Sen. Hillary Clinton an artful dodger

By RON FOURNIER

Associated Press Writer

updated 10:12 a.m. ET June 21, 2007

Ron Fournier has covered politics for The Associated Press for nearly 20 years.

WASHINGTON - Slick Hillary? Former President Clinton earned the nickname "Slick Willy" for his mastery in the political arts of ducking and dodging.

He had a knack for convincing people on both sides of an issue that he agreed with them.

His wife may not be as smooth, but Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is doing a passable impression of the ever-parsing former president.

Would she pardon Scooter Libby?

No comment.

Would she nominate a union leader to be secretary of labor?

Maybe.

Would she repeal the North American Free Trade Agreement?

Can't say.

The Democratic presidential candidate drew several rounds of applause for her appearance before the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union Tuesday. She flashed her sense of humor, displayed a deep knowledge of the issues and held her own in a forum that pitted her against other presidential rivals. But what stood out was her reluctance to address questions head-on.

Jim Young / Reuters U.S. Senator and Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) speaks in Washington.

This habit of hers begs a question: Will the Clintonian tactic help her in the crowded Democratic field, or hurt her in the eyes of voters who have grown coarsened by the spin and obfuscation that marred both the Clinton and Bush administrations?

"It's obviously a skill that, in the long run, served Bill Clinton well, and there's something to say for a politician who doesn't alienate people by taking clear positions on issues," said Charles Franklin, political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "For Bill, it was certainly a useful skill for political success."

But he said the question for Hillary Clinton "is whether she can pull it off, because it's certainly not an easy thing to do successfully."

She gave AFSCME her best shot.

To pardon or not to pardon?
MSNBC host Chris Matthews asked Clinton at the labor forum whether former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby should be pardoned.

"Oh, I think there would be enough to be said about that without me adding to it," she replied.

"That is such a political answer!" complained Matthews.

The largely Democratic audience buzzed, apparently in protest of Matthews' response. One audience member told him to ask a "real question." Clinton finished the person's sentence: " ... a question that's really about the people in this audience and not what goes on inside of Washington," she said.

"So we'll leave that as a non-answer," Matthews said.

Clinton 1, Moderator 0.

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