Why Did It Take Sinbad to Expose Hillary Clinton's Bosnia "Misstatement"?

As I've been watching coverage of Hillary Clinton's attempt to explain why she characterized a visit to Bosnia years ago as much more dangerous than it actually was, I've been struck by network reporters' attempts to insert themselves into the story.

Both CBS's Sharyl Attkisson and NBC's Andrea Mitchell have pointed out during their reports that they were actually with Clinton on that Bosnia trip and recalled no sniper fire, rushing crowds or exagerrated danger. Since headlines have been filled with the news, other journalists who took that trip 12 years ago -- including former MTV News reporter Tabitha Soren -- have weighed in.

So why did it take comic Sinbad to blow the lid on the whole deal?

The idea that Clinton may have been fudging the truth about her Bosnia story first came from a March 11 interview Sinbad gave to The Sleuth, a behind-the-scenes Washington blog produced by WashingtonPost.com writer Mary Ann Akers. The former Jingle All the Way co-star, last in the news denying widespread rumors he was dead (just the career folks, rimshot!) accompanied Clinton on the 1996 trip with singer Sheryl Crow and said it wasn't so dangerous.

His best line: "What kind of president would say, 'Hey, man, I can't go 'cause I might get shot so I'm going to send my wife...oh, and take a guitar player and a comedian with you.'"

Unfortunately, Sinbad also declared himself an Obama supporter during the interview, which probably   cost him credibility. And Akers basically presented the story as a he said, she said, with a Clinton spokesman providing quotes from stories published at the time noting the danger. Journalists acknowledge Clinton has told the Bosnia story at least since December on the stump; relating it so many times, reporters who regularly cover her had begun to joke about how often she'd drag out this old chestnut.

The Post ran a snarky blog item on Clinton's use of the story Dec. 29 and the conservative media watchdog site Newsbusters noted March 18 that no reporter covering the Bosnia trip in 1996 mentioned sniper fire.

But the truth of the Bosnia visit didn't resonate in the mainstream press until Attkisson's story this week (what's funny, is that Attkisson's original report plays up the danger of the visit a lot more than her latest story).

But shouldn't Mitchell and Attkisson, who have filed more than a few election stories this year, have remembered the truth before now?

Comments

[Eric Deggans]

Attkisson is an investigative reporter based in washington, so she might have a bit of an excuse. but andrea mitchell has been helping NBC News cover the campaigns at least since January, and should be well aware of the speeches Hillary is dleivery on the stump.

As I said, the Washington Post made fun of this Bosnia anecdote back in December. So those who are covering the campaigns should be aware she's been telling the story for a while.

The question Attkisson must answer is why her initial report talked so much about the danger of the first lady's visit, if she had so much unused footage of Hillary doing the traditional meet-and-greet stuff on the ground. The old report makes it look like a dangerous trip, the latest one makes it seem as if the danger was overstated...

[TObvious]

Are you thinking that reporters are everywhere every minute covering every story, knowing every comment in every stump speech of every candidate? Atkisson doesn't cover Clinton, and probably had no idea that HRC had made the comment until she or some producer saw something on the wires pointing out the misstatement.

Only someone who believes in a great media conspiracy against all things liberal/conservative/whatever would think otherwise...

[Gilbert R. Ford]

Wow! Apparently, either Sen. Clinton forgot the cameras were rolling during her visit or she felt as though the media would be intimidated, like Dan Rather, refused to be when he reported the phantom service of our Commander in Chief. In any event, a lie isn't a lie until it is proven. Oh, I forgot to say it HAS been proven! Now, back to Sen. Clinton's ad-commercial, "who do you want to answer the 'Red Phone' at 3 in the morning at the White House, for a crisis in the world?" Someone who has been caught lying or a seasoned United States Veteran, ala... Senator John McCain? As for Obama, he does not fit the bill either! Another smoooooooooth talker, that can get you caught up if you are not on your toes.

[Oscar]

The thing that I took from this was that Andrea Mitchell and the others knew she was not telling the truth and refused to say anything. They were too afraid to become "part of the story" and then be subject become subject to the same scrutiny that others are.

When the media are dependent on the candidates for their livelyhood, they are too hesitant voice an opinion. Look at what happened to Dan Rather. To be a successful politician, 90% of the battle is sucking up to the media. This is probably why Bush gets away without being asked tough questions after coockouts at his ranch and and McCain feeds them all BBQ in Arizona.

[Sam Thornton]

Q: What does the aircraft commander who flies the First Lady and her daughter into a hot fire zone say?

A: Supersize that for you, sir?

That should have been the tipoff in the first instance. Guess reporters are only human. Can't see even the most obvious fact when it's staring them in the face. Only notice it when it bites them on the butt.

I saw a report on the news in which someone said hillary has won 3 out of the last 4 contests. Wrong.

Hillary won 3 of the last 6, and actually only 2 bc Obama got more delegates out of Texas. And Obama got more delegates out of these 6 contests than Hillary did.

But the media has to keep it going.

I remeber another fabricated story Hillary gave regarding Chelsea being in danger during 911. When a reporter asked Chelsea about it, she gave a completely different story.

Why don't you look into that one? Maybe you'll get a Pullitzer.

[paul mauser]

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone but a partisan democrat that the media "failed" to report on yet another Hillary lie. Here in NY, we were told about how Gov Spitzer was a stand-up guy. Most of the stuff coming out about him now was well-known before he was elected. Well-known, but covered up. Media is biased. That be the truth.

[JM]

The story just proves what liars the Clintons really are.They will say and do anything to get what they want.You know lye,cheat,steal.Look at Slick Willy he lied under oath "I did not have sexual relations with that woman".It just runs in the family.I suggest before election time that people read the book The Final Days by Barbara Olson.It will tell you what the Clintons did just before leaving the White House.As far as i'm concerned they should both be doing time in prison.

[JH Skyscrapercity]

Sorry, but what a dumb premise for an article...

It's abundantly clear why it took an ethical individual to step up and tell us the truth that the media is dead set against discussing...

The corporate media establishment knows that Clinton appearing to appear viable in the race makes them much more ad money and ratings than if the Dem race was already settled, which is why the media marrative is about how this race is really close and is coming down to the wire, and blah, blah, blah. It's a fabrication.

And for disclosure purposes, I'm a registered IND, and do not support any party or politician.

[kc]

Definition of irony: Anti-media conservative advocacy site founded 'to provide immediate exposure of liberal media bias...' relies on NEWS ACCOUNTS to poke fun at Hillary.

[Slaughter]

What person, let alone reporter, could forget when a first lady was shot at? I remember when Nixon was attacked in South America in the '50s, and that was only from seeing it on newsreels yearws later. So anyone hearing Clinton's story should have had alarms going off. Unfortunately, today's reporters report only what one side says about the other. They feel that fact-checking is partisan, so they don't do it. And that's from someone who has been in the news business since 1975.

[Roxanne]

Good point, Kelvin. Her claims should have touched off bells, whistles, red flags, etc.

[Kelvin Childs]

If a First Lady -- any First Lady -- had gone anywhere and been shot at, wouldn't that have been a major news story at the time? And wouldn't it be one we would forever after know about, such as the failed attempts to shoot President Ford?

A fair and balanced world is a world where all truth is subjective. We used to look to journalists to tell the truth (big T and little t) and to be authorities on the subject. For example, why give equal time to creationism? Why not broadcast any real footage from the front lines of Iraq? It is tragedy when a reporter feels they can't report something they saw or heard with their own eyes or ears. A sorry time.