Tell me about the Keystone pipeline

[Anonymous]

Don't know anything about the issue, but I thought I read somewhere a few weeks ago that aside from the environmental impact, the need for the pipeline was now in doubt because a major oil company had just bought another pipeline that extends from Oklahoma (? well, somewhere around there) to the Gulf Coast and was actually going to reverse the direction of the pipeline to take shale oil from landlocked states out to the Gulf for export. Is this correct? If so, why is the GOP insisting on it in their version of the payroll tax bill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't know anything about the issue, but I thought I read somewhere a few weeks ago that aside from the environmental impact, the need for the pipeline was now in doubt because a major oil company had just bought another pipeline that extends from Oklahoma (? well, somewhere around there) to the Gulf Coast and was actually going to reverse the direction of the pipeline to take shale oil from landlocked states out to the Gulf for export. Is this correct? If so, why is the GOP insisting on it in their version of the payroll tax bill?

I don't think the GOP is insisting that BO approve the pipleine, just that he agree to make a decision soon instead of after the election. There are a lot of jobs on the line, but the Green Party is pressuring BO to kill the pipeline and focus of Solyndra type companies for US energy needs. Canada has said that they'll sell the oil to China if we don't want it.

BO has a track record of caving in to his lefty backers, so he'd likely kill the pipeline if forced to make a quick decision, but I guess the thinking is that if there is any chance of saving those jobs the GOP will have to force BO to make a decision.

I'm sure that jobs in the midwest are of little concern to most of this message baord, but it's a big deal out there.

[Anonymous]

This is a great article on the pipeline. I'm sure conservatives will cry "fowl" since it's from Rolling Stone but I find their articles well researched.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/is-the-keystone-pipeline-really-dead-20111123

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
BO has a track record of caving in to his lefty backers, so he'd likely kill the pipeline if forced to make a quick decision, but I guess the thinking is that if there is any chance of saving those jobs the GOP will have to force BO to make a decision.

I can't really think of a single case of Obama caving into the left. He wouldn't even let single-payer supporters be part of the healthcare discussion, he still doesn't support gay marriage, the words "gun control" have never touched his lips, he has done nothing to reign in Wall Street. To the contrary, his advisors have repeatedly insulted progressives with Rahm calling us "f'ing r*tards" and Gibbs saying we needed to be drug tested. The goal of Obama's review of Keystone is to push the decision past the election. He can then get environmentalist support and approve the pipeline once he has won the election.

The current Republican requirement for a quick review will never become law. It's just posturing.