Keystone XL Pipeline And Jobs — Put Up Or Shut Up, Obama

Investor's Business Daily ^ | January 15, 2012 | IBD staff

[raptor22]

Politics: The day after the president announces he would reward businesses that bring jobs into the U.S., the Chamber of Commerce asks: What about the pipeline from Canada that would bring both jobs and energy?

The irony was mind-boggling when President Obama addressed a group of business leaders at the White House last Wednesday on his plans to reward "insourcing."

"There are workers ready to work right now," he told them. "In the next few weeks, I will put forward new tax proposals that reward companies that choose to bring jobs home and invest in America — and eliminate tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas. Because there is opportunity to be had right here."

Indeed, there are opportunities right now for companies to bring jobs to the U.S. and workers ready to fill them, as U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue reminded Obama the next day during his "State of American Business 2012" address.

"We can put 20,000 Americans to work right away and up to 250,000 over the life of the project," Donohue said. "Labor unions and the business community alike are urging President Obama to act in the best interests of our national security and our workers, and approve the pipeline."

It would be in the president's best political interests as well, helping lower energy prices and creating jobs in an economy struggling to do so. Even a number of unions, a major part of the Democratic base, are backing the project.

They include the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Teamsters, the Laborers' International Union, the Building & Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO and the United Association of Plumbers & Pipe Fitters for the United States & Canada. They want the jobs Keystone XL would bring.

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[Dilbert San Diego]

Obama is between a rock and a hard place on this one.

The liberal enviro-extremists in his base are against pipelines. They think that this pipeline will cause environmental damage, oil spills, pollution, etc. all through mid-America. He is trying to vote “present” on this by saying that he will make a final decision after the 2012 election.

But suppose he’s not around after the 2012 election to be the one to make this decision???????

And there is talk that Canada is going to cancel the whole project, and won’t wait until early 2013 for Obama to study this some more.

This is politically dangerous for the president. Well, he signed up for this job, part of which is making decisions which are unpopular with liberals.

[opentalk]

The enviro groups are just another tool for the left, I doubt they really care. Soros will not let him approve this.

[raptor22]

Energy independence ping

[bigheadfred]

With the unrest in Nigeria, and the possible rise of oil prices if they suspend production, Obama had better be for thinking hard about how much Americans are are tired of third world countries supplying so much of our oil..

[Venturer]

“In the next few weeks, I will put forward new tax proposals that reward companies that choose to bring jobs home and invest in America — and eliminate tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas. Because there is opportunity to be had right here.”
...........................................................
I am not too bright,but isn’t this the Corporate welfare that the Democrats claim they are against.

[wayoverontheright]

The reason Obama opposes the Keystone pipeline is that it would not be a government financed project.

It’s not that HE wouldn’t get credit for it, he would, but so would capitalism, and we simply cannot have that on Obama’s watch.

Remember, he is first and foremost a socialist. This means that the government must be the fount of all good, and the pipeline would be totally financed by the private sector.

Unions? Private sector unions now know where they stand. They shall benefit only if the government can take credit.

[fanfan]

And there is talk that Canada is going to cancel the whole project, and won’t wait until early 2013 for Obama to study this some more.

Stephen Harper has doubts on Keystone pipeline approval, sees markets in Asia

[FrdmLvr]

I don’t understand what this has to do with 0bamao anyway. Why is it up to him?

[Former Proud Canadian]

Dil, there is more than talk. Hearings have already begun on the Edmonton-Kitimat pipeline. They'll build a terminal at Kitimat to load the Chinese tankers. Also, PM Harper is going to China soon.

Nobody is happier about this delay than the Chinese.