How many lies does it take before a presidential candidate is no longer viable for the presidency?
1?
2?
12??????
1. Hillary Lied about her being against the Columbia Trade Deal:
Clinton Aide Met on Trade Deal:
Hillary Clinton's chief campaign strategist met with Colombia's ambassador to the U.S. on Monday to discuss a bilateral free-trade agreement, a pact the presidential candidate opposes.
Clinton's top aide pushing trade deal she claims to oppose:
This is a pretty remarkable act of hypocrisy: during the past month, Hillary Clinton has repeatedly and falsely attacked Barack Obama on NAFTA, claiming that his top economic adviser told the Canadian government to ignore Obama's anti-NAFTA rhetoric. Now her chief strategist is working with the Colombian government to enact a trade deal she claims to oppose?
It's unbelievable -- literally.
More below the fold....
Hillary Clinton Played The Victim Card:
Ironically, last month, Hillary Clinton played the victim card when she alleged an Obama adviser had done the same thing Penn did.
Peering at the 50 or so reporters packed into a small hotel conference room here, she added: "I would ask you to look at this story and substitute my name for Sen. Obama’s name and see what you would do with this story ... Just ask yourself [what you would do] if some of my advisers had been having private meetings with foreign governments."
Clinton hasn't fired Mark Penn, but Colombia did:
The fallout continues from the meeting Mark Penn had with his client, the Colombian government, to discuss a trade pact that his client, Hillary Clinton, opposes. Although, now, the controversy surrounds the meeting Mark Penn had with his former client, the Colombian government, to discuss a trade pact that his client, Hillary Clinton, opposes.
While Hillary Clinton can't seem to quit Mark Penn, Colombia fired his ass today:
Mr. Mark Penn, President and CEO of Burson Marsteller, reponded to claims by Union representatives who questioned his relationship with the Colombian Government by declaring that it was an "error in judgment" to meet with his client the Colombian Ambassador on March 31. The Colombian government considers this a lack of respect to Colombians, and finds this response unacceptable.
UPDATE: Mark Penn is still working for Hillary Clinton. The "firing" is s smokescreen...a shell game. Nothing more.
2. Hillary Lied about a Heath Care Horror Story On The Campaign Trail:
UPDATE: I looks like the story might be true after all. Jake Tapper has the story.
Meteor Blades point me to the video while saying, "The hospital that objected to the story is NOT the hospital that this deputy sheriff is referring to, that is, the first hospital that he says did turn her away."
In fairness, I'll post the video since it seems this wasn't a lie.
Ohio Hospital Contests a Story Clinton Tells:
Over the last five weeks, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has featured in her campaign stump speeches the story of a health care horror: an uninsured pregnant woman who lost her baby and died herself after being denied care by an Ohio hospital because she could not come up with a $100 fee.
"We reviewed the medical and patient account records of this patient," said Mr. Castrop, the health system’s chief executive. Any implication that the system was "involved in denying care is definitely not true."
"We implore the Clinton campaign to immediately desist from repeating this story," said Rick Castrop, chief executive officer of the O’Bleness Health System.
Clinton told make-believe health care horror story yesterday despite knowing it was false:
Update (12:16pm): New video from yesterday -- April 4, 2008 -- in which Hillary Clinton tells her newest tale, a largely fabricated story designed to illustrate the horrors of our health care system. Remember that the woman in question received treatment from the hospital and did have health insurance. The level of detail with which Clinton tells this yarn is breathtaking.
Update 2: I looked at the timeline of when this speech was made 9PM Eastern -- and when the NYT article was published -- midnight Eastern. Since the Clinton camp accepted that the story wasn't true in NYT article, it raises the question of whether the Clinton campaign knew the story was false before Hillary told it again. I've written a separate post with more detail here.
FLASHBACK: Clinton's Heartless Attack on Edwards:
In January, John Edwards held a town hall in New Hampshire with the family of Nataline Sarkisyan, who had just died because an insurance company refused to authorize treatment for her leukemia.
Amazingly, the Clinton campaign attacked Edwards for hosting the town hall, accusing him of exploiting a tragedy for political gain:
KEENE, N.H. – John Edwards angrily took on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton at two news conferences in a row on Sunday, saying that her campaign "doesn’t seem to have a conscience."
Mr. Edwards was responding to a comment from Jay Carson, Mrs. Clinton’s spokesman, who suggested that "the references in Senator Clinton’s speeches are about people she has actually helped and changes she has actually made, not stories she’s pulled from the newspaper and included in her stump," Mr. Carson wrote in an E-mail message.
3. Hillary Lied When She Claimed She Criticized Iraq War Before before Barack Obama:
Clinton Falsely Claims She Criticized Iraq War Before Obama:
Clinton on Saturday told Oregonians, "when Sen. Obama came to the Senate he and I have voted exactly the same except for one vote. And that happens to be the facts. We both voted against early deadlines. I actually starting criticizing the war in Iraq before he did."
It's an odd way to measure opposition to the war -- comparing who gave the first criticism of the war in Iraq starting in January 2005, ignoring Obama's opposition to the war throughout 2003 and 2004. (And Clinton's vote for it.)
But even if one were to employ this "Start Counting in January 2005" measurement, Clinton did not criticize the war in Iraq first.
[snip]
The misrepresentation of the record is symbolic of the re-writing of history Clinton has attempted on her record regarding the war in Iraq.
4. Hillary Lied When She Denied Saying "Obama can’t win.":
Sen. Clinton denies saying Obama can't win:
"You know," Clinton responds, "we have been going back and forth in this campaign about who said what to whom, and...I don't talk about private conversations, but I have consistently made the case that I can win, because I believe I can win.
"And, you know, sometimes people draw the conclusion [that] I'm saying somebody else can't win. I can win. I know I can win. That's why I do this every day, and that's what my campaign is about: I'm in it to win it, and I intend to do just that.
"That's a 'no.'"
Really, Senator Clinton? Are you sure about that?:
Clinton: 'Obama Can't Win':
"Obama can’t win." That’s the cover of the New York Post, as said by... Hillary Clinton to Bill Richardson. "While lobbying for his endorsement, Hillary Rodham Clinton flatly told New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that Barack Obama could not win the presidency if he got the Democratic nomination. ‘He cannot win, Bill. He cannot win,’ she said, according to a report by ABC News."
Obama cannot win, Hillary Clinton allegedly told Bill Richardson:
ABC News chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos reports that Sen. Clinton insisted to Richardson, "[Obama] cannot win, Bill. He cannot win."
Stephanopoulos, himself a former Clinton administration official, said the details of the call were confirmed with "sources who have direct knowledge of the conversation," during which, he says, the New York senator "made the most stark argument you can make."
5. Hillary Lied About Her Role In The Irish Peace Accord:
Nobel winner: Hillary Clinton's 'silly' Irish peace claims:
Hillary Clinton had no direct role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland and is a "wee bit silly" for exaggerating the part she played, according to Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former First Minister of the province.
Clinton's experience claim under scrutiny:
But her involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process was primarily to encourage activism among women's groups there, a contribution that the lead U.S. negotiator described as "helpful" but that an Irish historian who has written extensively about the conflict dismissed as "ancillary" to the peace process.
Hillary's Adventures Abroad:
Clinton's activities "helped bring peace to Northern Ireland." Irish officials are divided as to how helpful Clinton's actions were, and key players agree that she was not directly involved in any actual negotiations.
Conflicting Takes, Here and Abroad, on Clinton’s Role in Northern Ireland Accord:
It is "a wee bit silly" for Mrs. Clinton to claim an important role, said Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, who won a share of the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in achieving peace in Northern Ireland. Lord Trimble, originally known as David Trimble, was the leader of the Protestant-dominated Ulster Unionist Party, which opposed the Clinton administration’s decision to give Mr. Adams an American visa and was initially skeptical of United States involvement in the peace talks.
"I don’t want to rain on the thing for her," he said in an interview this month with The London Daily Telegraph. "But being a cheerleader for something is slightly different from being a principal player."
6. Hillary Lied About Being Instrumental In Macedonia Opening Up Its Border To Refugees From Kosovo:
Hillary's Adventures Abroad:
Clinton claims to have "negotiated open borders" in Macedonia to fleeing Kosovar refugees. But the Macedonian border opened a full day before she arrived, and her meetings with Macedonian officials were too brief to allow for much serious negotiating.
Clinton's experience claim under scrutiny:
The Macedonian government opened its border to refugees the day before Clinton arrived to meet with government leaders. And her mission to Bosnia was a one-day visit in which she was accompanied by performers Sheryl Crow and Sinbad, as well as her daughter, Chelsea, according to the commanding general who hosted her.
7. Hillary Lied About Nonexistent Trips To Africa With Amb. Joe, Wilson:
Hillary Recalls Africa Trip With Amb. Wilson That Didn't Happen:
Today Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, at an event with former Ambassador Joe Wilson, said, "I'm delighted to be here with Ambassador Wilson. He and I did travel together to Africa and, sort of, paved the way for the president's trip the following year, which was historic."
That Africa trip was in March 1997.
Wilson didn't start as Senior Director for African Affairs at the NSC until later that year.
8. Hillary Lied About China "Briefings":
Hillary lied about State Dept. briefing on China:
ABCNews.com:
In her book, "Living History," Clinton wrote eloquently about a key speech she made in Beijing, China, the paper notes -- "an effort to show she is willing to get tough on China," the paper described it. Prior to the speech, Clinton recounted in her book, she took a briefing from State Department officials and was even given "intelligence information." But her schedules for the period don't show any such briefings, the Journal says.
WSJ.com:
Sen. Clinton has made much of a September 1995 speech she delivered in Beijing, in an effort to show she is willing to get tough on China. She said in her book "Living History" that she was briefed by the State Department and the Secret Service in advance of that speech, and was even fed "intelligence information" during those discussions. The schedules don't reflect such briefings, however.
9. Hillary Lied About Her Overall Foreign Policy Experience:
Obama Campaign Claims Clinton Has 'Character Gap':
Greg Craig, a former White House attorney under President Clinton who serves as a senior adviser to the Obama campaign, added that Clinton's newly released schedules from her days as first lady did not support her claims of foreign policy experience.
"Her access was very limited and her trips abroad were largely ceremonial," Craig said. "She says she is ready to be commander in chief based on claims that are not supported by reality."
Plouffe said Clinton is "consistently engaged in political calculation to mislead voters" and laid out a case that Clinton is a liar (though he never used the L word so forbidden in politics.)
10. Hillary Lied Big Time About NAFTA:
Papers Expose Lies of Clinton, Emanuel & Gergen On NAFTA:
Clinton's record of speeches over the last decade, of course, tells a much different story. In 1996, she toured Texas to promote NAFTA. In 1998, she visited Davos, Switzerland to thank corporations for mounting "a very effective business effort in the U.S. on behalf of NAFTA." In her memoir a few years ago, she touted NAFTA as one of her husband's big successes. And in 2004, she told reporters that "NAFTA has been good for New York and America."
First lady records show Clinton promoted NAFTA:
The former first lady's records showed first lady Clinton worked on behalf of the accord.
[snip]
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton now argues that the North American Free Trade Agreement needs to be renegotiated, but newly released records showed on Wednesday she promoted its passage...Among the thousands of details of daily life for Clinton, there was a November 10, 1993, entry -- a 'NAFTA Briefing drop-by,' in Room 450 of the executive office building next door to the White House, closed to the news media. Approximately 120 people were expected to attend the briefing, and Clinton was to be introduced by White House aide Alexis Herman for brief remarks concluding the program.
The Clinton Campaign Misrepresents Clinton NAFTA Meeting:
Julia K. Hughes, senior vice president of the same organization is likewise incredulous of the Clinton campaign's claims.
"This is such a non issue to us, because obviously it was a pro-NAFTA group and a pro-NAFTA event," says Hughes. "It was a 100 percent pro-NAFTA event. No one suggested any inklings of doubt since part of the agenda was to promote enthusiasm for passage of NAFTA."
Did that include then-First Lady Clinton?
"Absolutely. She was the highlight of the event. She was absolutely the capper to the event. It was a positive rally. I assure you if there had even been a hint of waffling from her -- because we were in the last days before NAFTA passed and it was a pretty hectic time -- we would have freaked out."
Hillary Clinton's NAFTA Sincerity Problem:
If "Hillary Clinton was personally opposed to NAFTA" at the time, as her campaign now claims, why was she telling the American people that it was good for the economy?
Why did one attendee of that November 1993 meeting -- unaffiliated with any campaign -- recall the meeting to me by saying Clinton's "remarks were totally pro-NAFTA and what a good thing it would be for the economy. There was no equivocation for her support for NAFTA at the time. Folks were pleased that she came by. If this is a still a question about what Hillary's position when she was First Lady, she was totally supportive of NAFTA."
11. Hillary Told A ‘Whopper’ Of A Lie About Sniper Fire In Bosnia:
Hillary's Balkan Adventures, Part II: It’s a "whopper." "Four Pinocchios!" says the Washington Post.:
Had Hillary Clinton's plane come "under sniper fire" in March 1996, we would certainly have heard about it long before now. Numerous reporters, including the Washington Post's John Pomfret, covered her trip. A review of nearly 100 news accounts of her visit shows that not a single newspaper or television station reported any security threat to the First Lady. "As a former AP wire service hack, I can safely say that it would have been in my lead had anything like that happened," said Pomfret.
[snip]
Far from running to an airport building with their heads down, Clinton and her party were greeted on the tarmac by smiling U.S. and Bosnian officials. An eight-year-old Moslem girl, Emina Bicakcic, read a poem in English. An Associated Press photograph of the greeting ceremony, above, shows a smiling Clinton bending down to receive a kiss.
Also from WaPo:
Clinton's tale of landing at Tuzla airport "under sniper fire" and then running for cover is simply not credible. Photographs and video of the arrival ceremony, combined with contemporaneous news reports, tell a very different story. Four Pinocchios.
Hillary's Adventures Abroad:
Clinton has repeatedly referenced her "dangerous" trip to Bosnia. She fails to mention, however, that the Bosnian war had officially ended three months before her visit – or that she made the trip with her 16-year-old daughter and two entertainers.
How Will Hillary's Bosnia "Whopper" Play in the Media?:
If you're Hillary Clinton and you've just been caught in a "whopper," the only thing to be grateful for is that it's Good Friday and people are distracted. How bad could this story be for her? When you tell the American public you faced gunfire, and it turns out all you really faced was a little girl with flowers -- well, that's as bad as it gets. When you dramatically say you made a journey that was too dangerous for the president, only to have it revealed that he made the same trip two months earlier -- and that your teenaged daughter was by your side -- that only makes it worse.
Hillary's Campaign-ending Lie:
There is really little left to say. For all of Clinton's arguments about Obama's lack of experience, this lie shows her supposed foreign policy advantage for what it is: The misty water-colored memories of an egotist.
This will be the punch-line of every statement made about her campaign from here on out. "Sniper fire" will be what the invention of the internet was to Al Gore, except, in this case, Clinton actually said the words which will be used to demonstrate her falsity.
Insulted Military Blasts Hillary's Serial 'Sniper' Lies:
"If getting shot at by sniper fire qualifies you to be president, then there are thousands of guys in the military right now who are way more qualified than Hillary Clinton to be our next president."
Now Hillary Clinton jokes about sniper fire with Jay Leno:
BURBANK, Calif. - Hillary Rodham Clinton made fun of herself Thursday, telling "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno she almost didn't make it to his studio.
"It is so great to be here, I was so worried I wasn't going to make it. I was pinned down by sniper fire," Clinton said after joining him onstage, referring to her claims — since disputed — that she dodged sniper bullets while arriving in Bosnia as first lady. Clinton later said she had "misspoke."
As she entered, Leno's band played the "Rocky" theme, jumping off her statement this week that she is the underdog in the Democratic nominating contest against Barack Obama, just like the fictitious boxer was against his opponent in the Oscar-winning movie.
Memo to Clinton Camp: Rocky Lost
12. Hillary Lied About Always Wanting Michigan & Florida To Count (h/t JLFinch):
Hillary Clinton Flip Flops for Florida and Michigan votes:
"I personally did not think it made any difference whether my name was on the ballot. You know, it's clear this election they are having is not going to count for anything."
It's no wonder the public doesn't trust Hillary Clinton:
According to the latest Gallup poll, Hillary Clinton has a veracity problem.
Hillary Clinton is rated as "honest and trustworthy" by 44% of Americans, far fewer than say this about John McCain (67%) and Barack Obama (63%).
More specifically, when respondents were asked about the candidates’ honesty and trustworthiness, McCain did very well (67%-27% in his favor), Obama did nearly as well (63%-29% in his favor), while Clinton fared poorly (44%-53% against her).
Worse, Gallup offers some sense of trend-lines, which show the numbers going in the wrong direction. Way back in 1994, the then-First Lady was perceived as generally honest and trustworthy (56%-36% in her favor). In 2005, then-Sen. Clinton fared about as well (53%-43% in her favor). Now, a majority side against her on the issue, leading Gallup to point to a so-called "honesty gap."
The NY Post sums up the state of the race at this point best:
The good news is... at least Hillary Clinton has someone out there defending her (h/t Taylor Marsh):
"Leave. Hillary. Alone!"
Pinocchio
(The "h/t Taylor Marsh" was snark, in case someone didn't get that.)
Crossposted at thejoshuablog.