Exclusive: Clinton's Plans for the Future

Oct. 27, 2004 -- -- As he recovers from quadruple heart bypass surgery, former President Clinton says he has already planned out what he's going to do when he's back at full strength: "I expect to spend almost 100 percent of my time for the rest of my life on my public service."

In an exclusive interview on Primetime Live, Clinton told ABC News' Diane Sawyer that during his recuperation, he had thought to himself, "'you've been given an unknown but substantial amount of extra time and you should give it back.'"

There have been rumors that Clinton would like to be secretary general of the United Nations, or head of the World Bank. Asked about these, the former president said, "Once you've been president, if you want another job, those are about the only two that you know that might be appealing. They're very important jobs."

But he added he didn't know where the rumors got started. "As far as I know there's no campaign under way or support for that," he said. "And neither does either one of them have a vacancy right now. And I strongly support the current occupants of both offices.

Clinton also expressed mixed feelings about politics even as he began campaigning this week for Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry.

"I feel kind of distant from the to and fro of the elections and a lot of these things I see happening, I just shake my head and say, 'Gosh, I did that for 20 years,' " he said.

Clinton appeared at Kerry rallies in Pennsylvania and Florida on Monday and plans to campaign for the Massachusetts senator this weekend in Nevada, New Mexico and his home state of Arkansas.

Following the election, Clinton will dedicate his presidential library in Little Rock, Ark.

Seven weeks after his surgery, the famously energetic ex-president said his period of convalescence was good for him, and that he wished it would continue.

"I'm sleeping more than I have since I turned 21. And I like being able to read and this total reflection has been very good for me. It's been very helpful. And if you work like I have, all your life, having a period of enforced contemplation and rest is really good."

During that time, Clinton has also received hundreds of thousands of letters of support from well-wishers.

He said he was moved most by people who had gone to their own doctors and discovered their own heart disease after hearing about his experience.

"I just hope some good can come out of this for other people, 'cause a lot of good came out of it for me," Clinton said.