Posted on 11/06/2014 11:41:43 AM PST by SeekAndFind
On the Thursday after Democrats’ drubbing at the polls, White House Press Sec. Josh Earnest appeared on CNN where he doubled down on Barack Obama’s insistence that the areas where there was likely to be grounds for compromise were initiatives of key importance to the American left. In his speech yesterday, Barack Obama inexplicably cited “roads and bridges,” universal pre-kindergarten funding, and increasing the minimum wage as places where ascendant Republicans should compromise their principles. Each of these proposals are also, coincidentally, bullet points on the progressive wish lists he calls State of the Union Addresses.
Somehow, Obama was unable to get his agenda passed when his party controlled both chambers of the legislature. Now that the House and Senate are lost to the Republicans, Earnest was asked where there were areas in which the onus would be on Obama to compromise with the GOP. CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota specifically cited one proposal that is wildly popular and generally understood to be good for economic growth: the Keystone XL Pipeline. Earnest demonstrated Obama’s bottomless capacity for magnanimity when he signaled that the president would not budge off his opposition to even something with astronomical bipartisan appeal like Keystone.
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We’re actually going to allow the State Department to conduct their regular process of evaluating whether or not the construction of the Keystone pipeline would be in the national interests of the United States of America,” Earnest said after casting doubt on whether the construction of a transit line carrying oil from Canada to a Gulf Coast port would be of any economic benefit to the United States.
This is, of course, bunk. Keystone was submitted to the State Department in 2008 — or 24 Democratic senators ago — for review. That process would have been completed long ago but for the White House’s direct intervention.
“The Obama administration further delayed its decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project on Friday, with no conclusion now likely until after the U.S. mid-term elections in November,” Reuters reported in April of this year. “The legal process will likely continue past November and might stretch into next year, meaning more delays for the politically-charged issue that has been on the drawing board for more than five years.”
But Earnest got to the meat of the White House’s opposition to Keystone when he was pressed. “I do think it continues to be an open question about what impacts the construction of the pipeline would have on those causes of climate change, and that is a concern that the president articulated a couple of times now,” he said.
Not according to the State Department and its endless review process. “A long-awaited State Department environmental report on the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline indicates what the oil industry and its backers have been saying — it won’t have a big impact on carbon emissions that cause climate change,” CNN reported in January.
This prompted thoughtful and serious liberals like Rep. Raul Grijalva (R-AZ) to declare the entire review a “sham” and insist that there was a conspiracy was afoot on the part of State Department to, presumably, make the planet sick.
The left clings to baseless, unscientific opposition to the Keystone pipeline like a totem. Their antagonism toward this project is either political or paranoid, and it should not be treated seriously. Republicans in the 115th Congress should pass legislation authorizing construction of this universally popular project – even among a majority of Democrats – every week for the next two years. Let the Democratic slate of 2016 candidates determine whether Obama’s repeated vetoes were politically wise moves.
America voted all across the country to STOP Obama.
Obama’s working together is, Listen to me and you shut up
Trying to check raise with a weak hand.
Unfortunately, the pubbies will fold.
They always do.
After the worst rout in our history, these buffoons expect the Republicans to capitulate to the buffoon in the WH who lost??? Their sycophant Media will be pushing this........I pray the Pubbies aren’t stupid enough to go along with any of it!
On Keystone, I’m not sure if McConnell can muster 2/3 of the Senate to override a veto.
And in Congress, Republicans don’t yet have 2/3 of the numbers needed to override ( yep, even with this current landslide ).
Democrats are needed to cross the aisle. How likely is that on Keystone?
Saw the headline too quickly and read “Joni Ernst”
Wow, am I relieved!
Funny how that works, the American sent a clear message that they do not like the direction Lord Foul has been taking the country, sooo the Gop should compromise with him. The really sad thing is that you know the RINO’s at the top will do exactly that in the interest of...fairness. I’m tired of the GOP, I really hate the word leaders, because sheep can’t lead bending over for the demoncraps. We a a God D****ed Pit Bull at the head of the party to rip the a**es of these liberals!
There is only one path to stop him. He will have to be impeached and removed from office.
He’ll hold back on Keystone until the check clears.
Why should they compromise with Obama?
They won.
Isn’t that the criteria that Obama used?
Amnesty should do it. Or it will never happen.
“Curiouser and curiouser!”
When has 0bama ever worked with or compromised with Republicans?
He only just learned McConnell’s phone number.
We have the mad hatter for a president.
(There is only one path to stop him. He will have to be impeached and removed from office.)
That’s what they want us to do. That would guaranty 100% participation rate by blacks in order to elect Hilary.
On the other hand, if there is such an Obama fatigue right now after 6 years of Obama that the GOP finds itself with the greatest legislative power they’ve head since at least the 50’s, could you imagine voters’ appetitve for more of the same after 2 more years of Obama? He’s the biggest destroyer of the Democrat party and of faith in the Government, and you want him removed? I’m sure we could wait a couple of more years for the Keystone project.
I rather think that the only way amnesty would do it is totally dependent on the reaction of the American people. Some crying and whining won’t cut it.
It would take total anger and outrage coupled with extreme pressure.
I am not confident anymore that the people will do that. Are you?
Defund everything.
They are going to ram Keystone down his throat....it’s what he deserves!!
There are a LOT of Democrats that would vote on Keystone!! ANd I think they could easily get the 2/3 vote.....the Dems see the writing on the wall.....Obola HATES them too! They will be there a LOT longer than him!!
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