Posted on 12/01/2011 10:21:24 AM PST by Libloather
White House denies pipeline delay was political decision
By Ben Geman - 12/01/11 08:01 AM ET
The White House is pushing back against fresh GOP claims that the administration had politics in mind when it delayed a decision on whether to approve the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline until after the 2012 elections.
Senate GOP leaders revived the allegation Wednesday when rolling out new legislation that would force a decision about permitting the proposed Alberta-to-Texas pipeline within 60 days.
But White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that the State Department delay announced last month stems from the need to consider issues including the health of communities along the pipeline route – a topic President Obama addressed in a Nov. 1 television interview in which he also took ownership of the eventual decision.
“I recognize that there are people in Washington, D.C., who want to apply a political label to every single thing that the President or other members of this administration do, but at the end of the day this is a decision that falls cleanly in line with the priorities that the President laid out for the need to balance some competing priorities, in terms of the impact that this could have on job creation. And that’s how that decision will ultimately be made,” Earnest said Wednesday.
The State Department, which is leading the federal review of TransCanada Corp.’s proposed pipeline, said it would analyze new routes that move the project away from the ecologically sensitive Sand Hills region of Nebraska, a process slated to last into 2013.
Republicans on Wednesday called the decision a political move to appease environmentalists, who in recent months have ratcheted up pressure on President Obama to reject the pipeline outright.
“If I was speculating about the political calculation, I think I would conclude that [Obama] looked along the pipeline and concluded he is not likely to carry any of those states, so by delaying it he obviously is making an effort to curry favor with environmental activists,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said at a press conference Wednesday.
His priorities at this time are centered around campaign, campaign, campaign. He can’t take the time to worry about what really effects our country.....nor does he care. He set us on the road to distruction and now just has to sit back and watch.
Maybe his Billion Dollars is not their for re election as he claims.
People that want rid of him I know that never gave to a campaign will donate to remove him.
...Always my first thought, Lying C (Expletive deleted)
My guesstimate is China is not going to wait until after the election. They probably have the cash for the entire project ready to go, including what the project has already lost because Fearless Reader, The Won, Barrack Hussein Shabazzz Bammy WTF The Magnificent is trying to keep is sorry azz in DC at the expense of this nation by “reviewing” the permit.
For an additional YEAR.
I would say China will make it’s move by March-April.
.
It’s not political, it’s ideological.
Obama abhors capitalism.
Energy is capitalism’s lifeblood, therefore he must seize every opportunity to stifle the production, and/or transport of energy.
He is losing union votes perhaps in greater numbers than the gain in enviro votes with this move. So it’s not political.
His words say one thing, his actions another.
Yes, he postponed it until 2012 and if he’s re-elected, he’ll kill the project with an Executive Order. Bank on it. You heard here first.
I've considered that possibility myself. Logic says you are right because there are a lot more union members than greenies.
But if the motivation was related to keeping the money flow coming from the Solyndra-types then it surely was a political decision. I think that was the case. He risks losing some union votes but puts an insurance policy on some big donations. Follow the money. That's what Obama does.
Every decision he’s made to this point, he’s made to benefit his re-election.
“White House denies pipeline delay was political decision”
Lying liars and the lies they tell.
For them, taking a dump is a political decision. Every action, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is viewed through the lens of I win/you lose.
LOL! That is just too funny! Next thing you know, Mr. Obama will be claiming that his administration has done more for the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration. Oh wait, Mr. Obama DID just claim that! Does ANYONE believe ANYTHING this lying buffoon says anymore? All I can say is that if I smoked dope, I’d really, really, really want some of whatever Mr. Obama has been smoking lately.
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