Hillary Clinton says she’ll take a firm position for or against the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, but only after it’s already been decided by the current administration or after she’s elected president in 2016.
Asked about her stance on the controversial project at a town hall-style meeting in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Clinton said that as the former Secretary of State it would be “inappropriate” for her to take a position because the review of the controversial project was initiated under her direction.
“It is hard for me to understand how one can be concerned about climate change but not vigorously oppose the Keystone pipeline.” —Sen. Bernie Sanders
However, critics of Clinton’s statement—including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), currently her leading rival for the Democratic nomination—were quick to pounce on the opportunity.
The question posed to her was simple enough. “As president, would you sign a bill—yes or no, please—in favor of allowing the Keystone XL pipeline,” asked Bruce Blodgett, the local resident identified as the questioner.
“If it’s undecided when I become president, I will answer your question,” Clinton answered. “This is President Obama’s decision. I’m not going to second-guess him.”
Though Blodgett later explained to reporters he tried his “best not to give her any wiggle room,” he said Clinton “found wiggle room” anyway. And though Blodgett said he registers why the Democratic frontrunner offered a “non-answer” on the subject, he said that didn’t make it the “right non-answer.”
For his part, Sanders said in the wake of her comments that he finds it hard to “understand how one can be concerned about climate change but not vigorously oppose the Keystone pipeline.”
As the Washington Post‘s Chris Cillizza pointed out, “This is pure politics by Clinton. It’s a gamble based on the idea that the disgust over her failure to answer a direct question will be far less damaging than the fallout if she did offer her opinion. She might well be right, politically speaking. But that doesn’t make it the right thing to do.”
Over at The New Republic, journalist Rebecca Leber documents the number of times Clinton, throughout her recent political career has commented on the project—often showing an underlying level of support, but never speaking out strongly against it.
Meanwhile, climate justice campaigners—who have tirelessly opposed the project and made it a benchmark issue on judging whether elected lawmakers are taking the threat of global warming seriously—expressed immediate disappointment with one what journalist called Clinton’s “ridiculous hedge”on the Keystone XL project and all it has come to represent.
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