Timing Is Everything

You may not like Richard Clarke (search), or agree with his point of view. But you have to admire his business skills, particularly his timing.

Mr. Clarke claims he didn’t arrange publication of his book to coincide with his 9/11 testimony. But his publisher now admits that on March 10, Mr. Clarke told the Free Press that he had been subpoenaed and would speak at the hearings on March 24. His publisher sprang into action: "When we knew that he was testifying, we knew we had to move the pub date up [again], because the testimony is televised and we would have lost “60 Minutes” if we hadn't moved it up."

The book was released on Monday, March 22, just two day's before Mr. Clarke's testimony and more than a month earlier than planned. And now a movie version appears to be in the works, something Mr. Clarke has also denied. About the movie deal, Mr. Clarke’s agent Len Sherman tells the New York Observer: "We're starting to get those calls, and we'll see where it leads. I'd be very surprised if something didn't happen…It's like ‘All the President's Men’ or ‘Patriot Games’!"

And that’s the Observer.