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"Hilary's Little White Lie"
Clinton 'misspoke' over Bosnia sniper claims
Obama campaign accuses rival of exaggerating foreign policy track record
 | First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton greets U.S. soldiers as she arrives at Tuzla air base on March 25, 1996 |
WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign said she "misspoke" when saying last week she had landed under sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia as first lady in March 1996. She later characterized the episode as a "misstatement" and a "minor blip."
The Obama campaign suggested the statement was a deliberate exaggeration by Clinton, who often cites the goodwill trip with her daughter and several celebrities as an example of her foreign policy experience.
During a speech last Monday on Iraq, she said of the Bosnia trip: "I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base."
According to an Associated Press story at the time, Clinton was placed under no extraordinary risks on the trip. And one of her companions, comedian Sinbad, told The Washington Post he has no recollection either of the threat or reality of gunfire.
When asked Monday about the New York senator's remarks about the trip, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson pointed to Clinton's written account of it in her book, "Living History," in which she described a shortened welcoming ceremony at Tuzla Air Base, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"Due to reports of snipers in the hills around the airstrip, we were forced to cut short an event on the tarmac with local children, though we did have time to meet them and their teachers and to learn how hard they had worked during the war to continue classes in any safe spot they could find," Clinton wrote.
"That is what she wrote in her book," Wolfson said. "That is what she has said many, many times and on one occasion she misspoke."
Asked about the issue during a meeting with the Philadelphia Daily News' editorial board on Monday, Clinton said she "misspoke."
'Minor blip'
"I went to 80 countries, you know. I gave contemporaneous accounts, I wrote about a lot of this in my book. You know, I think that, a minor blip, you know, if I said something that, you know, I say a lot of things -- millions of words a day -- so if I misspoke, that was just a misstatement," she said.
A spokesman for rival Barack Obama's campaign questioned whether Clinton misspoke, saying her comments came in what appeared to be prepared remarks for the Iraq speech. His campaign's statement included a link to the speech on Clinton's campaign Web site with her account of running to the cars. Clinton's campaign said what is on the Web site is not the prepared text, but a transcript of her remarks, including comments before the speech in which she talked about the trip to Bosnia.
Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a written statement that Clinton's Bosnia story "joins a growing list of instances in which Senator Clinton has exaggerated her role in foreign and domestic policymaking."
The Obama campaign statement also links to a CBS News video of the Bosnia trip posted on YouTube, which shows Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, walking across the tarmac from a large cargo plane, smiling and waving, and stopping to shake hands with Bosnia's acting president and greet an 8-year-old girl.
"This is something that the Obama campaign wants to push 'cause they have nothing positive to say about their candidate," Wolfson said Monday.
Clinton's written account contradicts her comments last Monday about the welcoming ceremony.
Just after the speech, Clinton reaffirmed the account of running from the plane to the cars when she was asked about it during a news conference. She said was moved into the cockpit of the C-17 cargo plane as they were flying into Tuzla Air Base.
"Everyone else was told to sit on their bulletproof vests," Clinton said. "And we came in, in an evasive maneuver. ... There was no greeting ceremony, and we basically were told to run to our cars. Now, that is what happened."
Former Army Secretary Togo West, who accompanied Clinton to Bosnia, said he was not surprised "that there could be confusion" when someone who has taken a number of trips tries to recall details of a particular trip 12 years earlier.
"The important thing is that she was there. Our soldiers saw she was there and heard her and knew that our country cared about them and what they were doing," West told the AP during a telephone interview.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23789011/
It is human nature for the size of "the fish that got away" to grow with the retelling of the story of "the fish that got away". Obviously Senator Hilary Clinton had some real concerns about that Bosnia landing twelve years ago that has morphed into the present "misspeak" of the event. Since the "misspoken" account of sniper fire was initially given in front of some military veterans, perhaps Clinton was trying to find some way the veterans could identify with her, the possibly future Commander In Chief of the American armed forces. Again a manifestation of human nature. Presidents and would be Presidents are after all still frail human beings. If we can allow for Obama to have a longtime "spiritual mentor" who is a friend of Louis Farrakhan and spews racially insensitive diatribes from his pulpit on many Sundays, certainly we can allow for Hilary to tell a "little white lie" about a plane landing twelve years ago. It's all relative anyway, isn't it?
What difference does it make anyway? Muhahahaha!!!! When Pastor Wright is
Secretary of state, you whiteys will know what time it is.
I don't think Hillary misspeaking is as big a news story as they are making
out, but Mo, you are going over board with Rev. Wright. Three snippets
from a 30 year career is not the man. Especially when most folks don't
have any idea the context it was said in. Lousi Farrakkhan isn't
responsible for the death of White citizens or Jewish ones. Neither is he
or Wright responsible for the job losses, our recession, the killing and
maiming in Iraq.
Capt., most of what we call "priorities" are in the "eye of the beholder".
Solutions to the problems of America are important. There is very little
difference between Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton on the issues and
solutions to America's problems, thus what really matters is how we
perceive the character of the candidates. Neither Obama or Hilary has any
real experience, so again it boils down to character. Both candidates are
very smart, so it boils down to character. One spot on a white suit ruins
the suit. A thirty second snippet can ruin an entire career. A twenty year
relationship with someone I call my "spiritual mentor" or "spiritual
advisor" is an important barometer my character. If that "spiritual mentor"
is quilty of something, then I am "guilty by association" of the same
thing. If I claim to be a "uniter" and my longtime"spiritual advisor" is
divisive, then it would be appropriate to question my character. A man's
friends says a lot about that man. A man's longtime "spiritual mentor" says
a lot more. That's priority for me, my Friend!
You're ignoring the fact that Jeremiah Wright is a grown man with free
speech. In my own life, I can't be held accountable for a friends actions
or what he says. As an individual, my character is based on what I do and
say, NOT MY MINISTER!
Yet another example of exaggeration and deceit from Clinton. Those people
who are trying to compare wthis with the Pastor Wright situation for Obama
are completely off base.
Jegmeister,I appreciate your comment!(quote) "Since when has Obama lied or
exaggerated - he has never hidden his relationship with this man or tried
to explain it away." (unquote) My friend, are you a regular "church goer"?
Do you have a "spiritual advisor? Obama has condemned the words and actions
of his longtime "spiritual mentor" and assures us he has never heard him
say such racially divisive and insensitive things or do "anti-American"
things. I find that very, very hard to believe. As a matter of fact I will
go even further and say Obama is lying when he says he has never heard or
heard of Rev. Wright's bigoted statements from his church pulpit. If he
personally wasn't there in church when these bigoterd things were said,
wasn't his wife there or other close church members who would have
certainly related the "wack" statements of Rev. Wright? If Rev. Wright had
the audacity to say such things from his pulplt on Sunday morning, you can
imagine how he talked in private conversation! Obama is lying! This
Rev.Wright thing is just getting started and before it is over much will be
seen about Barack Obama's true character, namely he is just as lying,
conniving and calculating as most other politicians. At least Hilary
Clinton isn't a hypocrite about it. Having said all that, Barack Obama will
get my vote and whole hearted support should he win the Dem nomination.
Until then I'll continue to support Hilary Clinton with all her flaws. She
does have ideals, ideas and abilities that will benefit America as
President, in my opinion.
Capt. the one thing I wanted Barack Obama in his "race speech" was to
honestly confess that he personally has been just as angry as Rev. Wright,
his long time "spiritual advisor", just as angry as other "angry" black
folks and "resentful" white folks! He never confesses his own sin! I will
tell you straight up, I am a sinner. I still struggle with anger,
resentment, lust, accepting the Truth and a host of other character flaws.
But one thing about it, if a had a long time "spiritual mentor", my mentor
wouldn't be anything like me! My long time "spiritual mentor" would be
someone I could look up to, someone I consider more "holy" than myself! In
a way Barack Obama is very much like Judas was to Jesus in his long time
relationship with his "spirtual mentor" Rev. Wright. He has betrayed Rev.
Wright by publicly condemning him for political expediency! That to me says
a lot about his character! However, should Barack Obama get the Dem
nomination, I will whole heartedly support his hypocrtical ass in '08
because he will still be a good President. Until then I am supporting
Hilary Clinton.
Your answer to Jegmeister sounds like you're foaming at the mouth, Mo! You
talk as though you have all the facts, when you haven't even listened to
those sermons in completion. You're still foaming at the mouth on
snippets. You've lost your sense of balance, Mo. Hopefully, the sane
Mothanskin will return to us soon.
Mo, again, if you knew so much about character, you wouldn't have voted for
Bush the first time after 8 wonderful economic years under Clinton/Gore.
You voted for Bush. This man is a murderer, a liar, a theif, etc. Your
judgment of character is off. For you to project your hatred on Obama is
really going some. What is really amazing, is that you don't allow Barack
to be his own person. He has to be, WHAT YOU THINK HE IS! I find that
disturbing in how you've addressed this issue with plenty of emotion, yet
very little logic with little pursuit of truth. You're looking for a Gotcha
that isn't working. It's not that we disagree, Mo, it's how small your
argument is. I've heard similar arguments from bigots.
Capt,I did vote for Bush, the professed compassionate conservative and
'uniter" who was sure to have Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice as well as
other minorities in his Cabinet, in his first term. Gore's arrogance and a
potential Jew as President turned me off. ( I am not anit-semitic but until
there is peace in the Middle East, a Jew for President or VP is something
America dosen't need. Besides that I have always found Joe Lieberman to be
"creepy") John Kerry to me sucked but he was the lesser of two evils in '04
after Bush's true colors was revealed. I have never claimed to be a good
judge of chararacter nor if I were to run for political office would I
emphasize my "good judgement" as the primary reason to elect me. However
that is what Barack Obama is asking me, that I vote for him because of his
"good judgement" on Iraq and every thing else. As I see it, his judgement
when it comes to longitime "spiritual mentors" is shabby when it comes to
Rev. Wright. I don't think I am being bigoted in my perspective. My
perspective is simply one that is not clouded by the worship of Barack
Obama. I reiterate, I will vote for, pray for and support Barack Hussein
Obama should he get the Dem nomination! Until then I will fight with
Hilary, as long as she continues to fight. (Which is why I could never be a
good clergyman or "spiritual advisor" to anyone. I love a good fight!)
"My perspective is simply one that is not clouded by the worship of Barack
Obama."
If I let the "media" influence me I would be an Obama worshipper because he
is the media "darling"! I left John Edwards before he dropped out because I
perceived his "fight" rhetoric to be just that, "rhetoric"! I am a
"populist" in that I am for the working class but I am pragmatic enough to
know the working class needs "Big Business" entrepreneurs and investors to
have and keep our jobs! I am a fighter, as long as one is fighting for a
just, reasonable and winnable cause. Obama has taken up John Edwards
populist rhetoric to a certain degree but I don't want just rhetoric. I
want a real fighter and that's Hilary Clinton. Obama is a "girly man" who
is backed by the female billionaire owner of the Hyatt Regency hotel chain,
Penny Pritzker,
http://mothanskin.blog-city.com/obamas_billionaire_fundraising_genius.htm.
If Obama gets the Dem nomination going against John McCain will make a man
out of him!
So Edwards lost. His supporters went to Obama, except when they get
disillusioned like you are. Every good democrat supports Barack Obama as
the superior candidate. Kucinich should have been your clue, but you are so
wrapped up in machismo and swagger right now you don't know which way is
up...which is how you ended up electing Bush, isn't it?
Ok Ron! I think I'm going to make you my "spiritual mentor"! At least you
don't cuss from the pulpit on Sunday morning! (chuckles!)
Ron, I decided to be quiet and let the inevitable happen. We will see Ro,
come back to the fold. He will recognize that he lost his mind for a while
and then ask for forgiveness. ;]
Maybe that's the best thing, but I thought it best to remind him he's being
completely distracted by the media and twisted by our concepts of what a
president is and what he should do by the Bush era. I suppose come August,
it won't matter anyway, but I hate to see someone go to such lengths to
smear the better candidate for the party against all good judgement. Surely
Roosevelt knows it's over. Even Hillary knows that.
Luv ya fellas! True confession, I really want a President with the demeanor
and persona of Russia's Vladimir Putin, except my ideal President would be
a steely eyed, no nonsense and honorable defender of the American
Constitution, the free enterprise system, the United Nations, the weak and
the oppressed. Hilary Clinton comes closest to my ideal President. Forgive
me for having an opinion!
Mo, you're forgiven! ;] Just kidding. LoL It's not that you shouldn't
have an opinion, it's just that you allow yourself to easily distracted on
issues that have little impact on what we need. 4 years from now, most
folks won't remember who Jeremiah Wright is, but will still be trying to
get from under losing their homes, jobs, good paying wages, etc.
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