In case you missed it, Hillary Clinton has been facing some exploratory scrutiny concerning jet travel provided by a long-time Clinton donor, Vinod Gupta.

As flaps go, it’s fairly unremarkable: apparently, a very rich guy flew some important politicians on his jet at vastly reduced fares. Which would be shocking, if the rules of the Senate didn’t so clearly allow it.

What was a little shocking, though, was Hillary’s defense. After reviewing the Senate rules for reporters, she wound up with this line: “Those were the rules. You’ll have to ask somebody else whether that’s good policy.”

You’ll have to ask somebody else whether that’s good policy?

Sounded a bit off-key to our ear, to say the least.

Isn’t the campaign trail the place where we ask, every four years, about the goodness of policy? Aren’t incoming Presidents then sent to D.C. as agents of change, based on those public discussions?

And who should we ask, then? John Edwards? He’d have an answer, and a wicked sharp one, you can be certain of that.