WASHINGTON, April 11, 2008

Hillary Tells Bill To Back Off On Bosnia

Former President Chided For Trying To Defend Wife's Statements; "Yes Ma'am," He Replies

  • Play CBS Video Video Bill Muddies Hillary's Blunder

    Bill Clinton has again overshadowed his wife and knocked her campaign off message. This time he spoke out about her Bosnia blunder. But instead of helping, he made matters worse. Jim Axelrod reports.

  • Video Breaking Down Bill's Behavior

    Hillary Clinton's Bosnia blunder has already cost her campaign a lot of credibility. So why would Bill Clinton bring it up while stumping for her in Indiana? Bob Schieffer weighs in.

  • Photo

     (CBS)

  • Photo Essay Hillary Clinton

    A look at a life and career full of firsts.

  • Photo Essay Hillary Rodham Clinton

    The Democratic Senator from New York and former first lady sets her sights on the White House.

(CBS)  "She started talking about Bosnia, and she misstated the circumstances under which she landed in Bosnia," Bill Clinton said Thursday. "And you woulda' thought, you know, that she'd robbed a bank the way they carried on about this."

It's the last topic the Clinton campaign wants to talk about - ever. But there was former President Bill Clinton yesterday in Indiana raising his wife's trip to Bosnia in 1996, CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod reports.

Last month on St. Patrick's Day Hilary Clinton spoke about it.

"I remember landing under sniper fire," she said.

Watch Clinton's St. Patrick's Day remarks.
A week after she said that, CBS News ran a video disproving it. The next day Clinton admitted she misspoke.

And the former president said: "She took a terrible beating in the press for a few days because, she was exhausted at 11 o'clock at night and she started talking about Bosnia and she misstated the circumstances under which she landed in Bosnia," he said. "Did you all see all that?"

The fact is, she didn't talk about it "exhausted at 11 o'clock at night," but at 9 a.m., after a day off, Axelrod reports.

Read more about the exchange.
Check out Sharyl Attkisson's full account of the 1996 Bosnia trip.
Bill Clinton might have thought twice about his line of defense.

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

Watch Bill Clinton's complete remarks.
Hillary Clinton's best-known ad this campaign has been about her ability to think straight in the middle of the night. Remember, "It's 3 a.m….?"

Bill Clinton's outbursts have overshadowed his wife at several key points this campaign - and knocked her campaign off message.

Remember when he had an outburst while talking to a reporter?

Which is why those Clinton supporters who've been wishing someone would muzzle him would like what Bill Clinton says his wife told him.

"Hillary called me and said, 'you don't remember this, you weren't there,'" he said. "'Let me handle it.' I said, 'yes ma'am'!"

Asked about it today, Sen. Barack Obama obeyed a cardinal rule of politics: Don't kick your opponent when they're already kicking themselves.


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Add a Comment See all 216 Comments
by perceptions5 April 11, 2008 6:53 PM PDT
!!!!! BREAKING NEWS !!!!!!! Obama is done for it in PA. Check it out:

Obama, as recorded by a HuffPost writer in attendance:

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing''s replaced them," Obama said. "And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it''s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren''t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Why are the Democrats such an intolerant party?

And why are their supporters so indignant?
Reply to this comment
by tbweb April 11, 2008 7:00 PM PDT
The Clinton''s are well liked and had their legal 2 terms in the White House. Even though Sen. Hillary Clinton is her own person, the Clinton''s have painted themselves into a corner selling their political life together as 2 for the price of one! America has over 300 million citizens, a third Clinton White House is technically illegal, its someone else''s turn! Don''t hog the show! The 2 term limit was created to prevent corruption and too much political influence! The fact that Sen. Clinton may be the best candidate misses the point! The U.S. is a land of Laws and the Clinton''s are circumventing them by seeking a 3rd White House term!
Reply to this comment
by perceptions5 April 11, 2008 7:00 PM PDT
perceptions5

Obama is RIGHT ON! Truth, the facts continue to be the number one enemy of all you Fascists.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by neoconism

-----------------------------

neoconism = intolerant liberal
Reply to this comment
by thisandthat1 April 11, 2008 7:06 PM PDT
If Hillary''s too groggy at 11 pm to get the facts straight, as Bill says, then she probably wouldn''t even hear the phone ring at 3 am!
Reply to this comment
by rebelscout April 11, 2008 7:08 PM PDT
Bill, nice going. It was going away(the story) but for some reason you had to bring it up. Again,nice going.
Reply to this comment
by April 11, 2008 7:13 PM PDT
More Clinton bashing bias on CBS. This is a gratuitous shot at Hillary. An important thought to keep in mind: Even with all the media bias against her, Hillary outpolled both Obama and McCain in yesterday''s AP Poll.
Reply to this comment
by truth-hurts April 11, 2008 7:18 PM PDT
perceptions5, Sounds like Obama is saying that small town people are unhappy with their own lives and take it out on people who are different than them.?? I can''t believe he said that.
Reply to this comment
by enaudnella April 11, 2008 7:20 PM PDT
The press does not have to bash Hillary......Theres Chelsea and Bill...."it none of your bizness" lol lol
Reply to this comment
by rebelscout April 11, 2008 7:20 PM PDT
It''s really not bashing when you tell a bold faced lie and get caught."I misspoke" is just another phrase forI lied.Bill stepped in it plain and simple.
Reply to this comment
by taylor2124 April 11, 2008 7:21 PM PDT
He better be nice to Hillary, or she''ll cut him off from s*ex. Wait, that''s a good thing, never mind.
Reply to this comment
by sosoe-2009 April 11, 2008 7:28 PM PDT
The Cardinal Rule of Politicians: "Don''t kick your opponent when they''re already kicking themselves". Well, Hell-ery obviously doesn''t know her politics, after "35 years of experience". She certainly "kicked Barack when he was kicking himself, over the Rev Wright fiasco. She said, "he would never be my pastor. You can''t choose your family, but you can choose your pastor". I thought she was a dirty hag, then, and she is a lieing, dirty hag NOW! Barack has class! That''s why Hell-ery''s superdelegate lead has dwindled to 30, from 100, since January. She''s a sinking ship! EX-CLINTON SUPPORTER
Reply to this comment
by rebelscout April 11, 2008 7:35 PM PDT
Nancy Pelosi''s comment''s about Bill''s defense of Hill may be fairly telling as to the superdelagate issue.
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine1 April 11, 2008 7:37 PM PDT
I am an Independent and I am trying to make up my mind about who I want to vote for; thanks to Bill. I''ve crossed Hillary off of my list.

After watching him on TV today, he is back to what the definition of "Is" is and I don''t think I could take another 4 or 8 years of the two of them again.


So,.....my list is down to Obama, McCain or Nader.
Reply to this comment
by rebelscout April 11, 2008 7:40 PM PDT
Yep that''s about it AJ. Bill couldn''t leave well enough alone and has shown his true colors.
Reply to this comment
by bgwinnett April 11, 2008 7:45 PM PDT
Bill needs smoke some crack but not inhale, just to pass the time and crucially keep out of the way, to stop hindering Hillary.
Reply to this comment
by rebelscout April 11, 2008 7:48 PM PDT
Methink''s that won''t happen. She should just get him stoned, give him a big bag of Oreo''s and some milk then lock him in the t.v. room.
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine1 April 11, 2008 7:48 PM PDT
Posted by rebelscout at 07:40 PM : Apr 11, 2008


I seriously gave Hillary the benefit of the doubt, I think she is a strong woman that has worked most of her life to be President and might make a good one, although I think she is alittle on the socalist side, and if she had a "second chance" or a "do over" if you will of their 1st admin. and finish what she thinks didn''t get done or change some things that she has thought different of; like NAFTA.

But that is all over now.
Reply to this comment
by xlib April 11, 2008 7:52 PM PDT
Seems like some people are finally seeing what the clinton''s are about. It''s about money and power and it''s hard to tell which they want more of.
They are nasty, nasty people that need to go away. God, I hope they don''t ever have grandchildren. Those poor,poor kids.
Reply to this comment
by xlib April 11, 2008 7:54 PM PDT
neocon-your empty suit is an elitist so maybe that''s why he speaks to you.
What would obama know about small town America. He''s nothing but a pampered, pandered to elitist. AND-he dissed his white grandma.
Reply to this comment
by a121558 April 11, 2008 7:54 PM PDT
Let''s get real. Is there really bias towards Hillary? If she wouldn''t lie (or mis-speak)there wouldn''t be negative things to be saying about her. And when she is confronted about her statements or when Bill is confronted about the statements instead of just being truthful they lie again. Also FYI Hillary was a Republican until she married Bill. I personally think she still might be deep down in her heart. Because we all know we haven''t heard much truth from the party in office now.
Reply to this comment
by xlib April 11, 2008 7:56 PM PDT
We lived in a small town in Pennsylvania for 11 years, right on the border with Elmira,NY and let me tell you, that kind of talk would not have gone over well there.
Don''t see the story of the missus obama making an appearance and lo and behold-not enough white people sitting on the stage behind her.HMMMM-wonder if they made the black people leave. Too, too funny.
Reply to this comment
by rebelscout April 11, 2008 7:56 PM PDT
That''s the sad thing about it. She has worked hard to get where she is and is seeing it slip away. Not a big Hillary supporter but you gotta feel sorry for her. Sometime''s the least said is best. You would think as long as they both have been in politic''s that if you are going to tell a lie(and they all do) you would make sure NOT TO GET CAUGHT.
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine1 April 11, 2008 7:58 PM PDT
Bill needs smoke some crack but not inhale,

Posted by bgwinnett at 07:45 PM : Apr 11, 2008


No,......he needs to inhale very, very deeply and go pass out somewhere or work on his library or something; Hillary might have won this if not for him.


Reply to this comment
by xlib April 11, 2008 7:59 PM PDT
a121558-the madame was a Goldwater girl back in the day. When she entered college she got all wrapped up in some marxist author (can''t remember his name but he died a while back), then of course, there was bubba going to Oxford so he would not inhale and protest against his own country. Don''t they just make you feel all fuzzy and warm as a couple.
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine1 April 11, 2008 8:01 PM PDT
HMMMM-wonder if they made the black people leave. Too, too funny.

Posted by Xlib at 07:56 PM : Apr 11, 2008


That''s what I heard, "Some of you Black people are going to have to go to the back of the bus to make room for some of these White people."
Reply to this comment
by gretagreen April 11, 2008 8:04 PM PDT
I am a Democrat and strongly support the positions that both Hillary and Obama have taken on the issues. When their campaigns started, I really thought either of them would be great (and I liked a lot of the other Dem candidates also). But I can hardly stand Hillary any more. I see now that she is a liar, and she''s a stupid liar. So, either she''s not as smart as we thought she was or she has greatly underestimated the intelligence of the American people. Go OBAMA!!
Reply to this comment
by veteran72 April 11, 2008 8:09 PM PDT
I think Bill was intentionally trying to lose her support. After all, who knows better than he does, how bad she''d be for America''s future???
Go home Hillary, cry, bake some gorilla cookies,
(use your face as the mold), whatever,....just leave. We don''t need another 4 years of mindless, corrupt, Corporate Fascist Control of our Government.
Shrub has just about taken us over the cliff in every way. We don''t need your fatasss to jump up and down on the wreckage......
Reply to this comment
by bgwinnett April 11, 2008 8:11 PM PDT
"Hillary Tells Bill To Back Off On Bosnia"

Bill retorts by saying Back off from Condo"lezza" Rice.

Reply to this comment
by ajmarine1 April 11, 2008 8:13 PM PDT
HMMMM-wonder if they made the black people leave. Too, too funny.

Posted by Xlib at 07:56 PM : Apr 11, 2008




While the crowd was indeed diverse, some students at the event questioned the practices of Mrs. Obama%u2019s event coordinators, who handpicked the crowd sitting behind Mrs. Obama. The Tartan%u2019s correspondents observed one event coordinator say to another, %u201CGet me more white people, we need more white people.%u201D To an Asian girl sitting in the back row, one coordinator said, %u201CWe%u2019re moving you, sorry. It%u2019s going to look so pretty, though.%u201D

%u201CI didn%u2019t know they would say, %u2018We need a white person here,%u2019%u2009%u201D said attendee and senior psychology major Shayna Watson, who sat in the crowd behind Mrs. Obama. %u201CI understood they would want a show of diversity, but to pick up people and to reseat them, I didn%u2019t know it would be so outright.%u201D



http://www.thetartan.org/2008/4/7/news/obama

Reply to this comment
by SealTeam2 April 11, 2008 8:15 PM PDT
Time for a "reality check"! Hillary is a liar and Bill is about as unstatesmanlike as he was unpresidential. Lets learn from our previous mistakes, and not let this woman aspire to the highest office in the land. Haven''t we all had enough of Bush, Clinton, Bush and Clinton again? I think not.
Reply to this comment
by nisey012 April 11, 2008 8:23 PM PDT
Bill is very defensive for his wife, which is good. However, it makes you wonder if he is still on that guilt trip tip from the affair with that 21 year old Monica that he thinks he owe his wife such support. Then too Hillary and Bill may need the financial backing if she wins to support her, Chelsea, the upcoming grandchild that was mentioned in a blog. Hillary is just not preseidential material. She lies, lies, lies. Why? The one in Bosnia in front of millions of people and even people in Bosnia set there and witnessed her lying about ducking sniper''s fire when all Bosnia did was greeted her in love. Maybe she had a flashback of Bill whom she was ducking when he dealt with that young 21 year old, maybe she''s confused with the love/support issue from him. Flashbacks do occur.
Reply to this comment
by bgwinnett April 11, 2008 8:24 PM PDT
McCain 08.....yeah baby!

LOL

Posted by tiddsanbeer at 08:15 PM : Apr 11, 2008

Hopefully by this time next year McCain will be promoting stairlifts not the USA.
Reply to this comment
by cruiser111-2009 April 11, 2008 8:25 PM PDT
I predict a divorce following Hillarys loss! She will probably wait until Obama or Mclame is sworn in and settled.
Reply to this comment
by thisandthat1 April 11, 2008 8:29 PM PDT
Hey Bubba ..... FULMINATE This!
Reply to this comment
by nisey012 April 11, 2008 8:32 PM PDT
As I read the article in it''s entirity, it actually made me want to phew. Bill is a lying misfit and needs to bow out of helping Hillary in this election. He is really making her look worst than she is making her own self look. True, it takes two to tango, but they bothe needs to go. Why have we constantly been subject to listen to lies, lies and more lies from the both of them. Their profile speaks for itself. Bill was okay when he apologized to that youngster, and never should have put in face in the white house ever again. He don''t need to be in there, because he had his chance and showed his love for his inhibitions and forgot the love for the American people.
Reply to this comment
by truth-hurts April 11, 2008 8:41 PM PDT
You''re all Black people who are voting for Obama only because he''s Black. That''s why your auguments aren''t any good. Its why you resort to name calling. It''s why you keep saying the same things over and over again. And don''t tell me you''re White because you''re all a bunch of dam liars too.
Reply to this comment
by misspp-2009 April 11, 2008 8:42 PM PDT
Bill and Hillary deserve each other - big egos. I shudder to think what it would be like with her as president and him trying to be president. What a mess that would be.
Reply to this comment
by lordmi April 11, 2008 8:42 PM PDT
She lies because of nature.
And did so her entire life.
Do You still want those 2 9or maybe 3) Clintons Monsters to mess around our World?
Hillary, get Lost.
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine1 April 11, 2008 8:44 PM PDT
And don''''t tell me you''''re White because you''''re all a bunch of dam liars too.

Posted by truth-hurts at 08:41 PM : Apr 11, 2008


I''m part Cherokee, what does that make me?
Reply to this comment
by cruiser111-2009 April 11, 2008 8:45 PM PDT
Bill has done such a wonderful job helping Mcain vette hillary. By the time of the Dem Convention there won''t be any hidden garbage to dump on her. Hmm I suppose it won''t matter because she won''t be getting the nomination anyway. Maybe she will be the vendictifve witch that she has proven to be and damage Obama beyond repair. Oh wait that would mean Mclame would be president! OMG! God help us all!
Reply to this comment
by veteran72 April 11, 2008 8:46 PM PDT
McOldguy''s future lies in Depends Commercials, not the Oval Office. Sorry, dimbulbs....
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine1 April 11, 2008 8:47 PM PDT
Bill and Hillary deserve each other - big egos. I shudder to think what it would be like with her as president and him trying to be president. What a mess that would be.

Posted by Misspp at 08:42 PM : Apr 11, 2008


I can see Bill crawling over Hillary to answer that "call at 3:00 A.M."
Reply to this comment
by kstar42 April 11, 2008 8:50 PM PDT
oh come on hillary isn''t a liar...anymore then barack.......he''s just a little worse.....and maybe hiding his true idenity...
Reply to this comment
by cruiser111-2009 April 11, 2008 8:51 PM PDT
Hillary needs to have a huge crying fit so she can regain the female vote. Maybe she should call Bill a few choice names and vow to divorce him! She could turn the white house into a womens shelter! LOL i suspect the rats will soon be abandoning Hillarys ship as they see the water rising!
Reply to this comment
by rebelscout April 11, 2008 8:55 PM PDT
There all liar''s, their POLITICIONS!By the way, I am Scotch and Osage
Reply to this comment
by veteran72 April 11, 2008 9:03 PM PDT
truth-hurts = Grand Wizard
Reply to this comment
by erasmus6 April 11, 2008 9:03 PM PDT
"Bill Muddies Hillary''s Blunder"

Yeah, typical male, eh? Has to spill his guts and make you look like an idiot. I say she should divorce him after this is over!:):):)
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine1 April 11, 2008 9:05 PM PDT
Posted by erasmus6 at 09:03 PM : Apr 11, 2008


Why wait?
Reply to this comment
by kstar42 April 11, 2008 9:07 PM PDT
Posted by cruiser111 at 08:51 PM : Apr 11, 2008

cruiser111 your not sexist are you?
Reply to this comment
by neobrian-2009 April 11, 2008 9:07 PM PDT
Clinton is still " The Man "
I had the privilege of listening to Bill in person last night. He was Awesome !If You get the chance,Don`t Miss it !
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