Clinton Campaign Reduced to Debating With Sinbad!

Among the experiences Hillary Clinton has used to bolster her “ready on day one” foreign policy credentials is a 1996 trip to Bosnia, where she accompanied daughter Chelsea, singer Sheryl Crow, and comedian Sinbad for a one day visit to entertain the troops. Apparently, Sinbad, an Obama supporter, doesn’t agree with her characterization of the dangers involved in that trip.

In an interview with the Sleuth Monday, he said the "scariest" part of the trip was wondering where he'd eat next. "I think the only 'red-phone' moment was: 'Do we eat here or at the next place.'"

(snip)

In her Iowa stump speech, Clinton also said, "We used to say in the White House that if a place is too dangerous, too small or too poor, send the First Lady."

Say what? As Sinbad put it: "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"

Ouch!

Demonstrating the sense lack of humor that has made her the rage death of Saturday Night Live, the Clinton campaign lashed back with a blizzard of talking points that appeared to put Sinbad on the McCain/Clinton side of the commander in chief threshold.

Defending Clinton's characterization of her Bosnia mission, campaign spokesman Phil Singer kindly provided experts from news stories written about the trip at the time, including a Washington Post story from May 26, 1996, that said, "This trip to Bosnia marks the first time since Roosevelt that a first lady has voyaged to a potential combat zone."

Still, defending Clinton against Sinbad the refuter, Singer said, "The sad reality of what was going on in Bosnia at the time Senator Clinton traveled there as first lady has been well documented. It appears that Sinbad's experience in Bosnia goes back further than Senator Obama's does. In fact, has Senator Obama ever been to Bosnia?"

Perhaps, if Obama turns down the VP slot, based on advice from Geraldine Ferraro about who is lucky enough to be on the short list, Hillary might consider offering the job to Sinbad!

On a personal note, I should add that, although I’ve never been to Bosnia, my first trip to Croatia in 1997 included travel in an area that had been a war zone about a year earlier, and still had warning signs regarding potential land mines in remote areas. According to the Hillary Clinton school of presidential resume writing, I’ve probably got at least one foot across the commander in chief threshold!