

HILLARY

That about sums it up.

KING

Was that conflicted feelings?

HILLARY

It was having to carry these two competing feelings in my head and heart at the same time. I was, as I say in the book, ready to wring his neck. I was so upset and angry with him, very disappointed.

And yet at the same time, he was my president. And I had this additional, rather unique perspective. I had been on the impeachment staff in back 1974 and I had actually researched the historical and legal grounds for impeachment. And I knew that what was being attempted against this president was absolutely out of line with what the founders had thought, what people had always believed was the basis for Constitutional impeachment.

KING

Clear up something for us. You‘ve written this details of how he told you, the morning he told you, the grand jury. Others are saying you ha