Clinton's Bosnia Lie: Why Padding Your 3 am Ready Resume Is a Bad Idea

[marmar]

from AlterNet's PEEK:




Clinton's Bosnia Lie: Why Padding Your 3 am Ready Resume Is a Bad Idea

Posted by Pam Spaulding, Pam's House Blend at 5:40 AM on March 25, 2008.

Now help me out here -- why lie about this?



What is wrong with Hillary Clinton and her advisers? In an effort to promote her foreign policy experience -- and thus draw a contrast between the NY senator and Barack Obama, she boldly claimed on March 17 that she went on a harrowing, brave trip to Bosnia in 1996 as First Lady.

"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."

Now as First Lady, she and her crack team of high-paid consultants should have known that there were not only reporters on the trip (and video) to blow away this account. But no, they stuck to their story, and the end result is that the video evidence has surfaced, making her look like a prevaricating resume padder.

And the Washington Post has a blow-by-blow account of the fibbing and the facts, including her 1996 traveling companion on that trip, the comedian Sinbad, who has no idea where Clinton's account came from.

Harrowing? Not that Sinbad recalls. He just remembers it being a USO tour to buck up the troops amid a much worse situation than he had imagined between the Bosnians and Serbs.

..."I never felt that I was in a dangerous position. I never felt being in a sense of peril, or 'Oh, God, I hope I'm going to be OK when I get out of this helicopter or when I get out of his tank.'"

Now help me out here -- why lie about this? It doesn't make any sense, and only allows for this nonsense to be raised in the general election if she were to be the Dem nominee. I know pols can be professional prevaricators, but usually it's to their benefit, not their embarrassment.

If you think the above is bad, a media conference call today with the Clinton team managed to make things worse. Howard Wolfson actually said that Hillary "misspoke" about the Bosnia daredevil trip. It's pretty hard watching that video and seeing a mere slip of the tongue. Come on, people. You don't tout experience that you don't have. Though based on the campaigning so far, it's less about whether something is true or not, it's whether you can do damage to your opponent, which the GOP does so well. Swift Boating works, regardless of who's doing it. That's what they pay the big bucks to the consultants for.


http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/80525/

[elocs]

1. What I wonder is why anybody would exaggerate or puff up any claim that is so easily checked?

I mean, there are people out there whose job or goal in life is to catch people who "misspeak" or "exaggerate". The truth is so much more simple and easy.

[quantass]

4. Maybe she feels the Public and Media has short memories for all her LIES in the past.

...so this new lie of the week would go unnoticed again.

[SoFlaJet]

5. because she, and her surrogates

think we're all friggin idiots-just like Bush counts on his base to be "misinformed"

[Hepburn]

15. Pathological form of personality disorder?

:shrug:

Or she just enjoys bullshitting and lying and figures she will get a free pass from the MSM and the dumbest levels of US voters.

:evilgrin:

[quantass]

2. kr

[Fredda Weinberg]

3. Actually, if you take a page from Raygun's book ... watch w/the sound off

This was the magic of new media ... no matter how critical the coverage, seeing the candidate's footage had an impact. Looking @ HRC walk across the tarmac - I took Deaver's advice and sure enough ... it's been worth it.

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. I have to agree

It would have been one thing to say, "I travelled to Bosnia during the conflict. I spoke with our soldiers and got their first-hand reports. I saw the situation for myself." That would have been a true and yet still impressive account. There was absolutely no need to make up anything and yet, for some reason, she did.

[Hepburn]

17. Spot on....

...exactly. That is something that is a positive.

But to lie about it...and make up bullshit stories? She is fucking nuts for doing something that questionable. I do NOT want her anywhere near anything that is critical since she cannot distinguish fact from fiction.

JMHO

Edit for typo

[BumRushDaShow]

7. They figured that since the media is in their pocket, if the lies were discovered

they would get a pass... Which is what is happening. :eyes: I fear tht if the blogsphere doesn't call the M$M on this and probably many dozens of similar fabrications, this will all disappear to be replaced with either some more Obama bashing or the latest adventures of Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton.

[Recursion]

8. Because, as this has proven, she can get away with it

Once again, the media roll over for her.

How can you tell which candidate is most favored by the media? It's always the one whining the loudest about how the media are trashing him/her.

[Shae]

11. I disagree

They aren't making as much out of it as they could because she doesn't have front runner status. If and when she ever does, they will crucify her.

[Johnny__Motown]

9. She lies about everything, why should this be any different?

[Shae]

10. You'd think

with all the experience she has fighting the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy that she'd know this is a dangerous thing to do.
Does she think the RW won't run with this? Anything she says now will be called into question and mockingly characterized as "misspeaking."

[Tippy]

12. Why in the hell did she even think thiswould help her campaign?

"Howard Wolfson actually said that Hillary "misspoke" about the Bosnia trip".....Like hell she did...Hillary and Bill for that matter think they are so dam smart. They are totaly disrespecting the voters who put them in office in the first place... with their "misspokes, half truths and out and out lies, make me feel like a fool for not seeing this side of them before now.

[wndycty]

13. Instead of Hillary Rodham Clinton her new name is Hillary O'Leary Clinton (see below)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_O'Leary#Notre_Dame_controversy

Notre Dame controversy

In 2001, O'Leary left Georgia Tech to take over as the head coach for the University of Notre Dame. Five days later, O'Leary resigned after he was discovered to have lied on his resume. On the resume, O'Leary claimed that he had earned a master's degree from New York University when in fact he only attended the school but never graduated. He also claimed that he had earned three letters in football at the University of New Hampshire, when the school claimed he had not even played in one game.

Notre Dame initially supported O'Leary when the discrepancies concerning his athletic career at New Hampshire came to light, as O'Leary assured the school that there was nothing else they needed to know. When further background checks found that O'Leary had falsified his academic credentials as well, the school asked for his resignation. "Due to a selfish and thoughtless act many years ago, I have personally embarrassed Notre Dame, its alumni and fans," O'Leary said in a statement that was released that day.<3>

O'Leary blamed the inaccuracies on 'resume padding' that had followed him through his career: "In seeking employment I prepared a resume that contained inaccuracies regarding my completion of course work for a master's degree and also my level of participation in football at my alma mater. These misstatements were never stricken from my resume or biographical sketch in later years."

[Coexist]

14. and it was from a prepared speech, not off the cuff

bad judgement, anyone?

[VinnieF]

16. This latest incident is only a reflection of her basic character.

She is a pathological liar, who will say anything to get what she wants, regardless of veracity.