Hillary and her campaign's defiance show she intentionally lied!

[ProSense]

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Hillary spokesman now says "on one occasion she misspoke" about Bosnia - no, she said it four times over as many months

by John Aravosis (DC) · 3/25/2008 09:27:00 AM ET

Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson told reporters yesterday that Hillary only misspoke "on one occasion" when she told voters that she arrived in Bosnia in 1996 under sniper fire and had to run for cover after the opening ceremony was canceled because of the gunfire. That's a flat-out lie. Hillary made similar claims at least four times since last December. And what's worse, her campaign repeatedly defended the "misspoken" comments, and even sent surrogates out to defend them, claiming they were true. Rather than admitting that Hillary screwed up, and puffed up her resume, the campaign is now choosing to lie to us about facts we already know.

Last night, Joe posted the Keith Olbermann segment about Hillary's false claims. Hillary spokesman Howard Wolfson claimed the following yesterday, per Olbermann: "It's possible she misspoke." Possible? Did she also misspeak the four other times she claimed the exact same story?

- In Dubuque, Iowa in December Hillary claimed that Bosnia was too dangerous for the president and that she ran across the tarmac.

- In late February, Hillary claimed during the White House 3 am phone ad roll-out that sniper fire forced the airport ceremony inside.

- In a March 17, 2008 press conference Hillary repeated the claims.

- In her March 17, 2008 prepared remarks - PREPARED remarks, i.e., these remarks were intentional - she said the same thing.

Hillary December 2007:

She said she was the first high-level American to go to Bosnia after the Dayton peace accord.

“We landed in one of those cork screw landings and ran out because they said there might be sniper fire – I don’t remember an offering me tea on the tarmac,” she said with an archly emphasized “tea.”

Judging from the “oooohs” from the audience, they got it.

Update: It appears Clinton visited Bosnia in March 1996 with Sinbad and Sheryl Crow who were on a USO tour.

Update: Clinton has told this story before, right down to the snipers and “too dangerous, too poor” line, in her book “Living History.” Only in that accounting, she didn’t leave out Sinbad, Crow or her daughter Chelsea, who presumably also were not offered tea. (Thanks to the lovely woman in the crowd who showed the Hillary press her copy of the book!)

Hillary's speech:

"I certainly do remember that trip to Bosnia, and as Togo said, there was a saying around the White House that if a place was too small, too poor, or too dangerous, the president couldn't go, so send the First Lady. That’s where we went. 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."

HILLARY VS. SINBAD:

Here’s how Clinton described it today: “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.”

Asked later about the discrepancy, the senator downplayed the comedian’s remarks because, well, “Sinbad is a comedian,” she said.

“Part of the reason we were in the C-17 is because part of it is armored,” Clinton said. “I was moved up into the cockpit. Everyone else was told to sit on their bullet proof vests. We came in in an evasive maneuver. Those of you who have been on a C-17 or C-130 know that one of their great characteristics is that they can take off very quickly and they can maneuver agiley to avoid incoming fire. There was no greeting ceremony and we were basically told to run to our cars. Now that is what happened.”

Video: CBS Exposes Hillary Clinton Bosnia Trip.

That's me talking to the first lady on a military cargo plane on our trip to war-torn Bosnia in 1996.

Back in 1996 I was assigned to travel with the First Lady on her trip to Bosnia, Greece, Turkey and Italy.

Bosnia was the first stop. We spent nine hours there, arriving on a military cargo plane and moving around within the country on giant Chinook helicopters.

<...>

In reality, we had no known incidents of enemy fire on our aircraft. Mindful of the fact that we were with the First Lady, and that she was venturing farther inside Bosnia than her husband the President had ever gone, reporters kept a close eye to the crowds and never entirely went off-guard.

However, the mood upon first landing at the Tuzla airport was light. Children were there on the tarmac to greet the first lady, Chelsea was by her side, Bosnian dignitaries had gathered: It felt safe.

link

Video: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/24/145341/201/815/483295">Clinton Dismisses False Tale of Sniper Fire As "Minor Blip"

Her aides said earlier Monday that she had misspoken, and later in the day, Mrs. Clinton addressed the matter in a session with the Daily News. Here’s a report by Will Bunch, a columnist for the Daily News, about the session:

“This afternoon, in the session with Daily News editorial writers and reporters (and some Inquirer staffers as well) in a conference room at the Daily News and Inquirer Building, I asked the presidential candidate about these discrepancies and also showed her a copy of the photo — at the top of this post — of her on the tarmac that day.

“She was quick to answer, jumping in before I was fully finished with the question. Here’s her response in its entirety:

‘Now let me tell you what I can remember, OK — because what I was told was that we had to land a certain way and move quickly because of the threat of sniper fire. So I misspoke — I didn’t say that in my book or other times but if I said something that made it seem as though there was actual fire — that’s not what I was told. I was told we had to land a certain way, we had to have our bulletproof stuff on because of the threat of sniper fire. I was also told that the greeting ceremony had been moved away from the tarmac but that there was this 8-year-old girl and, I can’t, I can’t rush by her, I’ve got to at least greet her — so I greeted her, I took her stuff and then I left, Now that’s my memory of it’

“I followed-up, noting that the episode has raised questions about her credibility on foreign policy. She responded:

“‘No, 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.’

“The Clinton campaign is clearly eager to put this controversy to rest before it drags down her Pennsylvania campaign. As the session broke up, campaign press secretary Jay Carson made a beeline to me to offer additional background, explaining that the senator didn’t want to completely blow off the ceremony but that she was also in a hurry to get indoors. Within about 20 minutes, Carson emailed me press accounts from the time of the 1996 visit, including one from the Washington Post that said her trip was ‘the first time since Roosevelt that a first lady has voyaged to a potential combat zone.’”

link

Hillary's Bosnia account is a blatant lie. It's not a minor blip or a slip of the tongue. It's despicable.

[Catherina]

1. She sure did. I'm glad the news is covering this. n/t

[Araxen]

2. A Sinking Ship

I think are the best words to describe the Clinton Campaign now.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. Oh Get A Grip. Obama Lies Just As Much. They're Politicians. Get Over It.

Where did this sudden expectation come from that politicians are 100% honest all the time and don't embellish, twist the truth or spin? I mean what, were you born yesterday?

Politicians aren't exactly the most honest people in the world ya know. And have no doubt that Obama does it just the same. Who you kiddin.

I also believe she wasn't outright lying, but over time had created a different image in her head than the reality, due to possible embellishment in the past just even in her personal conversations etc. Let's face it; we all embellish dramatic stories sometimes. She just ended up likely believing her own embellishment and now looks the fool for it. But despicable? Not fit to lead? Oh c'mon now, what over reactionary bullshit.

They're politicians. Are you familiar with politics by chance?

[ProSense]

5. "Oh Get A Grip." Bush lied. So what if people died? "Get over it"? Sheer idiocy!

Take off the blinders. This is not a contest to determine who lies the least. So your argument that all politicians lie is BS. Hillary fabricated an event and repeated it for political gain, and it's not her first fabrication.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

8. ROFLMAO At Your Melodrama!!!!!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Yes, yes prosense, this is SOOOOOOOO just like bush lying to go to war in Iraq. :spray:

Do you even stop to think about what you say before you say it? Too funny!

And hey, get a grip: All politicians do lie. New to this?

And like I said, the story is being blown way out of proportion, and it appears at least that the parts about her flying into a combat area, that there were reports of sniper fire in the area, that they were moved up to the front of the plane etc, was in fact true. It just seems that over time she's embellished it to make it appear more dramatic than it was, and it just SO isn't the end of the world. She got called on it and will take a few lumps for it, but to make it into this whole hugely over dramatic "*gasp!* this is shocking!" episode is just ridiculous LOL. Take a chill pill.

:rofl:

[ProSense]

9. No one appears to be laughing about Hillary's pathetic acts of desperation, that is her lies. n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

10. Most People Don't Give A Rat's Ass About It Either.

But your melodrama about it? Now THAT is funny!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[ProSense]

12. Is that why

Hillary's campaign is still lying in an attempt to save her credibility?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

16. They're Doing The Right Thing And Setting The Record Straight.

The media loves shit like this for sure, and I'm sure some will talk about it. But at the end of the day is anyone gonna give a rat's ass enough about it to change how they feel about her? Highly unlikely.

She misspoke and had some faulty memory. Big whoop. But the way YOU are embellishing it and overdramatizing it is friggin hilarious!!!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[ProSense]

20. You're right! Hillary is in damage control mode. I'll join you.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Jim Sagle]

38. Fuckin' A.

[Voice for Peace]

17. I've seen accusations of Obama lying but have seen no evidence that it's true.

I disagree with people who say he lied about Wright or Rezko.. the details don't add up as lies in my book.
Where else do you have evidence of him lying?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. We Have No Evidence Of Him Walking On Water Either, Yet You're Convinced He's God.

:spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl:

[Voice for Peace]

21. Why make such a moronic statement?

I'm not convinced he's God, nor that he can walk on water. But you can't answer my request substantively? Or you just don't feel like it?

[ProSense]

22. Meltdown! n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

25. Cause It Was Funny.

:spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl:

[ProSense]

29. Wonder how this will be treated during the debate? Obama's campaign

sent out an e-mail on Hillary's so-called "misspeak"

[Tatiana]

31. Politicians are not perfect. Sure they embellish. But this is different.

This is Hillary making up a story and being pretty stubborn about her version of events, even when people initially tried to (gently) correct her. This is only a huge story because of her defiance and refusal to correct what she had said four times before.

Politicians issue corrections all the time. Why didn't she? She could have put this to bed a long time ago. It appears as though she has a hard time admitting when she is wrong AND she has a horrible group of advisers, who seem afraid to call her on her BS when warranted.

[ProSense]

4. Complete defiance from Hillary's campaign

Factcheck: Hillary and Bosnia

Hillary cited the following article about the front line visit, not the landing at Tuzla:

Mrs. Clinton praises soldiers' efforts

MARKOVICI, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Protected by sharpshooters, Hillary Rodham Clinton swooped into a military zone by Black Hawk helicopter Monday to deliver a personal "thank you, thank you, thank you" to U.S. troops.
By The Associated Press

<...>

But this was a day of celebration and celebrities - a day for the U.S. troops helping to uphold the Bosnian peace accord. Mrs. Clinton hosted a USO show with comedian Sinbad and singer Sheryl Crow and briefly addressed the gathering.

Under hard, gray skies, the first lady told 1,000 cheering soldiers, "The first thing I want to say on behalf of the president and everybody else is thank you, thank you, thank you."

She applauded their efforts to keep peace in this troubled land. "We know we can lead in war," she said. "We are leading in peace."

But the highlight of her trip were visits to two fortified posts outside the U.S. base in Tuzla. Even President Clinton, restricted to the base by bad weather in January, did not see as much of this war-wracked region as Mrs. Clinton did Monday.

The troops seemed to appreciate it: cameras chirped like a thousand crickets as she chatted with mine-disposal experts, examined huge tanks and met a hero or two. Chelsea, 16, kept her usual low profile but remained constantly at her mother's side, posing for soldiers or talking softly with them.

more

Nothing in the article says anything about sniper fire, evasive maneuvers or danger.

Hillary's Bosnia Misstatement Was Not In Prepared Remarks

The Obama campaign is falsely claiming that Hillary's Bosnia misstatement was in her prepared remarks, pointing to this webpage.

In fact, that is a transcript of her remarks as delivered. The Bosnia misstatement was not in her prepared remarks.

Wolfson: We'll Keep Hitting Obama For Lack Of "Commander-In-Chief" Cred

By Greg Sargent - March 7, 2008, 4:34PM
Hillary spokesperson Howard Wolfson, on a conference call with reporters a few moments ago:

"The issue of who's best prepared to be commander-in-chief will continue to drive the discussion in this campaign because it is a critical one."

Translation: We've got a winner, we're gonna keep beating Obama's brains in with it, and if we get our way, that ain't gonna change anytime soon.

Summary: Obama made Hillary lie!

[nomaco-10]

6. The desperation of billary has become...

palpable. bill is screwing with the numbers and changing the criteria for the nom daily now.

Statements like, "she can win" and she MUST "win", as if we are all in mortal danger if we don't see the light and change the rules to make sure the clintons are installed back into power.

Sickening.

[ProSense]

7. What's even more sickening is the expectation that

Obama should let this die while Hillary's campaign continues their attempts to smear him and distort his record.

Her latest fact check is again trying to hype Rezko, making the following disingenuous claim:

In the public record there are 20 years of Hillary's tax returns, hundreds of thousands of pages of records from her time in White House and countless other documents detailing her time in public life. Sen. Obama's record is far more opaque.

Where are the Clintons tax returns from 2000 to 2006, Hillary's earmark and donor lists, the list of donors to the Clinton library...?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

11. she only got caught one time

is the real story

[1776Forever]

13. Remember these???? Her Mom called her HIllary For Sir Edmund Hillary & Chelsea 9/11 remark - more..

When HRC met Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first man to climb Mt. Everest, Hillary claimed that her mother named her Hillary after Hillary the climber. But Clinton was born 5 years after Sir Hillary's climb.

There is also the lie where Hillary claimed that her daughter Chelsea was in danger on September 11, and claimed that Chelsea had jogged around the Towers that day and had seen the planes hit the buildings and was in danger. Chelsea later denied this story in a magazine article. Chelsea says she was on the other side of the City and had been woken to someone calling her to tell her to turn the TV on and watch the story unfold.

This is a pattern that needs to be talked about!

Why would she say these things????

:dilemma:

[Ichingcarpenter]

14. TAYLOR MARSH said she really Blew this one.... Taylor Marsh for god's sake

Taylor Marsh: I've had a problem with the whole "experience" argument from the start. As with Obama, then you have to prove it, which hasn't been especially impressive on his behalf.

...

But Hillary Clinton trying to prove her importance during her husband's presidency overreached massively and got caught in a whopper on Bosnia that includes tape. Now to be fair, the trip wasn't completely safe from danger, but no one cares now. We remember her well received foreign policy speech from last week, which included the words shown above, with the video tape evidence circulating today that blows what she said in a major foreign policy speech to smithereens. It's a self-inflicted wound that is by no means fatal, but definitely foolish.


http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/25/111852/289/288/483798

[ProSense]

18. That's called

rats jumping ship!

[Ichingcarpenter]

24. A major one too

I didn't link to her site because I didn't want to give it a hit
But the link is there at Kos

[ProSense]

15. Clinton camp in lockdown mode over Bosnia flap

Clinton camp in lockdown mode over Bosnia flap

By Klaus Marre
Posted: 03/25/08 11:59 AM

The campaign of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) is seeking to play down news that the former first lady gave an incorrect account of landing in Bosnia in 1996 under sniper fire, and refused to answer additional questions about a flap that could hurt her chances of catching Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) in the race for the Democratic nomination.

“We’ve said all we’re going to say on that,” said Deputy Communications Director Phil Singer on a Tuesday morning conference call with reporters.

A video from CBS News had shown that Clinton’s version of having come under sniper fire was not correct. Her campaign chalked up the discrepancy between her account and the video as a case of Clinton misspeaking.

The Obama campaign seized on the story when it was splashed across the CBS website Monday, with spokesman Tommy Vietor saying it is “part of a troubling pattern of Sen. Clinton inflating her foreign policy experience.”

Top Clinton surrogates also sought to play down the story, which could prove to be harmful to the former first lady’s chances.

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), who was asked about the flap on MSNBC, referred to it as a “small incident that happened 10 to 15 years ago.”

[Submariner]

26. Hillary Clinton is a serial LIAR

LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR

Assholes wannabees like sHillary pull the same crap in and out of the military. I served with some young guys during the Viet Nam era that wore WWII ribbons on their uniforms, when they were only a twinkle in their daddy's eye at the time. They were liars and brought to Captains Mast for disciplinary action.

sHillary the LIAR needs to drop out now. We just went though over 7 years with a serial liar, I'll be damned if I'll put up with another one of these fuckheaded assholes.

[redqueen]

23. It's not so much the lie,

as the way she handled her response to being caught in it. That's what will stay with people.

We expect lies, obfuscations, 'misstatements'... and we expect the politician caught in them to handle being caught with aplomb, not blundering.

[ProSense]

28. Well, she's still lying. n/t

[ProSense]

27. Hillary, pathological liar!:

"I was sleep-deprived, and I misspoke."

[Democrafty]

32. There's a big difference between "misspeaking" and

misleading.

Tired people don't mislead because they're tired!

[ProSense]

33. Exactly!

People also do not repeatedly mislead when they're tired.

[ProSense]

30. Hillary's campaign has lost it, they're using debunked info about Obama to excuse Hillary's lies

Clinton Camp Memo on Obama’s “Embellished Words”

Just Embellished Words: Senator Obama’s Record of Exaggerations & Misstatements

Once again, the Obama campaign is getting caught saying one thing while doing another. They are personally attacking Hillary even though Sen. Obama has been found mispeaking and embellishing facts about himself more than ten times in recent months. Senator Obama’s campaign is based on words –not a record of deeds – and if those words aren’t backed up by facts, there’s not much else left.

“Senator Obama has called himself a constitutional professor, claimed credit for passing legislation that never left committee, and apparently inflated his role as a community organizer among other issues. When it comes to his record, just words won’t do. Senator Obama will have to use facts as well,” Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said.

Sen. Obama consistently and falsely claims that he was a law professor. The Sun-Times reported that, “Several direct-mail pieces issued for Obama’s primary (Senate) campaign said he was a law professor at the University of Chicago. He is not. He is a senior lecturer (now on leave) at the school. In academia, there is a vast difference between the two titles. Details matter.” In academia, there’s a significant difference: professors have tenure while lecturers do not. (Hotline Blog, 4/9/07; Chicago Sun-Times, 8/8/04)

Obama claimed credit for nuclear leak legislation that never passed. “Obama scolded Exelon and federal regulators for inaction and introduced a bill to require all plant owners to notify state and local authorities immediately of even small leaks. He has boasted of it on the campaign trail, telling a crowd in Iowa in December that it was ‘the only nuclear legislation that I’ve passed.’ ‘I just did that last year,’ he said, to murmurs of approval. A close look at the path his legislation took tells a very different story. While he initially fought to advance his bill, even holding up a presidential nomination to try to force a hearing on it, Mr. Obama eventually rewrote it to reflect changes sought by Senate Republicans, Exelon and nuclear regulators. The new bill removed language mandating prompt reporting and simply offered guidance to regulators, whom it charged with addressing the issue of unreported leaks. Those revisions propelled the bill through a crucial committee. But, contrary to Mr. Obama’s comments in Iowa, it ultimately died amid parliamentary wrangling in the full Senate.” (New York Times, 2/2/08)

Obama misspoke about his being conceived because of Selma. “Mr. Obama relayed a story of how his Kenyan father and his Kansan mother fell in love because of the tumult of Selma, but he was born in 1961, four years before the confrontation at Selma took place. When asked later, Mr. Obama clarified himself, saying: ‘I meant the whole civil rights movement.’” (New York Times, 3/5/07)

LA Times: Fellow organizers say Sen. Obama took too much credit for his community organizing efforts. “As the 24-year-old mentor to public housing residents, Obama says he initiated and led efforts that thrust Altgeld’s asbestos problem into the headlines, pushing city officials to call hearings and a reluctant housing authority to start a cleanup. But others tell the story much differently. They say Obama did not play the singular role in the asbestos episode that he portrays in the best-selling memoir ‘Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.’ Credit for pushing officials to deal with the cancer-causing substance, according to interviews and news accounts from that period, also goes to a well-known preexisting group at Altgeld Gardens and to a local newspaper called the Chicago Reporter. Obama does not mention either one in his book.” (Los Angeles Times, 2/19/07)

Chicago Tribune: Obama’s assertion that nobody had indications Rezko was engaging in wrongdoing ’strains credulity.’ “…Obama has been too self-exculpatory. His assertion in network TV interviews last week that nobody had indications Rezko was engaging in wrongdoing strains credulity: Tribune stories linked Rezko to questionable fundraising for Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2004 — more than a year before the adjacent home and property purchases by the Obamas and the Rezkos.” (Chicago Tribune editorial, 1/27/08)

Obama was forced to revise his assertion that lobbyists ‘won’t work in my White House.’ “White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was forced to revise a critical stump line of his on Saturday — a flat declaration that lobbyists ‘won’t work in my White House’ after it turned out his own written plan says they could, with some restrictions… After being challenged on the accuracy of what he has been saying — in contrast to his written pledge — at a news conference Saturday in Waterloo, Obama immediately softened what had been his hard line in his next stump speech.” (Chicago Sun-Times, 12/16/07)

FactCheck.org: ‘Selective, embellished and out-of-context quotes from newspapers pump up Obama’s health plan.’ “Obama’s ad touting his health care plan quotes phrases from newspaper articles and an editorial, but makes them sound more laudatory and authoritative than they actually are. It attributes to The Washington Post a line saying Obama’s plan would save families about $2,500. But the Post was citing the estimate of the Obama campaign and didn’t analyze the purported savings independently. It claims that “experts” say Obama’s plan is “the best.” “Experts” turn out to be editorial writers at the Iowa City Press-Citizen – who, for all their talents, aren’t actual experts in the field. It quotes yet another newspaper saying Obama’s plan “guarantees coverage for all Americans,” neglecting to mention that, as the article makes clear, it’s only Clinton’s and Edwards’ plans that would require coverage for everyone, while Obama’s would allow individuals to buy in if they wanted to.” (FactCheck.org, 1/3/08)

Sen. Obama said ‘I passed a law that put Illinois on a path to universal coverage,’ but Obama health care legislation merely set up a task force. ”As a state senator, I brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass legislation insuring 20,000 more children. And 65,000 more adults received health care…And I passed a law that put Illinois on a path to universal coverage.” The State Journal-Register reported in 2004 that “The (Illinois State) Senate squeaked out a controversial bill along party lines Wednesday to create a task force to study health-care reform in Illinois. (…) In its original form, the bill required the state to offer universal health care by 2007. That put a ‘cloud’ over the legislation, said Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon. Under the latest version, the 29-member task force would hold at least five public hearings next year.” (Obama Health Care speech, 5/29/07; State Journal-Register, 5/20/04)

ABC News: ‘Obama…seemed to exaggerate the legislative progress he made’ on ethics reform. “ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports: During Monday’s Democratic presidential debate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., seemed to exaggerate the legislative progress he has made on disclosure of “bundlers,” those individuals who aggregate their influence with the candidate they support by collecting $2,300 checks from a wide network of wealthy friends and associates. When former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel alleged that Obama had 134 bundlers, Obama responded by telling Gravel that the reason he knows how many bundlers he has raising money for him is “because I helped push through a law this past session to disclose that.” Earlier this year, Obama sponsored an amendment (sic) in the Senate requiring lobbyists to disclose the candidates for whom they bundle. Obama’s amendment would not, however, require candidates to release the names of their bundlers. What’s more, although Obama’s amendment was agreed to in the Senate by unanimous consent, the measure never became law as Obama seemed to suggest. Gravel and the rest of the public know how many bundlers Obama has not because of a ‘law’ that the Illinois Democrat has ‘pushed through’ but because Obama voluntarily discloses that information.” (ABC News, 7/23/07)

Obama drastically overstated Kansas tornado deaths during campaign appearance. “When Sen. Barack Obama exaggerated the death toll of the tornado in Greensburg, Kan, during his visit to Richmond yesterday, The Associated Press headline rapidly evolved from ‘Obama visits former Confederate capital for fundraiser’ to ‘Obama rips Bush on Iraq war at Richmond fundraiser’ to ‘Weary Obama criticizes Bush on Iraq, drastically overstates Kansas tornado death toll’ to ‘Obama drastically overstates Kansas tornado deaths during campaign appearance.’ Drudge made it a banner, ensuring no reporter would miss it. (politico.com, 5/9/07)

[Lucky 13]

35. Well if that ain't the BIG FAT LYING POT calling the kettle black!

[ProSense]

36. It's bizarre! n/t

[grantcart]

34. kick

[ProSense]

37. Clinton tries desperately -- and I mean desperately -- to change the subject from her lies...

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Clinton tries desperately -- and I mean desperately -- to change the subject from her lies about the Bosnia trip

by Joe Sudbay (DC) · 3/25/2008

They must all be high-fiving at Clinton HQ this afternoon. Hillary brought up Rev. Wright to change the subject from her serial lies about the trip to Bosnia -- and CNN is dutifully replaying it. Although, at 5:54 PM tonight, a stunning thing happened -- even Wolf Blitzer seems to get that "she tried to change the subject as she comes under scrutiny for some controversial remarks of her own." Yeah, even Wolf gets it.

I expected the campaign to go pretty low, but didn't really expect to see Hillary herself get into the muck like this. How demeaning for her. Last week, Hillary wouldn't answer a question about Wright -- she literally ignored the reporter. Earlier today, at the Pittsburgh Tribune Review (owned by right winger Richard Mellon Sciafe), she jumped right in. It came up again at a press conference this afternoon, which I watched live on CNN. Greg Sargent posted video of the presser at TPM Elections and he accurately reported this key point:

Also, note that Hillary appears to be reading much of her material on the Wright questions, suggesting that real care went into working out precisely how she'd deal with the issue.

Clearly, the Clinton campaign thought this messaging very carefully. How much did it cost Mark Penn to come up with the line "He would not have been my pastor"? They've probably been focus group testing that line for a week. But what they don't get is that it just looks extremely desperate and pathetic for Hillary to evoke Rev. Wright now.

The Bosnia trip scandal isn't going away. Clinton made that trip a centerpiece of her campaign. There's too much video and too many lies told by the candidate herself.

The Bosnia controversy has redefined Clinton's campaign -- and created a new story line about Clinton's ability to separate reality from fiction. For example, check this passage from Newsweek:

Is it possible that Hillary Clinton really thought she risked her life disembarking from a plane and running for cover "under sniper fire" at the heavily fortified U.S. Air Force base at Tuzla? Clinton has been telling the story of her visit to Bosnia in 1996 for many years, gradually adding embellishment and changing details. Perhaps she may have actually come to believe it.

Ouch.

Clinton brought that on herself. Clinton is the star of all the Bosnia-related videos, not someone's pastor. Her words are at issue, not someone's pastor. Her lies are being dissected, not someone's pastor.

more

[Cha]

39. HOw delusional is she to think she can get away

with her delusions when it's been so documented with the details details details?

[ProSense]

40. Defiance: Hillary's campaign issues memo claiming they're being attacked by Obama's campaign

To: Interested Parties
From: The Clinton Campaign
Date: March 26, 2008
RE: The Obama Record: Just Words

Yesterday, a Pennsylvania editorial board asked Sen. Clinton how she would have "responded if (her)pastor had said some of the things that Rev. Wright said?" In response, she said Rev. Wright would not have been her pastor, an honest view shared by many Americans.

The Obama campaign's response? Attack Sen. Clinton and accuse her of trying to divert attention from the Bosnia trip story and her record of foreign policy experience.

Sen. Clinton’s response was sincere. The Obama attack was disingenuous.

We are happy to discuss Sen. Clinton’s foreign policy experience and her record overall. Unfortunately, the Obama campaign doesn’t want to discuss its candidate’s record and prefers personal attacks instead.

Sen. Obama knows that if he focused on his experience, he’d get questions about the shortcomings in his record and the efforts he has made to embellish it.

He’d have to deal with the fallout from this week’s Washington Post report on his gross exaggeration of his role on immigration reform and housing policy.

Sen. Obama would have to explain why the New York Times reported that he claims credit for passing nuclear leak legislation that never got out of committee.

He’d have to confront reports from FactCheck.org and other independent organizations that say his claims of providing a universal health care plan are based on selective, embellished and out-of-context quotes from newspapers.

He’d have to discuss the LA Times story that reported on how his fellow organizers say he took too much credit for his community organizing efforts.

He’d have to explain why he regularly claims he was a law professor when in fact he held no such title.

Sen. Obama seems to think disingenuous attacks on Sen. Clinton will address the concerns voters have about his record and readiness to be the Commander-in-Chief and the steward of our economy. They won’t.

In the end, Sen. Obama’s words cannot erase Hillary's 35-year record of action because when all is said and done, words aren’t action. They are just words.

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This is based on the Hillary campaign's memo citing their old (and lame) claims against Obama which have beend debunked and discredited:

Professor Obama and Me

Professor Obama was a listener, students say

Hillary's use of ties to Exelon to disingenuously attack Obama's nuclear plant bill (which she even falsely claims to have helped him introduce; she didn't sign on as a co-sponsor until 12 days later):

Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) applauded the approval today by a key Senate committee of legislation to require nuclear plant operators to quickly notify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the state and county in which the plant is located, of any leak of radioactive substances, such as the releases from the spent fuel pools at Indian Point that occurred last August. Senator Clinton joined Senator Obama in bringing the legislation to the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, where it was unanimously approved today.

“Local officials need to know when radioactive materials are leaked from any of New York's nuclear power plants, including Indian Point,” said Senator Clinton. “This important legislation will ensure prompt notification of any future leaks, and I will be working hard to move it through the full Senate.”

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Hillary's use of ties to Exelon to disingenuously attack Obama's nuclear plant bill (which she even claims to have helped him pass through committee; although she didn't sign on as a co-sponsor until 12 days later):

Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) applauded the approval today by a key Senate committee of legislation to require nuclear plant operators to quickly notify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the state and county in which the plant is located, of any leak of radioactive substances, such as the releases from the spent fuel pools at Indian Point that occurred last August. Senator Clinton joined Senator Obama in bringing the legislation to the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, where it was unanimously approved today.

“Local officials need to know when radioactive materials are leaked from any of New York's nuclear power plants, including Indian Point,” said Senator Clinton. “This important legislation will ensure prompt notification of any future leaks, and I will be working hard to move it through the full Senate.”

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They're still pushing the debunked lobbyists claim, although she gets even more money from lobbyist than McCain and is proud of it (video).

Meet Janice Enright, Hillary’s Lobbyist Friend and Fundraiser

Fact Check On Washington Post's Inaccurate Depiction of Obama's Role in Immigration Reform

[ProSense]

41. The great pretender

Pressure builds on Clinton

The denial and defiance by those in Hillary's camp is astounding.