Will Clinton-Obama rift divide Dems?

Remember when Democratic devotees were giddy at the prospect of a Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama ‘dream ticket’? Me too.

Remember when the two protagonists genuinely liked each other? Me neither.

What once seemed like a Democratic dream now looks more like a Democratic nightmare in the making. As Democratic strategist and super delegate Donna Brazile has aptly asserted, ‘It ain’t a match made in heaven anymore.’

There is great irony in this growing rift between Clinton and Obama. After all, they differ only in degree on the major issues confronting our country. From the war in Iraq, to the economy, to healthcare and beyond, they are more like ‘two peas in a pod’ than angry adversaries.

Instead, Clinton and Obama have recently resorted to attacks and counterattacks on each other’s credentials, credibility and character. Raising the rancor may make good sound bites, but it could threaten Democratic unity when it is needed most.

Clinton’s credibility and character came into question again recently, with her ‘tall tales from Tuzla.’ As she told it, her visit as First Lady to Bosnia in 1996 was fraught with danger. ‘I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the [Tuzla] airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base.’ Unfortunately for her, the video account of her visit clearly contradicted her oft-repeated fantasy version of the truth.

Confronted with the video evidence of a serene, sniper-free ceremony, Clinton’s disingenuous defense was she ‘misspoke.’ As a Vietnam veteran, I know first-hand that being ‘under sniper fire’ is a significant emotional experience, not likely to be confused with the relatively tranquil Tuzla airbase during Clinton’s brief visit.

What Clinton and her apologists call ‘misspeaking’ about her trip to Bosnia looks like lying about it to me. If this were an isolated case of Clinton stretching the truth, it might be a tempest in a teapot.

However, as former Clinton insider Dick Morris warned in his column last week, ‘It is time to remind ourselves of another, even more galling fantasy that Hillary tried to sell the voters.’

According to Morris, Sen. Clinton ‘spun an elaborate yarn’ about Chelsea’s whereabouts on 9/1l. In a ‘Today’ show interview, ‘she said that Chelsea was jogging around the World Trade Center on 9/11 and happened to duck into a coffee shop when the airplanes hit. She said this move saved Chelsea’s life. But Chelsea told ‘Talk’ magazine that she was in a friend’s apartment four miles from Ground Zero when the first plane hit. Her friend called her, waking her up, and told her to turn on the TV. If the Morris assertions are true, Clinton’s credibility is further compromised, giving rise to cries of ‘Liar, liar, pantsuit on fire!’

So, why did Sen. Clinton weave these self-serving whoppers? My guess is to ingratiate herself with the voters ‘ the gullible ones that is. Meanwhile, her credibility gap gives Obama an opportunity to exploit it, diverting attention from his ‘pastor problem,’ but further widening their rift.

Retired Army Col. Thomas B. Vaughn can be reached at [email protected].