Hillary Clinton, a presumed candidate for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, said in Iowa last month that it was "disqualifying" for politicians to refuse to answer difficult questions.
"You have a lot to be proud of in this state," she said while stumping for Bruce Braley. "You test your candidates. You actually force them to be the best they can be. I understand that, and they have to be willing to answer the tough questions ... It truly seems like it should be disqualifying in Iowa of all states to avoid answering questions."
Clinton, however, has no less than seven times dodged questions about whether she supports or opposes construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. As reported by America Rising, Clinton did not mention Keystone in her panned, bland memoir Hard Choices and has in multiple print and live interviews this year refused to express an opinion either way.
"I can't say that because I was there," she said in one interview with a Canadian TV anchor.
"I don't understand that," the anchor replied. "Why can't you? You can talk about so many other things."
"That was a decision that rests with the Secretary of State," she said.
In Hard Choices, Clinton discussed Iraq, Syria, Russia, Benghazi, and a slew of other issues she dealt with while Secretary of State.
Keystone is an especially tense subject among Democrats, which is popular with a majority of Americans but not among liberals. A poll by the Huffington Post showed that 56 percent of Americans support building the pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada to Texas oil refineries. Environmentalists have long protested Keystone, despite a State Department report that it would have negligible impact on water quality. According to CNN, the report also concluded Keystone would create 42,000 "direct and indirect" jobs and inject $2 billion in economic benefits to the U.S.
[H/T America Rising]