It only took a few hours for the Democratic presidential nomination frontrunner to become cognizant of her social blunder and, eventually, own up to it. Hillary Clinton, somehow, bungled history when she lauded former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy for their low-key advocacy on HIV and AIDS back in the 1980s during the televised funeral of the latter.

But as some people were quick to point out, and Clinton would soon realize, there is nothing admirable about the stance, or the lack thereof, of the first couple at that time when it came to the sensitive issue.

Clinton Praised the Reagans

Clinton seemed so sure when she spoke about what she claims as an important role Pres. Reagan and his wife played in opening up a national discussion about HIV and AIDS at a time when no one seems to have the courage to speak openly about it.

"It may be hard for your viewers to remember how difficult it was for people to talk about HIV/AIDS back in the 1980s. And because of both President and Mrs. Reagan -- in particular Mrs. Reagan -- we started a national conversation," she said in an interview with MSNBC.

Clinton also added, "when before nobody would talk about it, nobody wanted to do anything about it, and that too is something that I really appreciate with her very effective, low key advocacy, but it penetrated the public conscious and people began to say, 'Hey, we have to do something about this too.'"

Giving Credit Where Credit is not Due

The problem with Clinton's speech is that there is no substance to it. In fact, it was the inaction of the Reagan administration that prompted some critics to blame the government for death of a number of gay people during that time.

In the early 1980s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) already reported about the dreaded disease that would soon turn to an outbreak. It was not until 1987, however, when the administration addressed the issue in one of Pres. Reagan's speeches.

Some members of the LGBT community and gay rights activists took umbrage at Clinton's message. "While I respect her advocacy on issues like stem cell & Parkinson's research, Nancy Reagan was, sadly, no hero in the fight against HIV/AIDS," Chad Griffin, a Clinton supporter and president of the Human Rights Campaign, wrote on his Twitter account.

Clinton Apologizes

A few hours after making her compliment on the Reagans, Clinton issued a statement, apologizing and retracting her earlier message.

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