Building the Keystone would:
1) Create jobs immediately
2) Provide direct US access to a stable, uninterpretable source of oil, pushing aside imports from Venezuela and the mid east.
3) Increase production in the oilsands region and North Dakota. Presently some production is shut in in both regions due to lack of transportation. Increased production tends to lower prices.
I cannot find a rational reason not to build the pipeline immediately. I don't know why this isn't a huge issue in the presidential election.
In think we are on the road to energy independence but Obama has nothing to do with it.
In 2005 the USA imported 3.696 billion barrels of crude oil.
And in 2011 we imported 3.256 billion barrels of crude oil.
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=mcrimus1&f=a
Imports are on steadily decreasing while domestic production is steadily increasing.
Mitt Romney drew a line in the oil sands on Friday, focusing on the controversial Keystone pipeline project opposed by the White House and saying, “I will build that pipeline if I have to myself.”
Romney blasted Obama on a range of policies during a speech to the Republican National Committee’s State Chairmen’s National Meeting in Arizona, but singled out the controversial project that would route Canadian oil sands south to Gulf Coast refineries.
Currently, hard to refine heavy crude oil is shipped to Texas from Venezuela where it is refined and enriches fat hugo chavez.Venezuela, courtesy of iran has missiles pointed at the US.
When and if Keystone is finished and extends from Canada to Texas we could than refine their heavy crude instead of our rock solid enemy Venezuela. Overnight this would force hugo to find someone else to buy his oil and refine it as well.
The fact that we don't speaks volumes about what zeros goals really are.