Bill Clinton Expands on Hillary's Tuzla "Misstatements"

What is going on with the Clintons this year?  

You'd think that after Hillary's Tuzla story had blown over in the press, they'd let sleeping dogs lie.

Well, you'd be wrong.

As it turns out, Bill Clinton just resurrected this mess on the campaign trail in Indiana.

Here's an excerpt from Bill's speech (see below the fold for more and analysis):

And, you know. I got tickled the other day. A lot of the way this whole campaign has been covered has amused me. But there was a lot of fulminating because Hillary, one time late at night when she was exhausted, misstated and immediately apologized for it, what happened to her in Bosnia in 1995. Did y'all see all that? Oh, they blew it up.

More from Bill:

Let me just tell you. The president of Bosnia and General Wesley Clark -- who was there making peace where we'd lost three peacekeepers who had to ride on a dangerous mountain road because it was too dangerous to go the regular, safe way -- both defended her because they pointed out that when her plane landed in Bosnia, she had to go up to the bulletproof part of the plane, in the front. Everybody else had to put their flak jackets underneath the seat in case they got shot at. And everywhere they went they were covered by Apache helicopters. So they just abbreviated the arrival ceremony.


Now I say that because, what really has mattered is that even then she was interested in our troops. And I think she was the first first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt to go into a combat zone. And you woulda thought, you know, that she'd robbed a bank the way they carried on about this. And some of them when they're 60 they'll forget something when they're tired at 11 at night, too.

Ok, so any of you that have been following this know that there are a few "mistruths" in there.

For fact-check, I turn to Ben Smith:

For those who forgot about the Tuzla rabbit hole, the speech where she got in trouble for "misspeaking" about arriving under sniper fire was in the morning, she told the story more than once, she didn't acknowledge that she misspoke until more than a week after giving the speech  (and long  after the comedian Sinbad had disputed her recollections of the Bosnia trip), ... and Pat Nixon visited Saigon in 1969 .

And here's the explanation that two Clinton aides who accompanied the First Lady gave last week in the New York Times.

More from ABCNews:

Sen. Clinton did not apologize, like Mr. Clinton asserted, she simply indicated that she mispoke when describing the Bosnia incident.

While the former president may have been amused by the whole incident, his telling of the course of events wasn't quite accurate. Hillary Clinton actually made the comments numerous times, including at an event in Iowa on Dec. 29, amd an event on Feb. 29 and one time -- bright and early in the morning -- on March 17.

Sen. Clinton wasn't as quick with her apology as President Clinton may remember either. In fact, it took a week for her to eventually correct herself, first talking to the Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board on March 24 and again the following day in Greensboro, N.C.

So, what do you think?  Should they stop talking about this?

Tags: Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, tuzla (all tags)

Comments

28 Comments

running tally

lol that makes 3 Tuzla diaries to 4 on Obama's purge.

note I am only saying this because some people were complaining that there were more diaries on this then the purge and that they would stop diaring about the purge when they caught up to the number of diaries on this.

by TruthMatters 2008-04-11 06:22AM | 0 recs
Re: running tally

Oops, I was a bit late to the game I take it :)

by campaignmonitor 2008-04-11 06:28AM | 0 recs
Re: running tally

its fine, alegre defended posting a 4th diary on the purge by saying we had more of these new tuzla diaries with Bill's statement so I went and counted.

and I will keep track and once the over take the purge diaries, then I will join the calls for people to stop dairying about it.

until then the purge has 1 more then this.

by TruthMatters 2008-04-11 06:31AM | 0 recs
Re: running tally

What's people's beef with the purge?  I don't get what the issue is.  Why are people bent out of shape about that?

by campaignmonitor 2008-04-11 06:33AM | 0 recs
Re: running tally

they say it shows he doesn't really care about the grossroots because he cut them all. and then when he fixed it it shows I dunno I forget what him correcting it shows.

but I did learn that politicians get NO credit if they correct a mistake. which is ironic as the Clinton Campaign just put out a memo saying thank you bill for trying to defend her but this was Hillary's mistake and she takes responsibility.

read the purge diaries, she should get NO credit for fixing a mistake.

by TruthMatters 2008-04-11 06:36AM | 0 recs
Re: running tally

Oy vey, seriously?  They're accusing OBAMA of not caring for the grassroots?  Wow, talk about silly season.

by campaignmonitor 2008-04-11 06:54AM | 0 recs
Re: running tally

Your diary may be the latest, but it's also the best and most comprehensive on Bill's idiotic fibs.

by Kobi 2008-04-11 07:13AM | 0 recs
Re: running tally

But you have the rules wrong!

All other websites that they may have looked at count as well. Especially the Great Orange Satan...if they have Tuzla diaries they must be counted!

It's not like this is a stand-alone site or anything.....

by Kysen 2008-04-11 06:32AM | 0 recs
Re: running tally

but then I'd have the purge diaries also, and really thats just to much work the internet is too big.

that and I still have to determine how I would advice on an ex parte order of protection, that I have been procrastinating on. I am only 1 man!!!

by TruthMatters 2008-04-11 06:34AM | 0 recs
It's really no wonder

that Bill Clinton's poll numbers go down every time he opens his mouth.

by MBNYC 2008-04-11 06:31AM | 0 recs
He really can't help himself.

In his mind there really is no situation he can't fib himself out of.

Should the Clintons let sleeping dogs lie and stop bringing up (and lying about) the Tuzla story?
Needs an "I sure hope not" option.

by DSloth 2008-04-11 06:40AM | 0 recs
Bill Clinton Expands

I can't decide which is my favorite "Bubba moment" from this year's election.

It's either when he said "I opposed this war from the beginning", or when he blamed the bad press he got in South Carolina on the Obama campaign and called it "a mugging".  My friend's joke was "He's right - I saw it!  It was Willy Horton!"

by Mostly 2008-04-11 06:50AM | 0 recs
re

Do you think that BO will apologize for saying he was a Professor of Constitution Law from the University of Chicago??  Do you think he should have to apologize for a close friendship to a racist, race baiter, american hating rev?

Tell me do you think that "Clinton Intentionally Trying to Make Obama Unelectable"? and if BO said this should he have to apologize for when his supporters say things like this??

Would BO have to apologize if he said "Holding Up a Mirror To the Clinton Cult".  I am just wondering how may threads you have started calling HRC a liar or questioning her truthfullness.  Funny how some BO supporters (of course not you) seem more interested in smearing HRC then McCain.

david

by giusd 2008-04-11 06:51AM | 0 recs
Re: re

Yawn.  Keep bringing up stuff.  It gets tiresome, but always amusing.

by campaignmonitor 2008-04-11 06:55AM | 0 recs
Re: re

Dude,

"tiresome" is your constant threads attacking HRC in very personal terms.  I guess you dont think you are responsible for you comments and you think that is tiresome.  So let me get his straight.  You think "Keep bring up stuff" is a yawn or tiresome and yet you keep bringing up the same stuff about HRC daily.

I guess the double standard jumps out at me.  You dont see that. You think it is tiresome to have you statements pointed out to you but you keep doing it day after day after day.

Just saying.

david

by giusd 2008-04-11 07:01AM | 0 recs
Re: re

What, calling Hillary and Bill liars is an example of "your constant threads attacking HRC in very personal terms."  If they lie, they're liars.  Pretty simple.

by campaignmonitor 2008-04-11 07:33AM | 0 recs
Re: re

Care to address the issue at hand?

by campaignmonitor 2008-04-11 06:55AM | 0 recs
Re: re

OMG I cannot believe you brought that up.

can anyone go through and tell me who starts more Anti-McCain diaries HRC supporters or BO supporters?

are you kidding me? HRC supporters all but DEFEND McCain against Obama and now you are saying WE go out of our way to attack HRC rather then McCain?

do you remember how many lets move to the GE campaign diaries we started? do you remember what the response from HRC supporters were?

but yeah I think someone should look up all the Anti-McCain diaries and lets see which side has been focusing on McCain more.

by TruthMatters 2008-04-11 06:56AM | 0 recs
Re: re

Can anyone go through and tell me who starts more threads and writes posts attacking the only democratic president in the last 25 years?

BO supporters are not in a position to question the motives of HRC supporters.  BO supporters only interest seems to be in destroying and smearing the Clintons and anyone who tries to point this out has their motives quesitioned.  Whatever.

david

by giusd 2008-04-11 07:05AM | 0 recs
Re: re

ok you tell me, honestly the motives of all the Anti-Obama diaries on this site are?

by TruthMatters 2008-04-11 07:07AM | 0 recs
Re: re

You seem very, very bitter.

Oh I'm sorry, did I just question your motives?

by Mostly 2008-04-11 07:17AM | 0 recs
Re: re

Is bitter the new word for pointing out hypocrisy?  Just wondering.  Did you question my motives.  Well you are responsible for your conduct not me.  

david

by giusd 2008-04-11 07:26AM | 0 recs
Re: re

He was a professor of Constitutional Law.

Reverend Wright is neither a racist or a race-baiter.  Save the part about him "hating America" for FreeRepublic.

And save the anger at BO supporters who are more interested in smearing HRC than McCain for the Department of Irony.

by Mostly 2008-04-11 07:15AM | 0 recs
Re: re

Reverend Wright is neither a racist or a race-baiter.

Really i guess all those quotes on dvd were fake.

david

by giusd 2008-04-11 08:01AM | 0 recs
Re: re

No, no, yes, no,yes.  Next?

by interestedbystander 2008-04-11 07:17AM | 0 recs
Re: Bill Clinton Expands on Hillary's

And some of them when they're 60 they'll forget something when they're tired at 11 at night, too.

What a perfectly awful explanation. This the person we want taking that 3 a.m. phone call? The one who Bill says gets exhausted and forgets things because of their age?

Yikes. Talk about not staying on-message.

by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner 2008-04-11 06:57AM | 0 recs
Bill almost deserves a troll rating

If somebody made a comment that "Hillary misspoke because she is 60 and when people are  60 by 11:00 p.m. they get tired and forget things" I reckon any troll rating they got would be deserved.

Bill Clinton said  "And some of them when they're 60 they'll forget something when they're tired at 11:00 at night, too."

Apart from potentiality of  antagonising voters aged  60 and over  it also potentially undermines the ready to go at 3 a.m. message.

by My Ob 2008-04-11 07:08AM | 0 recs
Re: Bill Clinton Expands on Hillary's
*sigh* I do wish Bill would give this a rest. I think most people will get over the Bosnia story, as I have, but they need to stop bringing it up. If Hillary ever makes it back to the White House, I will send her a housewarming present: a muzzle and a note which reads, "For Bill."
by sricki 2008-04-11 08:00AM | 0 recs

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