WaPo Writer: When Was Hillary Being Disingenuous on Trade?

With the first Democratic debate happening this Tuesday, the former first lady has flip-flopped on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), saying that currency manipulation and Republican obstruction at home creates an environment unsafe for U.S. workers. On CBS’ Face The Nation, the Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus said Clinton also is against the TPP’s provision that cuts down on the time brand-name pharmaceuticals can keep their biologics–medicine derived from living things–data private. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has threatened to withdraw his support of TPP unless this is readdressed, though Hatch won’t be on the debate stage this week.

Marcus added that when Clinton called TPP the “gold standard in trade agreements,” which was in 2012, currency manipulation and pharmaceutical provisions on biologics were at a worse point in those two areas than they are now with the finalized deal.

“In law, they teach you to say–when you’re cross-examining somebody–to say which time were you lying. For Hillary Clinton, at the debate, the question is which time were you being disingenuous,” said Marcus.

This comes as CBS News released a new poll showing that 53 percent of registered voters have an unfavorable opinion of her; 61 percent feel that she is not honest or trustworthy; 71 percent believe it was “not appropriate” for her to have used a private email system.