Hillary Clinton Refuses to Take a Position on the Keystone Pipeline

[PoliticAverse]

Hillary Clinton took a strong stance on clean energy Monday, telling a crowd in Des Moines, Iowa, that her efforts to tackle climate change would parallel President John F. Kennedy's call to action during the space race in the 1960s.

"I want to get the country back to setting big ambitious goals," Clinton said. "I want us to get back into the future business, and one of the best ways we can do that is to be absolutely ready to address the challenge of climate change and make it work to our advantage economically."

Her remarks tracked closely with an ambitious plan her campaign released Sunday night, which set a target of producing enough renewable energy to power all the nation's homes and businesses by 2027.

...

Still, the Democractic front-runner refused—as she has several times before—to say whether or not she supports construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. That project, which would carry crude oil from Canada's tar sands to refineries and ports in the United States, is seen by many environmentalists as a blemish on President Barack Obama's climate record. It has been stalled for years in a lengthy State Department review that began when Clinton was still Secretary of State. The Obama administration has resisted several recent attempts by Congress to force Keystone's approval, but it has yet to make a final decision on the project—although one is expected sometime this year.

Read the whole article at: http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/07/hillary-clinton-still-wont-take-position-keystone-xl

[Thinkingabout]

1. Did you know the crude is still being transported?

[bahrbearian]

9. Through the Ogallala Aquifer ?

[Thinkingabout]

15. no

[kcjohn1]

2. Ridicolous

"I will refrain from commenting [on Keystone XL], because I had a leading role in getting that process started, and we have to let it run its course," Clinton said, in response to a question from an audience member.

What cowardice.

[RoccoR5955]

12. Let it run its course?!?!?!?!

Does she even know what she is saying? She wants to destroy the boreal forest, the Earth's lungs, to get to a little crappy fossil fuels?

I swear, at this point, even if she does win the primary, she will not get my vote.

Our environment is the most important issue of our time.
Without it we all die. There is no Plan(et) B.

[KansDem]

19. "Let it run its course?!?!?!?!"

Yeah, like this one (of many)...

[L0oniX]

23. ~

[AtomicKitten]

3. Her refusal to answer key questions on important issues is emblematic of her campaign,

... largely smoke and mirrors. Besides, she's already "weighed in" as SOS from hiring an associate of TransCanada to do the Environmental Impact Report to promoting it in speeches easily accessible on YouTube. Many of her top donors and advisers are lobbyists for TransCanada. The truth is we already know where she stands by her words and, more importantly, her actions, and she's too much of a coward to own it.

[peacebird]

8. I guess her pollsters haven't told her which view to back yet....

[Vincardog]

11. No her BACKERS want her to approve it, and she plans to; she just will NOT admit it.

[JaneyVee]

4. Then why...

in 2012, Clinton's Department of State recommended President Barack Obama deny the Keystone KL pipeline?

 http://m.state.gov/md181473.htm

[bahrbearian]

13. Then in 2015 it should be easy for her to point that out.

[bvf]

17. So why the self-abnegation?

Evolution, or what?

[kcjohn1]

20. Republicans

Set arbitrary short deadline (60 days) to try to force Obama's hand. There was little time to review impact of the pipeline, and it was politically risky topic to address for upcoming 2012 election.

The decision was "NO" for now. It will be interesting what Obama does. He is supposed to make decision soon, and Clinton wants to basically piggy back off his decision. If he says "Yes", she can hedge and say I was always against it. If he says "No", than no harm to donors because she didn't influence and it was not her decision (and behind the scenes she can say she is for it).

[George II]

21. Messy details.....it's more fun for some to criticize others than educate themselves.

[cherokeeprogressive]

24. Then why hasn't it been put on the shelf?

[passiveporcupine]

25. Cause now she's running for POTUS and her message has changed

to keep her keepers happy.

And you don't see this?

[RobertEarl]

5. There she goes

Talking about how to make money from disaster.

And not one peep about the social problems.

At least Bernie is concerned about how the average person will be affected by this disaster. A disaster the rich have already profited from.

[passiveporcupine]

26. Yep

and make it work to our advantage economically."

Keeping her money sources happy and changing her message to keep her base happy is all she's about.

I thlnk they call it weather vane.

[beam me up scottie]

6. Another right wing hit piece* on Hillary?

Does Mother Jones have no shame?

*yes someone actually called a MJ article a rw hit piece

[Metric System]

14. Some on the left have gone so far that they're behaving like those on the right.

[beam me up scottie]

16. Either that or the right wing of the party is completely clueless.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

29. Next we'll hear Bernie is funded by Breitbart.

[beam me up scottie]

33. I knew BB was behind this!

[restorefreedom]

7. oh i am sure she HAS a position

but since it is very likely pro, she just doesn't want undecideds to know what it is, because they be likely to go for Sanders or O'Malley. Just another piece of evidence that she can't be trusted and is not for the people.

[peacebird]

10. Yep

[L0oniX]

22. The calculator is out for repairs. It's been over heating and finally broke down.

[restorefreedom]

32. lol. nt

[840high]

35. She never was and never

will be for the people. She sure as hell won't get my vote ever.

[restorefreedom]

37. same here. nt

[Cleita]

18. That's because she has ties to the Alberta tar sands.

See this post I did in the Bernie group. There are links.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/128030609

[cherokeeprogressive]

27. Get real. She CAN'T take a position on XL.

Every time she goes outside to put her finger in the air, the reporters see her and start trying to get out from behind the rope, and it well... it just screws everything up.

[RufusTFirefly]

28. She probably figures that if she stonewalls long enough...

... that most voters will either forget or lose interest.

And you know what? Sadly, if that's what she thinks, she's probably right.

[jalan48]

30. If this is her idea of leadership, I say thanks, but no thanks.

[SoapBox]

34. ...the weathervane is still moving.

[Cheese Sandwich]

36. She should be against it but the pipelne issue is kind of overblown IMO

Yes it is very important because it will let them pump the oil out faster. But even if she does come out against it there are still many other policies of equal importance for climate. Like fracking, arctic drilling, and coal exports.

[artislife]

40. This is why it is bad!

[Cheese Sandwich]

41. That's true...and this pic speak is speaking 1000 words.

I'm dead set against it too.

Let's just keep in mind it is one important environmental issue, among many critical issues.

If Secretary Clinton comes out against Keystone tomorrow, it really won't boost my opinion of her environmental policies much. Because we still have issues like fracking, arctic drilling, coal, etc.

[artislife]

42. I agree

What about that sludge that got into the West Virginia table water? I had a fb friend showing me photos of her tap water. She was hearing it was okay to drink but some of her friends had serious reactions.

I don't think an evil man with the idea to destroy the world could do it any better than our friends the corporations.

[Cheese Sandwich]

43. +a billion

I don't think an evil man with the idea to destroy the world could do it any better than our friends the corporations.

With friends like these we don't even need enemies.

[geek tragedy]

38. Yep. She supports it and tried to get it approved as Sec of State.

She dodged a primary bullet there, but now is ducking and covering.

[artislife]

39. Too much money to be made! nt

[Scuba]

44. Bullshit. She has taken a position on the pipeline.

She just knows that her position will further undercut her support, so she evades the question.