WASHINGTON – First she “misspoke,” now she misheard.

Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday seemed to deny that she told New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that Barack Obama could not win the presidency.

But her campaign later said she misheard a reporter’s question.

McCain in the 1996 Dole-Drums

Barack Runs Up $core

Asked at a press conference whether she made the comment to Richardson, Clinton said, “That’s a no.”

She added, “We have been going back and forth in this campaign of who said what to whom and let me say this, that I don’t talk about private conversations but I have consistently made the case that I can win.”

Campaign spokeswoman Mo Elleithee later said Clinton thought she was being asked whether she’d disclose what she actually said to Richardson, who has endorsed Obama.

“Senator Clinton was simply reiterating what she had just said – she doesn’t talk about private conversations,” Elleithee said.

Clinton has come under fire in recent weeks about inconsistent statements.

She admitted late last month, that she “misspoke” when she claimed she had dodged bullets while arriving in Bosnia as first lady.

She poked fun at the controversy last night in an appearance on “The Tonight Show” telling host Jay Leno, “I was so worried I wasn’t going to make it. I was pinned down by sniper fire.”

The latest misstep came as supporters of Obama called her claims that he can’t win the desperate act of a losing candidate.

“I’m sure she is frustrated,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who supports Obama.

“Up until late last year, the common wisdom around here was that Hillary Clinton had it. In fact, there are many who even thought that Barack Obama was probably being foolish to try.”

Now that Clinton is 135 delegates behind Obama in the race for the Democratic nomination, she and her loyalists have begun arguing that Obama cannot win.

“Sen. Clinton is absolutely qualified to be president, and I am sure it is difficult for her to see herself behind,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a superdelegate who has endorsed Obama.

Federico PeÑa, who served in two Cabinet posts for Bill Clinton, was one of the first to endorse Obama, “because I absolutely believed that he could win.”

“She must believe that Barack can’t win and she can, or she wouldn’t still be running – but the evidence is absolutely to the contrary,” PeÑa said.

Clinton, who has been courting superdelegates to catch Obama, hinted yesterday that she would go after pledged delegates.

Pledged delegates are a “misnomer,” she said. “The whole point is for delegates, however they are chosen, to really ask themselves who would be the best president.”

Meanwhile, two of Clinton’s top supporters hinted yesterday that they might switch their support to Obama if he maintains a lead in delegates and popular vote.

“I’m going to look at delegate selection, who has the most. I’m going to look at the popular vote, who has the most votes,” said New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, a superdelegate who currently backs Clinton.

Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) echoed Corzine.

churt@nypost.com