“Showtime has won a bidding war to develop former President Bill Clinton and powerhouse author James Patterson’s upcoming thriller, ‘The President Is Missing,’ into a television series,” the AP reports, noting that corporate connections had something to do with where the heavily pursued project landed.

“Showtime’s affiliation with CBS, and the corporation’s boss Leslie Moonves, helped seal the deal,” the AP reports. “Moonves knows Clinton, and Patterson helps with the production of the CBS series ‘Zoo’ and ‘Instinct.’”

Showtime announced the deal today, ahead of the book’s publication next June.

“In the collaboration with Patterson, Clinton provides an insider’s perspective of having been in the White House,” the AP reports, adding: “It’s the first time that Clinton has helped write fiction.”

That last sentence strikes us as the setup line for potential one-liners from the Clinton bashers — please bring your “A” material to the comments section …