At a New Hampshire town hall Tuesday morning, a voter asked Hillary Clinton to answer “yes or no, please” on whether she’d approve the Keystone XL pipeline as president.
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But when it came to a question on whether the country should move forward with building the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would run from Canada to the U.S., Clinton provided few specifics.
While environmentalists like billionaire Tom Steyer and League of Conservation Voters Vice President Tiernan Sittenfield generally laud her intentions to set the bar high, many still balk at her seemingly deliberate aversion to questions regarding her stance on the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline project.
“That leaves Blodgett and other environmentally-minded voters to ponder what Clinton might do, since she supported the pipeline idea when she was secretary of state – before it became a cause celebre for environmentalists and Democratic activists who claim it is unnecessary and unsafe. I’ll do the right thing”, she said.
Blodgett, a software developer from Amherst, N.H., is in favor of the pipeline construction since he believes that the oil will be used, so it might as well be transported to the United States, CNN reported.
“I understand there could be political advantages to weighing in on Keystone”, said Clinton campaign Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri in a Tuesday statement. “She doesn’t really have to take positions like this that are tricky for her”.
Well (four second pause), as you know, I was the Secretary of State who started that process. Some of them have also been critical of Clinton for not being bolder in her proposals to fight climate change, the first of which she unveiled earlier this week. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has said that “real leadership is about forging public opinion on issues like Keystone – not following it” and that the rest of the field should “follow his lead” and reject the pipeline. Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon estimated the 10 year cost of the grant program would be $60 billion, which he said would be offset by raising taxes on the oil and gas industry.
“I’m not sure I would classify (Hoeven) as a confidant of our State Department“, Schultz said, noting that the process belongs to the administration, not Congress. She also said the pipeline would contribute to the global threat of climate change.
Finer, a former Washington Post reporter, was to testify about what Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., called the department’s “compliance failures” in turning over emails to and from 10 senior Clinton officials during her time in office.
And lastly, whether as a prediction or as warning, Henn added, “KXL questions (& protests) will follow Clinton all election if the pipeline is undecided (or approved)”.
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Hours later, Clinton’s campaign team was still attempting to explain the non-answer.
