Hillary Clinton Again Says She'll Try to Stop Broadwater

Hillary Clinton still says she'll do everything in her power to stop Broadwater. She's a U.S. Senator now. What exactly is it in her power to do? If she becomes president and takes office next January 20, it might be too late, although one possibility is this: New York State says no to Broadwater next month; Broadwater would then appeal that decision to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, who obviously is part of Bush's cabinet and will uphold the appeal; New York will then sue in federal court, with Bush's Commerce Department defending the suit vigorously. If Clinton were president she would obviously have her own people in place at Commerce and could decide not to stop defending the suit.

In any case, here's what Hillary told a Connecticut TV reporter yesterday:

Davis: I just came from an event where Attorney General Dick Blumenthal endorsed you and he said that you will stop Broadwater. Is that a promise that you’ve made as a senator from New York or as a presidential candidate?

Clinton: It is a promise that I’ve made for the last several years. I want to say how grateful I am to have Attorney General Blumenthal’s support. I’ve known Dick for a long time. We have worked together on issues that were important to Connecticut and New York…and I am on record…committed to preventing Broadwater. I will work with the Attorney General and when I’m president I will do everything in my power to keep our sound safe and secure.

The Times provides a roundup of the situation here. There's one new item in it -- namely that after the New York Department of State makes its decision on whether the LNG terminal merits a permit to operate in the coastal zone, Governor Spitzer will issue a formal statement, presumably explaining his case.