Clinton says she risked her life as first lady
As the old year faded away today and the hours until the crucial Thursday Iowa caucus dwindled, a cautious Hillary Clinton was taking no chances with unplanned questions. She's reverted to her "Don't ask" policy of recent days when she refused to take questions, especially when they concerned one of her supporters, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, dissing the Iowa caucus process.
But she was more than happy to talk about risking her life on first lady missions during her husband's presidency.
The Ohio governor has been traveling around Iowa in recent days positively brimming with such good cheer you wonder why he doesn't just move to the Hawkeye state. “It is wonderful to be in the great state of Iowa," he says to crowds including The Times' Seema Mehta.
"I think Ohio and Iowa have much in common. We have wonderful people, salt of the earth folk who know how to work hard, who are patriotic, who care for their family and their community, support their churches, contribute to charity. I am so pleased and proud to be here as the governor of the state of Ohio.” And then he introduces his favorite senator from New York, Clinton.
Unfortunately from a public relations point of view, Strickland said something else....
to reporters from his hometown Columbus Dispatch over the weekend. He said what many non-Iowans believe and say when they're not in Iowa, that Iowa is not a representative state to play such a crucial opening voting role in the presidential selection process. And he said the caucus system, which really only involves a small fraction of Iowa's three million citizens, is not a fair way to gauge public opinion on something as important as potential presidential nominees.
A Clinton spokesman says his boss is proud of the support of the governor of Ohio, a much more crucial battleground state than Iowa come the general election, but disagrees with him on Iowa's import right now.
Clinton clearly does not want to risk any missteps with reporters in the close campaign's closing hours. At two southeastern Iowa events today in Fort Madison and Keokuk, The Times' Peter Nicholas asked her about the Strickland comments as she worked the rope line, shaking hands. She remained silent and looked right through him and anyone else seeking answers.
In her public remarks to crowds, Clinton seems to be hedging a bit on troop withdrawals from Iraq. Today, in a Muscatine school gym, Nicholas taped her saying, "I just want to be real clear here, it is not easy or safe to withdraw troops. You've got to plan for this.''
She added, "We're not only talking about bringing our troops home. We have to bring our equipment home. We can't leave that there. We have to figure out what we're going to do with all our civilians. We have people in private companies there ... And we have got to figure out what to do with the Iraqis who sided with us.''
Clinton's aides say there's no change in her position. She reiterated today that she aims to withdraw one to two brigades a month. But in stressing withdrawal obstacles, Clinton may be trying to dampen expectations that if she's elected, the troops will be home right away.
Although Clinton and her husband have adamantly refused to release her first lady papers from the Clinton presidential library for public inspection, she has also taken to describing some select events from those years, which she cites as sufficient experience to become president.
Saturday night in Dubuque, according to Newsday's Glenn Thrush, Clinton responded to suggestions by the Barack Obama camp that her time as first lady was more of a tea party than presidential training. She said she actually risked her life on several White House missions during the 1990s and described one frightening flight into Bosnia that ended with her running across the tarmac to dodge sniper bullets.
"I don't remember anyone offering me tea," she said.
-- Andrew Malcolm
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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Here's another article that shines a pretty silly light on that harrowing flight Hillary spoke of.
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-usside315521015dec31,0,5515440.story
Pretty funny!
(This is the same article linked in the item.)
Posted by: jds | December 31, 2007 at 06:34 PM
"I just want to be real clear here, it is not easy or safe to withdraw troops. You've got to plan for this.''
Well.., it looks like she is not quite ready to lead on day ONE.
Posted by: Zakk | December 31, 2007 at 06:59 PM
"described one frightening flight into Bosnia that ended with her running across the tarmac to dodge sniper bullets."
Churchill would have sauntered.
Hypocrite Hillary doesn't have what it takes to be a great leader.
Posted by: Joseph | December 31, 2007 at 07:02 PM
Hillary Clinton now claims she is heroic, and risked her life for her country. That sounds like extreme hype, even for a political campaign..
Posted by: Sheldon | December 31, 2007 at 07:36 PM
Obama, you are gettin' desperate. Edwards...too little, too late. Keep workin hard Hill baby, you are one tough cookie, and you will soon be in the White House!
Clinton/Bayh 2008 !!
Posted by: Michael | December 31, 2007 at 07:50 PM
Why shold Hillary pull out from Iraq while he supported going in? This is her true position that NO IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWER because she is part of the underground movement that is for the war in Iraq and Iran. If she becomes Dems candidate, she will change most of her positions. She will be for stay over in Iraq, bombing of Iran and am sure she will even reverse her positon on Universal Health care to soften the republican. Definitely HILLARY CLINTON IS NOT MY CANDIDATE.
Posted by: baba | January 01, 2008 at 07:17 AM
I can just imagine Hillary running across the tarmac to dodge sniper bullets..Of course she took the SEAL training before becoming first lady. We can now call her Hillary Rambo Clinton. If you believe this story then you are holy!
Posted by: coatesmoe | January 01, 2008 at 08:26 AM
Hillary was, in fact, leading a goodwill entourage that included baggy-pants funnyman Sinbad, singer Sheryl Crow and Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, then 15, This was listed as a A-Team to get Hillary combat pay. The Snipers got scared and hit the road.
Posted by: coatesmoe | January 01, 2008 at 08:32 AM
Just to make everything clear. She visited Bosnia in 1997, that is 2 years after the war was over. Hence here were no snipers to hide from. She might have been afraid for her life but she was no hero.
Posted by: local | January 03, 2008 at 06:35 AM
MITT ROMNEY
Posted by: drowe | January 29, 2008 at 11:40 AM