Clinton Admits Mistake When Recounting Trip to Bosnia

By: Fernando Suarez
Topics: Hillary Clinton

(CBS)

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez

GREENSBURG, PA. -- Hillary Clinton said she "made a mistake" in describing a trip she took to Bosnia while first lady, a trip she implied was more dangerous and more chaotic than actually took place. "You know, I think that the military and secret service did a good job and we certainly took precautions, no doubt about that and I remember that clearly but I did make a mistake talking about it the last time and recently," Clinton said.

Clinton's trip back in 1996 became a campaign issue when CBS News video of the trip surfaced, and told a much different story than what Clinton remembered. Earlier this week, Clinton said that due to sniper fire, there was "no greeting ceremony," and added that she and those traveling on the military transport airplane and had to "run to our cars," none of which was reflected in the footage.

"Look, I made a mistake," said Clinton, "and, you know, I had a different memory and my staff and others have all kind of come together, you know, trying to sort out, so I made a mistake, that happens because I'm human which, you know for some people is a revelation."

Hoping to turn attention back to her opponent, she told the Pittsburgh Post-Review that she would have left her church if her pastor made the kind of comments Jeremiah Wright made. "He would not have been my pastor," Clinton said about the minister of Barack Obama's church. "I spoke out against Don Imus, saying that hate speech was unacceptable in any setting, and I believe that."

During a campaign event prior to her press conference, Clinton said that there "are some in Washington and there some in the media who want this race to be over…We still have 10 contests and millions of people to go and with Pennsylvania's help I believe I will be the Democratic nominee for president." When asked about those comments at the press conference, and whether she is facing outside pressure to drop out of the race Clinton said, "No, but I hear it in the atmosphere, but the most common thing people say to me – it happened here, it happened last night, it happens everywhere – is 'don't give up', 'keep going', 'we're with you' and I feel really good about that because that is what I intend to do."

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by acleave171 March 27, 2008 6:24 AM EDT: A few comments posted here try to compare words that came out of Wright''s mouth to lies that come DIRECTLY out of Hillary''s mouth. The "logic" never ceases to amaze me. Instead of disowning Wright and running for the hills, Obama stands by the man while repudiating the snippets of hate.

Hillary, on the other hand, relates this "fearless leader" story of courage under sniper-fire -- on MORE than 1 occasion-- in a PREPARED SPEECH! This statement wasn''t an off the cuff aside, she used the statement to as proof of her "ready on day 1" argument. Relating this story was important to her. When she''s caught, she says it''s a mis-statement, and that she was tired...she was tired each of the 3 or 4 times she related this story over the past 2 years?

A lie is a lie, and this one fits the bill. I''m not absolving Wright''s statements, but he said what he believed to be true, and Obama stood-up for his beliefs despite the harm. Hillary LIED...LIES...WILL LIE.; Reply to this comment


by missglo March 26, 2008 9:52 PM EDT: She has given the word LIE a new name. She forgot that there were others on the trip. I don''t trust a liar.; Reply to this comment


by rufisgufis March 26, 2008 7:03 PM EDT: SINBAD FOR VEEP! HE SPOKE THE TRUTH WHILE HILLARY LIED. BUT WE ALL KNOW HILLARY AND TRUTH ARE COMPLETE STRANGERS.; Reply to this comment


by rufisgufis March 26, 2008 7:00 PM EDT: One of Hillary''s most blatant and most gratuitous lies is that her mother named her after Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to conquer Everest. The problem is: Hillary was five years old at the time. I don''t think her mother waited five years to name her.; Reply to this comment


by corabel-2009 March 26, 2008 6:51 PM EDT: The thought of Hilary becoming President is enough to consider giving up my American citizenship. The thought is unbearable.; Reply to this comment


by DCropp March 26, 2008 6:23 PM EDT: After Bill''s comments today, get ready for the Clintons to destroy the party.

Democratic party will never be the same.

Too many people are afraid to stand up to Bill. Even Hillary is afraid to tell Bill the party comes first.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 March 26, 2008 5:37 PM EDT: on a 700 club broadcast Pat Robertson preached to his followers that %u201CKatrina linked to legalized abortion%u201D

Many innocent victims were killed and left to fend for themselves after the levees fell during the Katrina Hurricane. The Bush Administration diverted funding for the rehabilitation of the levees to be collected by his Private War Contractors in Iraq leaving New Orleans venerable to such a great hurricane.

The next appropriated funds to aid the people of New Orleans were equally pilfered by Bush Private Contractors with little results.; Reply to this comment


by gawania March 26, 2008 5:20 PM EDT: After thinking back to 911 when a lot of us ran to the churches of America, we heard a lot of condolences, critisms, and condemnations against this country and it%u2019s sin. We heard how America had turned it%u2019 back on the Lord and now he turns his back on America basically. Which to me was the same as saying we were damned because of our cultural condescendance, and depravity. Rev Wright basically said the same thing that I heard when I watched tv preachers Jerry Farwell, Pat Robinson, and Rob Parsley which are white men. Why is it so inflammatory when this black preacher says it is what is a puzzle to me, even if he was one of the candidates pastor go to the other candidates files and find out what their pastors said. I think this was a time when the church stood to point out to Americans that we could not continue to get away from the morals of what this country was built on, that disaster would await. (this is only my opinion). Do you remember weeks after what your pastor, rabbi, clergyman, bishop, even the pope said?; Reply to this comment


by aiemaufit March 26, 2008 5:14 PM EDT: Compared to how Obama lied about Rezko and Wright, this is nothing. I''m glad the video surfaced so we all can see how good Hillary is to our militaries fighting for peace. She was indeed in Bosnia - a war zone and that''s all that matters to me.; Reply to this comment


by aiemaufit March 26, 2008 5:11 PM EDT: Hillary went to Bosnia, a war zone and whether she exagerated the event, is out of the question. Hillary visited a war zone to greet our heroes - the US military. She did what other first ladies could not do in this situation. I was even more proud of Hillary when I saw the video.; Reply to this comment