March 25, 2008
Hotline After Dark -- Rough Landings
Most of the TV talk last night focused on Hillary Clinton's claims about her Bosnia trip as first lady with reporters who travelled with her giving their own versions of the trip:
CBS' Sharyl Attkisson was with Clinton on the Bosnia trip and did a report about it on the "Evening News":
Attkisson: "CBS news accompanied the first lady and daughter Chelsea on that Bosnia trip. .... and these are the pictures we recorded of the greeting ceremony when the plane landed."
More Attkisson: "There was no sniper fire .... when Senator Clinton visited two army outpost where she posed for photos and
no sniper fire back at the base show starring Sinbad and Sheryl Crow. Referring to the CBS news video, Clinton aides today acknowledged her arrival in Bosnia was not quite as dramatic as Clinton put it."
Clinton aide Lisa Muscatine: "She meant that there was fire in the hillside around the area when we landed, which was the case."
Politico's Allen: "Who knows if she misremembered, misspoke, exaggerated. Whatever. It makes the case for Senator Barack Obama that all this experience she's been talking about is at least partly her imagination."
Attkisson: "Hundreds of thousands have viewed the video online in just the past few days, a reminder that in politics memories should always match the videotape" ("Evening News," 3/24).
The video of Attkisson's report is on YouTube, and available after the jump. Also after the jump, reporters and pundits comment on the Clinton trip claims and James Carville discusses his Judas comments.
(EMILY GOODIN)
NBC's Mitchell: "Those of us on that trip recall it differently. Instead of running for cover, Clinton was greeted by a school girl, who read her a poem of welcome. ... Although Clinton's C-17 did make a corkscrew landing, standard for a battle zone" ("Nightly News," 3/24).
CNN's Crowley: "The problem here is, is that it didn't need to be exaggerated. If it was a misstatement, OK, it was a misstatement. But the fact is that, Bosnia, though there had been a peace agreement signed that went into effect three months earlier, was not the safest place in the universe. And, so, this sort of memory looks as though she's padding it, when, in fact, she didn't actually need to. I don't understand these candidates sometimes. I don't get it. She could have talked about going to Bosnia three months after the peace treaty was put into effect. She could have talked about what she saw there. And, instead, there's this whole story. And it's the kind of thing that people have come to hate about politicians" ("AC 360," 3/24).
Washington Examiner's Sammon: "If she had come under sniper fire or if there had been sniper fire anywhere around when she landed, all of us journalists would have led with it and we would all remember it today" ("Special Report," FNC, 3/24).
Newsweek's Alter: "It was not a very good effort at damage control. Look, this isn't the biggest deal in the world. It's kind of like a fish story, how big was the fish, this bigger or a war story that a lot of people tell and they embellish a little bit. It's not a federal crime to do that, but when you get caught with videotape saying something that turns out not to be true, the best thing to do instead of hemming and hawing the way she was is do what the old mayor of New York Fiorello LaGuardia days, said, when I make a mistake it's a beaut" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 3/24).
NO TRAITOR TO HIS COMMENTS
And James Carville addressed his remarks in the New York Times where he called NM Gov. Bill Richardson (D) a "Judas" for endorsing Barack Obama:
Carville, on his discussions with the NYT's reporter: "I have to say that he quoted me accurately and in context. ... Yes, that's exactly what I said. And by the way, I think the quote had the desired intent."
Asked what the "desired intent" was: "That people saw Richardson and saw somebody who was disloyal."
Asked if he's backing down from the remarks: "No, of course not. Well, I mean, it's a seasonal metaphor I was using."
More Carville: "By the way, I never talked to Senator Clinton about this. Her people said we should be talking about health care" ("Situation Room," CNN, 3/24).
Posted at 08:57 AM
Comments
So, this is clearly a lie. No sniper fire, no running with her head down, and yes, there WAS a greeting ceremony -- a ceremony that included an eight year-old girl reading a poem.
In fact, from the context this was clearly never going to be a dangerous situation, otherwise why would you bring a comedian, pop singer and your teenage daughter with you?
I'll hasten to add -- and I know this is a bit overblown -- if it's as dangerous as Clinton now says it was, what kind of judgment does it show to bring your teenage daughter into a war zone with sniper fire? Will she do ANYTHING for a photo-op?
davidconnell | 03.25.08 10:07 AM
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It's a sad state of affairs when Sinbad has to call out a presidential nominee on her lies, as opposed to the actual media - who should have been doing their jobs.
Franklin | 03.25.08 10:17 AM
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If I had been on this Bosnia trip with Hil-liar-y and had to listen to the singing of Hill with Sheryl Crow, I would be wishing for the sniper bullet to end my suffering!
Moultrie | 03.25.08 10:40 AM
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She didn't "misspeak" or "misremember." She flat out lied, and hoped the public would buy it. It's the same thing with everything she "claims" to have done.
Look at what she said about bringing peace to Northern Ireland. She attended a Christmas tree lighting ceremony with Bill.
She said she negotiated open borders to refugees in Kosovo, but the borders were opened before she ever got there.
Do we really want this kind of "experience" in the White House?!?
Brian, Allentown | 03.25.08 02:54 PM
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Whatever, Hillary Clinton flat-out lied about her Bosnia trip as well as her so call experience that she claims she has over Obama. That is a clear indication that this woman and her husband will do anything and everything to get back in the White House.
Roy | 03.26.08 10:26 AM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:00 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:02 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:08 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:12 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:15 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:16 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:18 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:22 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:23 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:28 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:28 PM
|
I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you DON'T want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:29 PM
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I find Hilary Clinton to be totally untrustworthy and arrogant. She expects that reporters and the American public would just let her do and say whatever she wants whether it is true or not. It's sad, but it is frightening what she will do and say if she were to become President. She is completely unscrupulous and dishonest - all the qualities you don't want in an American President.
Joy | 03.26.08 12:35 PM
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