Hillary Clinton's "misstatement" in Bosnia cheapens what those who have seen violence in real life

[zulchzulu]

Hillary Clinton has said she misspoke on her delusional story about how she was under sniper fire and had to run with her head down to avoid being shot. Her words:

"I certainly do remember that trip to Bosnia... we came in in an evasive maneuver... I remember landing under sniper fire... there was no greeting ceremony... we ran with our heads down, we basically were told to run to our cars... there was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, we basically were told to run to our cars, that is what happened."

Being someone who has been in two major events where gunfire was being shot in my presence and my life was in the hands of whoever is upstairs (i.e. God...), I can relive both of those events second by second and due to the amount of adrenaline at both times, can recall details that I will never forget.

One event involved someone who I saw shoot a police officer and kill him in his vehicle and then take off in a car he commandeered and drive a few blocks, get out of the car and start shooting with a rifle and pistol until he was finally taken out by a swat team a half an hour later.

The other event involved being on a bus and seeing someone shooting into a playground full of children and watching people scream, running for their lives and finally seeing two young boys shot at point blank range (they survived) before the gunman (who was caught the next day) ran away.

I could do a movie of each event due to the traumatic nature and stunning madness of the situation. I have written a short piece of the playground shooting. Both events happened when I lived in San Francisco. I'll remember these events succinctly as long as I live. I'm sure that anyone else who has had experiences like mine could describe the event precisely and with a sense of sadness.

What really troubles me about Hillary Clinton's "misstatement" about her event is that it actually cheapens the experience that those who had actually witnessed violent or death-threatening events have had.

If what Hillary Clinton says happened actually DID happen, she would have remembered it much more solemnly and would have reflected on the danger she was in without laughing or trying to act tough.

But no, she appeared to want to use the event that never happened for political gain.

[flor de jasmim]

1. Thank you for stating this - I had the same reaction.

[Life Long Dem]

11. There are sooooo maaaany of these post!!!!

[MethuenProgressive]

2. spam

[zulchzulu]

4. I'd say Hillary's lie is nastier than spam

It's bologna!

[roguevalley]

9. she exploited troops and you think its spam. Fuck that. When

bush and cheney exploit troops is that spam too?

[zulchzulu]

10. Our friend types spam when he's hungry to remind himself to eat crap that's bad for him

That's my guess.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. It's the same impulse some have to lie about military service or academic degrees.

They can then fellate the false "experience" power center and claim leadership qualities and inside personal knowledge where none exists.

It works well if you can pull it off.

Look at the people they have running Depts at universities, practicing surgery, flying airplanes, and running for office all based on falsified experiences.

[BOSSHOG]

5. I believe you've just described george w. bush

[zulchzulu]

6. The cod piece was a dead giveaway n/t

[DeschutesRiver]

7. It is a campaign deal breaker

The republicans will cite McCain's experience as a POW, and in a way that is understandable to every american, can eliminate her in a GE as a poser. His service and extreme sacrifice will be put up against her imaginary service and sacrifice and it won't even be a contest.

To lie about such a thing, in the face of a man who lived the real thing and came back alive, is not defensible. And will be a way bigger deal than anyone is even catching onto now. She just made herself irrelevent for a GE. I don't like her; still I can hardly believe she did this - had to watch the tapes of her speaking to believe she said it, then saw the film of her visit, then heard her "you know, you know" hestitations in her statement about why she lied. Which she never answered.

She can't admit mistakes gracefully; she insists on making excuses. Doing this on any other subject is one thing - but to do it with the subject of war service, when hoping to run in a GE against a former pow candidate? I don't know why she just shot herself in the head over this, but I know she just made the deal breaker mistake. She knows it too.

[zulchzulu]

8. She made her own mine field and stepped in it numerous times

It is more valuable to the McCain campaign than her endorsements for him at various times.

[Perry Logan]

12. I think it's a canker sore, compared to the festering cancer of the Wright affair.

[zulchzulu]

13. Hillary's lies about this have incensed the military....

You can suck on the Wright story, which is a non-issue. The rest of us see who the REAL ASSHOLE is.

[madrchsod]

14. the guy who was the head of the bosnia operation

said the military would never put the first lady in harms way. the retired head of the pa national guard is totally pissed. another retired general thought she did a disservice to the men and women who serve our country.

these were paraphrased from quotes just read on big ed`s show...i`m sure these will be on the news with in the hour

[Blue Diadem]

20. I was wondering if military people were going to weigh in on it. n/t

[shadowknows69]

15. I was robbed at gunpoint and I still flashback to it

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

16. Blah Blah Blah So Overdramatized. Some Of Her Story Was True, And The Embellishments Were Likely

due to false memory that she probably created for herself, after probably over dramatizing the story when retelling it over the years, just like each of us has done at times in our lives. In this case, it happened to bite her in the ass. But those making this into such a monumentally outrageous event that is just oh so vital, are really cracking me up with their ridiculousness. This is soooooooo nothing more than a silly story that she got caught in that is now serving to embarrass her. But to turn it into some huge character assassination? How fuckin silly.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Read her memoirs

they lacked that gun powder and lead mosquitoes

Why wasn't that story... which is the truth, good enough?

No... this is defending the indefensible. You will call on Bush when he does it... well she did the same thing, use troops as props

The double standard from partisans is just unbelievable

It MIGHT KILL HER CAMPAIGN and this is what people will remember her for, unless she stays in the Senate (forgets about Presidential ambitions) and gets to work.

[RiverStone]

17. Per CBS News - she had at least 4 "misstatements" at several events over the last 2 months

Is that still a misstatement or a calculated lie?

Seems obvious to this voter.

[madrchsod]

18. oh shit there`s a guy on big ed right now

calling out hillary...boy oh boy is hillary burnt toast...

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. This was not a small lie

and you are right. I can describe in detail... intense detail, the two times I came under fire as a medic.

And the smells as well as the shaking hands after the fact and the cold sweat, at the realization came as to what just happened.

And I don't think being shot at is resume padding, in fact, I've never used it in a resume. In her case it is outright lying and it does a disservice to anybody who has served.

We call George and Company on it every day of the week and twice on Sunday... and partisans are feeling attacked over the same thing with her?

I'll hold my nose in November regardless of who comes out of this hell hole of a primary, but I fear with her the holding will be even stronger.

Though it reveals where we are as a nation... and it is NOT a nice place.

[madrchsod]

22. oh good god--- he just said "stolen honor"-"valor theft"

the guy is the retired major general of the pa national guard...kiss pa good bye hillary