Greens call out Keystone XL deal (Obama has 2 choices, jobs or Environmental Whackos)

Senate Democrats accepted a provision Friday forcing a decision in two months on the Keystone XL oil pipeline as part of the must-pass payroll tax cut package, leaving the White House on the brink of a meltdown with environmental groups.

"It's bulls—-," said Sierra Club President Michael Brune. "This is no way to run a government. We've got Republicans in Congress who are willing to hold the entire government hostage simply to give a Christmas present to industry."

GOP and Democratic sources told POLITICO that the White House swallowed the House Republican-written pipeline rider in order to get a deal to extend the tax holiday, jobless benefits and the Medicare reimbursement rate into February.

For greens, the fact that the Keystone pipeline was back on the table five weeks after Obama had seemingly punted it until 2013 is causing considerable heartburn with an administration that hasn't been as green as they once wished.

Their initial win looked even better because it came just days after thousands circled the White House at a weekend protest that drew celebrity faces like actor Mark Ruffalo. But now Obama's environmental allies again face the question of whether to withhold support for his reelection campaign.

Congress, as it turns out, IS the government.

Actually I think Congress is the people...the government is mostly the departments of the executive branch.

So, who do these Environmentalists think they are?

A lot of them are employees of the departments of the executive branch.

The plan runs the pipeline through the oil producing areas of north-central Montana and skirts the Williston Basin on the southwest edge (Bakken/Three Forks oil). Following the existing pipeline would avoid that supply of oil, require pipelines be built going away from existing and planned facilities at Baker, MT, and away from the refineries at Laurel, MT. It's a bassackwards approach. Currently, rail loading facilities are being built and expanded to to haul oil out on unit trains from the Williston Basin.

That isn't the greatest conflict, here, though.

I'm not sure of the gravity of oil from the new Brazillian discoveries, and perhaps Obama wants to safeguard Soros' investment in Petrobras by "becoming one of their best customers" and importing oil to the refineries the Canadian supplies might be destined for if the pipeline went through.

Of course, it just might be to ensure the Chinese get a steady supply of tanker fill from the Canadians, who will sell the oil, regardless...

...or maybe both.

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