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TIMES POSTCARD
Bill Clinton helps the President - he comes late
By Rajpal Abeynayake
The tolerance level for a delayed Bill Clinton arrival is very high. Women were going into a state of anxiety that seemed to be giddy. Clinton we were told is in the next room, at a meeting, and will be almost 45 minutes delayed for the press conference.

"So near yet so far'' said a female friend. Two announcements were made by his pencil thin press secretary who looked like she is a College student who went on a diet and never came out of it.

She announced not once but twice that Clinton will be here any moment now and that "you should kindly announce the agency you are attached to before asking questions." She then made another announcement -- twice -- that "we should all leave the room after he has left.''

This had one foreign correspondent fuming and frothing, saying "all that's okay, but we haven't seen him yet.'' Bill Clinton arriving late however is taken here with a shrug of the shoulders. He doesn't apologise, even.

He walks in, sneakers and a jacket over a red T-shirt, and one is almost left wondering whether he is doing this tsunami thing all by himself.

He looks aged and thinner - - they say after that bout of by-pass surgery. Quite unlike the photographs the women have been rhapsodising over. But with his white thatch of hair, he opens the press conference, nodding and gesticulating.

He easily takes charge of the room, and that's not difficult when there are 13 breathless women and a dozens of camera-shutters gasping and whirring in that order.

He doesn't say anything profound, it's as if he expected to be treated like the Sri Lankan President, not as an ex-US President. There is not a U.S flag around the place.

All that gaucheness, the almost awkward entrance in sneakers is forgiven. He delivers on the charisma department. Soon, he has the press eating out of his hand. Until some Che Guvera types try to tackle him down.

But he plays practised politician. He shouts over their voices. He is tsunami like -- strong, not easily overpowered. The press secretary panics and tries to fold up the press conference, but Clinton even takes an extra question.

Which reminds us…
This is the UN organising the press conference. Last time, when the US tried to do the press conference, they were too careful. They forgot that this was slick Willie. He could look after himself -- more than. It's true his visit was low profile -- but he knows that star power cannot easily be stunted. If there are three Che Guvera's trying to trip him up, there are also a dozen women prepared to fall at his feet.

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