Hillary Clinton Isn’t Taking A Position On The Keystone Pipeline, Dodges Questions
While laying out her presidential plan to take on climate change, Hillary Clinton deliberately avoided questions about the Keystone XL pipeline.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Hillary Clinton has refused to take an explicit position in favor or against the Keystone pipeline, which is one of the most hotly debated issues in Congress. Hillary Clinton has been accused of dodging the topic at an Des Moines, Iowa press event, which is especially strange considering the event was meant to address issues of energy and the environment.
“I will refrain from commenting because I had a leading role in getting that process started,” Hillary Clinton said. “And I think that we have to let it run its course.”
According to Mother Jones, the failure of Hillary Clinton to take a hard position on the Keystone pipeline has earned her criticism from both sides of the debate. Environmentalist Bill McKibben spoke out against Clinton’s indecision.
“I think it’s bogus,” McKibben said of Hillary Clinton. “Look, the notion that she can’t talk about it because the State Dept. is still working on it makes no sense. By that test, she shouldn’t be talking about Benghazi or Iran or anything else either. The more she tries to duck the question, the more the whole thing smells.”
On the other end, Republicans who have pushed for the Keystone pipeline are also very frustrated at Hillary Clinton for further stagnating a decision. Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Short also made a public statement about Hillary Clinton’s fence-sitting.
“Clinton avoided specifics and refused to take a position on important job-creating energy projects like the Keystone Pipeline, reminding voters why they think she’s untrustworthy.”
Many environmentalists believe the Keystone pipeline will have a major influence over the climate, and many scientists have argued that the project will exacerbate the problem of global warming. According to NRDC, more than 90 scientists and economists contacted the president to warn against the Keystone pipeline.
“Once again, we strongly urge you to reject the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline as a project that will contribute to climate change at a time when we should be doing all we can to put clean energy alternatives in place.”
Do you think Hillary Clinton should tackle the issue head-on and announce a position on the Keystone pipeline? Or do you understand the political motivations for her silence?
For more on Hillary Clinton, read her reaction to accusations about how she “got rich.”
[Image credit: Getty]
