It seems the election season brings a bounty of examples in public relations, both what to do and sometimes more importantly, what not to do. This evening marked the second night in a row that I heard about Hillary Clinton’s Bosnia fib. You can watch a YouTube video of it here. Clinton has mentioned on at least three occasions that this trip was marked by sniper fire and ducking for cover. As you can see from the video, that wasn’t the case.

So what do you do when you make such a public flub? If you’re former New York City Mayor  Fiorello La Guardia, you say something like this:  ”When I make a mistake, it’s a beaut!”

Sen. Lloyd Bentsen once said something similar: “I’m not known to make many mistakes,” said the senator once when discussing a fundraising issue, “but when I do, it’s a doozie.”

Last night, Clinton wasn’t open to admitting her mistake in the fashion of La Guardia or Bentsen. Tonight, she did admit to having made a mistake.

It was a little too late, for many Americans. In public relations, it is imperative to get the information out there, even when that information is admitting that you’ve messed up. Think of it as a game of hot potato. Had Clinton immediately admitted her error, it is likely she would not have been in the headlines for two days in a row regarding Bosnia. But as she has proven, when you drag your feet on information that is unflattering, you do nothing but keep yourself in the headlines.