This morning on CNN’s New Day, Karen Finney said that former-Secretary Hillary Clinton was, “the most known un-know person in politics,” despite her being in the political limelight for over 30 years.
Later on in the interview, John Berman asked Finney were Clinton stood on TPP, an issue that she has been noncommittal on for months now.
Finney dodged hard on the issue, refusing to say whether of not Clinton would vote to give the president fast-track authority if she were in the Senate today.
Below is text of the exchange:
BERMAN: You called her one of the most unknown known people currently in this campaign where she stands on one of the big issues to the Democratic Party the fast track vote. There’s going to be a vote today we thought there was going to be a vote today. CNN’s Jake Tapper, Democratic sources are telling him that there aren’t the votes to pass it. If it goes down, what will the Secretary of State think of that?
KAREN FINNEY: She’s been very clear about this…she has. She’s said a couple things, she’s voted for trade agreements in the past and she’s voted against trade agreements in the past. Her sort of test on this one has been that she wants to see the final language because she believes that it should do two things. Number one she’s worried about issues of currency manipulation and are we protecting workers and number two is national security. Does it keep America safe? Given how dysfunctional congress has been, I want to see the final language makes a lot of sense.
BERMAN: In a way that’s a different issue than what they are facing today. Today they are asking whether the President should have fast track authority? Would Hillary Clinton, if she where in the Senate today, and she was once there, would she vote to give him that fast track authority?
KAREN FINNEY: I think she would want to see the language first.
BERMAN: She knows what’s in it though. She knows what’s roughly in it.
KAREN FINNEY: She roughly knows what’s in it, but roughly knowing what’s in something that has huge implications in this country that’s not the same thing as saying I want to see what the particulars are. How are we going to ensure that workers are protected? How are we going to ensure against currency manipulation but not just the big idea like check check are in there, but how are we going to do that?
BERMAN: Bernie Sanders is running against her and is saying c’mon stand up
KAREN FINNEY: But he’s in the Senate.
BERMAN: So the difference is that he has actually read where the trade agreement stands right now? That’s the only difference you think?
KAREN FINNEY: Well that’s part of it certainly, but I think the other piece of it is, this is where she is coming from it on this issue but I would also point out that she has been out on the campaign trail talking with voters and a few have been asking her about this and this is the answer that she has given. But she has heard voters on this issue, she’s talked about small businesses and family issues and paid leave and voting rights and one of the things that this ramp up period has given here is to hear what people want to talk about is heroin and opiate addiction which is a huge problem in this country.