Nothing sparks speculation in Washington like a new political memoir, but two are a true bonanza, enough fodder for days of online chatter. Last week, Hillary Clinton announced that the story of her four years as Secretary of State, the unimaginatively named Hard Choices, will appear in bookstores in June.
Although Clinton has yet to officially declare her candidacy for the presidential nomination in 2016, publishing the book is as good as throwing her hat in the ring, at least according to some.
Or maybe she just needs a book tour to stroke her ego, says Peggy Noonan.
Just as the mania over the new Clinton opus began to wane today, Elizabeth Warren's memoir hit the shelves, bringing the debate over Clinton's chances roaring back to life.
Warren continues to insist that she isn't running for president in 2016. But the book reads a lot like a campaign ad.
There's also the question of why she chose to write the book in the first place. Political memoirs, after all, rarely sell well. (Just ask Scott Walker.)
So maybe Warren just wanted to gossip about the Washington power players who she's locked horns with over the years.
Or maybe she thinks it's another chance to shed light on the ways that politicians enable powerful financial institutions to prey on the middle class. (The book was originally called "Rigged.")
Regardless of Warren's intentions, though, the memoir will only encourage more conjecture about whether the 2016 Democratic primary will pit Clinton against Warren-or whether Warren's mere public presence will undercut Clinton in the eyes of the voters.
And memoir season is just beginning. Buckle your seatbelts, folks, because Andrew Cuomo and Kristin Gillibrand are up next.
