The waiting is finally over thanks to a question directed at Hillary Clinton by
a student on the campaign trail in Iowa. Alex Seitz-Wald
reports:
“I oppose it,” Clinton said in response to a question on the pipeline while campaigning in Iowa Tuesday. “I oppose it because I don’t think, I don’t think it’s in the best interest of what we need to do to combat climate change.”
Clinton said the pipeline was “a distraction for the work we have to do to combat climate change” said said he need to “move beyond” the issue. “I thought this would be decided by now. And therefore, I could tell you whether I agreed or I disagreed. But it hasn’t been decided, and I feel now I’ve got a responsibility to you and other voters who ask me about this,” she added.
Better late than never. The Obama administration has dragged its feet on this decision ever since 2011 and Clinton finally had to get off the fence. Climate change activists are naturally ecstatic. Here's
Jane Fleming Kleeb from Bold Nebraska:
"Sec. Clinton stood with farmers and ranchers over foreign oil by opposing Keystone XL today. All front runners in the Democratic Party see the lies Big Oil tried to tell in order to shove this export pipeline down our throats. Now all that is left is for Pres. Obama to reject the permit so landowners and Tribal Nations can get on to producing food with clean water.
Sec. Clinton also just showed the Republicans she is against eminent domain for private gain. The Republicans must answer to their conservative base on why they continue to choose a foreign export pipeline over their property rights."
Keystone XL and the minimum wage have been two of the most vexing progressive issues for Clinton on the campaign trail, specifically because Bernie Sanders has stood to her left on both of them. Today, Clinton cleared up one of them.