CBS/AP/ June 18, 2009, 6:22 PM

New CBS Video Contradicts Clinton Again

Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday she made a mistake in claiming that she came under hostile fire in Bosnia 12 years ago, as rival Barack Obama's campaign continued to challenge her credibility.

In a recent speech and interviews, the New York senator described a harrowing scene in Tuzla, Bosnia, in which she and her daughter, Chelsea, had to run for cover as soon as they landed for a visit in 1996. But video footage of the day showed a peaceful reception in which a young girl greeted the first lady on the tarmac.

Clinton told reporters in Pennsylvania on Tuesday that she erred in describing the scene, which she now realizes after talking with aides and others.

"So I made a mistake," she said. "That happens. It proves I'm human, which you know, for some people, is a revelation."

She claimed she misspoke and was sleep deprived, but CBS News has found several times in the past few months Senator Clinton used the Bosnia trip to try to show her international experience, reports Sharyl Attkisson. Clinton did so in Iowa in December, Texas in February and also last week.

Watch Attkisson's report, complete with new video from the Tusla tarmac.
After CBS News video showed what really happened when she landed and greeted officials, Senator Clinton maintained there were risks but explained to the Philadelphia Daily News why she was seen on the Bosnia tarmac greeting a young child if it was really so dangerous.

"I was also told that the greeting ceremony had been moved away from the tarmac but that there was this eight-year-old girl and I said, 'Well, I, I can't, I can't rush by her, I've got to at least greet her,'' Clinton said. "So I greeted her, I took her stuff and I left. Now that's my memory of it."

Once again her memory doesn't match CBS News videotape, Attkisson reports. She and her daughter Chelsea lingered on the tarmac to greet U.S. military officials, took photos, and then walked to the armored vehicle where she did, eventually, duck and enter.

The more important issue, Clinton said, is whether she would be a better commander-in-chief than Obama or Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Clinton and Obama are competing for votes in Pennsylvania's April 22 primary.

Clinton's aides had tried to control the Bosnia flap Monday, saying the New York senator "misspoke."

Couric & Co.: Read Attkisson's Full Account Of The Clinton Bosnia Trip

But Clinton had to address the issue herself Tuesday, after repeated airings of the 1996 video clips caused critics to ridicule her.

Reminded that she had said it was the first time she had misspoken in 12 years, Clinton told reporters: "I was joking. Lighten up, guys."

In a March 17 speech in Washington, Clinton said of the Bosnia trip: "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."

That account was still posted on her campaign Website Tuesday.

Clinton told CNN last week, "There was no greeting ceremony, and we basically were told to run to our cars. Now, that is what happened."

Several news outlets disputed the claims.

Clinton began retracting the remarks in a series of private interviews Monday and Tuesday before addressing about two dozen reporters here after a speech.

She told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "I was sleep-deprived, and I misspoke."

She told KDKA radio in Pittsburgh: "You know, I have written about this and described it in many different settings, and I did misspeak the other day. This has been a very long campaign."

The Obama campaign fueled the Bosnia brouhaha Tuesday, sponsoring a conference call with Pennsylvania reporters that featured retired Maj. Gen. Walter Stewart of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Stewart said he was assigned to the Army's European headquarters when Clinton visited Bosnia as first lady in 1996. He said her claim that she landed under enemy fire insulted U.S. soldiers charged with her security.

Clinton's explanation that she misspoke was "really astonishing," said Stewart, who supports Obama.

"She has no sense of what a statement like that does to soldiers," Stewart said. "She is insulting the command in its entirety."

"Believe me, heads would have rolled all over" if the military put the first lady and her daughter in a position of "unacceptable risk."

At her news conference, Clinton said, "the military and the Secret Service did a terrific job" of handling the situation in Bosnia. "We did take precautions," she said, noting that she was the first president's wife to enter a war zone since Eleanor Roosevelt.

Clinton did her best to change the subject Tuesday. She launched her first TV ad in Pennsylvania, in which she promises to "end $55 billion dollars in giveaways to corporate special interests and invest it in middle class tax cuts and creating new jobs." The ad aired in Ohio prior to its March 4 primary.

At a rally in Greensburg, east of Pittsburgh, she proposed ways to help Americans save for retirement. She would offer up to $1,000 in matching tax cuts to middle-income families who put money into retirement savings accounts. About 3.4 million Pennsylvania families would qualify, she said.

Clinton's plan also would "close the loophole that allows companies to cut their employees' pensions when they sell off subsidiaries," her campaign said in a statement. She also called for bankruptcy law changes to reduce companies' ability to evade pension obligations.

On another front, Obama campaign aides posted his tax returns from 2000 to 2006 on his campaign Web site, and called on Clinton to do the same. They also called on Clinton to release full records of her daily schedule during her eight years as first lady.

Clinton said she hoped to release her tax returns "within the next week."
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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future_watch says:
There is a new account of this trip to Bosnia posted on CBS''s site. A former producer shares more details of the trip in and his impressions of Clinton. http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/couricandco/main500803.shtml
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b-easy63 says:
ONCE AGAIN....Obama may find himself in hot water--not for something he did, but for who he knows. Those Rezko indictments are sure to heat up and spill over and cause damage!!

Unfortunately for Hillary--she can''''''''t catch a break, soon to potentially break in the news is the story before the California appeals court which could DeLay her candidacy for good. this time evidence shows that Hillary (HERSELF ONCE AGAIN)was involved. At issue is a 250K donation made to her senatorial campaign. Her staff said she had no knowledge of it, so she was not roped into the scandal when her campaign mgr faced charges of hiding that money from the IRS.

Unfortunately VIDEO may again place Hill in deep doo, doo. It seems there is a video tape recording her discussing the fund raiser with the donors (on it, she talks about who would be there and what they will do) this means she performed what is known as a direct campaign request. donations from donors for that kind of request are limited to 25K. Since the donation was for 250K, that would be considered campaign fraud.

Woe is Hillary and Damnnnn those videos and tape recordings that make being a great liar so hard to keep up these days!!! ROTFLMAO.

Maybe Hill should quit, before she finds herself in court this time, with no way to hide her hand in shady dealings. Here''''''''s the Link: http://www.usjf.net/modules.php?op=modlo

ad&name=News&file=article&sid=344
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jmetro2 says:
Clearly, she lied. Even if she did not, having been in a tight spot does not qualify here to lead the nation''s foreign policy. But I wonder whether CBS has, AGAIN, played fast and loose with the rules of journalism to tilt the political scale. It knew of this since December ''07, but sat on it, probably intentionally to get her deeper in the cement before springing the trap. AGAIN, CBS tries to choose who should be president.
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b-easy63 says:
What we should really be concerned about if Obama gets elected is 4 years of racial unrest. Don''''t forget that Obama won''''t just be the president of all the people who voted but also the people who don''''t vote. Can you imagine the look on the faces of all the "good old boys" when someone tells them they have a Black President.

Posted by truth-hurts at 02:34 AM : Mar 27, 2008


We see your point--which is that America must continue to cater to some of the lowest denominaters of her population.....never change, never try to grow beyond it--if we don''t--the klansmen and good ol boys among us won''t be happy.
forgive us if we decide the "good ol boys" are not as relevant or important as moving beyond race--perhaps by finally truly confronting and challenging it--not catering to bigotry.
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b-easy63 says:
JUST OUT TODAY: HILLARY IS FALLING IN THE POLLS----BADLY.

It appears that about the only support she is still retaining (as far as approval by Americans ) is by her supporters. They and she, should consider that their particular views and preference for certain tactics are not necessarily the rest of the country''s. Obama and McCain are heads above her--for truthfulness and likeability.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Vote2008/story?id=4534607&page=1

Catch a clue Hillary supporters--your bitterness and ugly tactics are coming back to bite you....
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truthbug says:
WRIGHT is not running for presidency.
OBAMA is running for presidency.

WRIGHT said anti-white and anti-american remarks.
WRIGHT is OBAMA''''s adviser and uncle by heart.
WRIGHT''''s ideas reflects OBAMA''''s mind and his wife have the same tone.
OBAMA can not disown WRIGHT.

This is like a white person not disowning KKK.
OBAMA is a closet WRIGHT double.
OBAMA is WRIGHT.
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lochlan-2009 says:
Hillary and McCain are obviously more of the same. If you have a brain in your head you already knew that.
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infidel_us says:
"So I made a mistake," she said. "That happens. It proves I''m human, which you know, for some people, is a revelation."

First: When McCain said Iran instead of Iraq, THAT was a mistake. What you did was LIE.

Second: I require proof that you are a human. I don''t believe it.
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xzonz says:
What we should really be concerned about if Obama gets elected is 4 years of racial unrest. Don''''t forget that Obama won''''t just be the president of all the people who voted but also the people who don''''t vote. Can you imagine the look on the faces of all the "good old boys" when someone tells them they have a Black President.

Posted by truth-hurts at 02:34 AM : Mar 27, 2008
----------------------------------------------------
when they see the changes in the economy, health college education and many more it wont matter. the main point is to deliver to the people and lead them. he wikk have good advisers as well.
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xzonz says:
im just sick of this long dem browl. one thing is for sure, Hillary is a republican goldwater girl and i will never vote for her;she has no interest of the party or the country at heart.
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