I would argue that clearly stating your principles is not the same as locking one's self into a ruling.
(She)was asked if a potential Supreme Court justice should be asked how he or she would vote in abortion-related cases. She responded "Nominees are clearly prohibited from making such a commitment and presidents are prohibited from asking for it.."
She was commenting on if a candidate should be allowed to be asked on how one would VOTE on an abortion related case. That is not principle, that is voting on a potential case.