Huh?

Can Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) be any more unserious about national security and porkbarrel spending?

Sen. Hillary Clinton urged the Department of Homeland Security to nix any plans to research dangerous animal diseases at its Plum Island lab off Long Island's North Fork — but at the same time urged the feds to keep the facility in New York because of the jobs it provides.

After meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Clinton said she was "surprised and disappointed" to learn last month that DHS was looking to replace Plum Island — breaking a promise made to her by former Secretary Tom Ridge.

Clinton said DHS should continue to study animal diseases at the former Army facility because it provides research jobs in New York.

But at the same time, she said she feared a possible plan to upgrade Plum Island to study exotic animal diseases that could, in theory, migrate to the large human population in the Hamptons and the North Fork.

Plum Island has been used for research on animal diseases for more than 50 years. The Senator is clearly trying to have her cake and eat it too. I doubt she'd mind much that the facility is closed altogether but has to do the kabuki dance to show that she's for national security and defense spending.