I knew this was going to explode in Republican’s faces;
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Republicans tried to force a quick decision and it backfired on them.
“If the Republicans care so much about the Keystone Pipeline they would not have narrowed the president’s options by putting it on the time frame that they did. They left him very little choice,” Pelosi said.
Did they think he would change his mind if he had to make a quick decision? Any fool can see the pipeline has no benefit to Americans, in fact, it could harm us more then anything.
I dunno. The John Morrell plant already makes the Big Sioux kind of gross. Can we really do much worse?
Your a Pelosi fan too? She’s one of the most corrupt left wingers out there! Once again the public is reminded that Obama is the President of Compromise – as long as the other side compromises and does it his way.
A quick decision my ass. This isn’t a new project by any stretch of the imagination. President Obama made the decision long ago, he’s just playing political football with it. The pipeline will get approved and will go forward.
Not during his presidency.
Ollie. you are full of it.
http://www.tarsandsaction.org/spread-the-word/key-facts-keystone-xl/
Let’s see, a Canadian company wants to build an oil pipeline through a major aquifer to refineries in the Gulf so the oil can be refined and exported to foreign customers, such as China. There is talk of $5 gas this summer at a time when the US has a surplus of oil and is exporting it which means major profits for oil companies. Eventually, this will get built but steps need to be taken to protect the aquifer in Nebraska. Sure it will create some jobs during the construction phase but the US consumer is not going to benefit in lower gas prices. It will mean more profits for some corporations which is why the Repubs want to push it through asap. BOHICA
“Not during his presidency.”
Thankfully that will not likely be very long from now. And actually I would not be surprised to see it go through during his presidency. It will be built.
That’s fine, I’ll take my oil from Kenya where there are literally no kinds of laws or statues for the environment, because I’m an ignorant, entitled American who loves to feel good about myself by stopping the flow of oil from a friendly neighbor up north eh.
It just doesn’t make any sense to me at all that people care so much about how oil is drilled and transported in the US or Canada, but don’t care how it is in the rest of the world so long as they can fill their gas tanks guilt free.
STOP DRILLING EVERYWHERE!
Oliver, I gotta agree with you. It will get built. Money and Power will see to that. John Boehner was on a political talk show recently and claimed the pipeline will create 200,000 jobs. Uh, yea, sure.
Joihn Boehner has $100k’s invested in TranCanada. That’s all you need to know about what “informs” his taliking points. That phase one of Keystaone that got built a couple years ago created about 1,600 temporary jobs. REALITY – phase two would do about the same.
I agree – this was not a quick decision. These talks have been in the works for some time. I was fortunate enough yesterday to attend Janklow’s funeral. Among the speakers – Democrat and Republican alike – almost every speaker spoke of how heartbreaking the division and the hatred among parties – and I am sorry people – it starts at the top. Obama’s decision wasn’t about an aquifer or the environment. It was a big F-You to everyone that wanted this for things such as 20,000 jobs and possibly stop some of the bleeding of our reliance on other countries for energy. Nothing like relying on the stable Middle East for a basic need. I know this won’t be a popular comment – but the bipartisan BS starts at the top and the people he/she surrounds himself with. The Rep. compromised on the payroll tax when put on a timeframe (another band-aid on a problem so they could drink and be merry for the holidays and not feel like ,once again, they haven’t accomplished sh**), why is a timeframe with this such a tragedy and where is the compromise or give and take? I know why – because Obama gets all kinds of millions for campaign $$$ from the environmentalists. For gosh sakes – grow a pair and create jobs instead being so busy about keeping your own.
On a kind of a funny note – the Mayor was also in attendance yesterday. It was quite funny to watch him in a room where there were so many people way more dignitary than him. If it weren’t for Kelo giving him a courtesy shot sitting at the funeral on the news last night – noone would have even known he was there. And – he didn’t have any of his “cabinet” there, so basically noone talked to him unless they were sitting by him. Hey Mike – thanks for getting the railyards done (as you promised). Now we get to watch that money walk out the door. Hey – but we’ll get a brand new EC in the middle of an industrial park. Can’t wait.
All this is is postponed. Expect bipolar money to funnel into Congress coffers. Rep. Boehnor is invested and stands to make big money off this nightmare … do expect his tear ducts to flow over “loss of jobs” — which we know is a crock. We all have to hammer home the message and gain momentum so this doesn’t become the eventual done deal they want it to be.
Ha ha! Love the auto correct “bi polar” for “Big oil” which is what I typed, but iPhone thought better…
Jobs, a point spoken about in the media a repeated here. Which is it? 1,600 or 20,000 jobs? Really the Canadian company that will be the major contractor has no obligation to hire Americans. Period.
Reliance on foreign oil. Another much talked about major point repeated again by our responsible US Senator and Representative. Check the facts, the pipeline is directed to the large oil refinery located in Texas City (between Houston and Galveston). That refinery is a “Tax Free” zone where by law every gallon has to be exported…
Why if this is truly a good thing for America as sold to us every day with expensive advertising and big PAC money, can’t Thune or Noem float a new idea. Like let’s say have the Keystone line drop off at Hyperion? Then we can get a double bonus. Jobs and Oil? Then the line will not go through Nebraska, where the majority (does anyone remember what “majority” means?) does not want Keystone. Especially as currently planned through their largest aquifer.
Reading these comments I learned that you’re automatically a Pelosi supporter if you’re against the pipeline. Thanks for informing me of my thoughts.
Scooter has a great compromise, with the Hyperion scenario. However, he needs to check his facts as well; as Keystone also is set up to ship oil to Cushing, OK; Steele City, KS; Wood River & Patoka, IL and Houston & Port Arthur, TX, there’s several refineries in these areas it will supply. The one in Wood River, for example can refine over 300K bbls a day.
And even if the export talking point is true (link says “much”, not all will be exported) explain to me why increasing exports are a bad thing? Most of these oil companies are among the most widely held pension fund stocks for lots of working Joes, not just the Fat Cats.
Final point, no pipeline = that oil finding it’s way to another market via tankers. A rupture in the pipeline would be a disaster, but it would be 10x less than another tanker disaster at sea and much simpler to mitigate. There’s at least an “off button” on a pipeline.
I’m not a huge Obama fan, but I think he played this one the right way. First of all the final path for the pipeline hasn’t even been decided yet. They agreed to move it to ease Nebraska’s concerns with their aquifer but they haven’t nailed down exactly where the new path will go, so I can’t fault Obama for rejecting it.
The GOP tried to force his hand – they called his bluff, and it backfired on them. Wipe the tears and move on. The Obama administration has said they can reapply, and they will, so this isn’t as significant of an issue as they are making it appear.
Do I think Obama did this to appease environmentalists? No, because he didn’t outright reject it and everyone can see he is just buying time. Therefore the environmentalists aren’t happy, the Unions aren’t happy because they aren’t going to be able to add a few jobs (it seems the non-political estimates put the number closer to 2,000 jobs rather than the 20,000 or 200,000 number being tossed around), and the Democrats aren’t happy because this can be used against Obama during the 2012 election (he can be called a job killer and a man who would rather import oil from our enemies rather than producing it at home).
So what did Obama gain from this exercise? I’ll tell you… a huge shiney set of steel balls. He finally decided to stand up against his opposition and actually LEAD for a change. He knows it isn’t a popular position politically and he knows it will likely be built one day, but he is handling this on his terms in his way, and he is basically telling those in Congress who thought they could force him into a corner to pound sand.
He is still the President. He is still in charge, and he is still the guy who puts his name on everything that happens under his watch. He made that clear yesterday and it is long overdue.
Obama didn’t really get anything out of this deal, because the pipeline can be re-routed elsewhere to make it to the gulf refineries. All this did was slow things down a year or two at best.
Meanwhile, nobody cares how oil is produced in the rest of the world, so long as their fuel tank is full.
Sy,
You are correct, kind of…
But lets also say that Cushing OK, Steele City KS, as well as Wood River & Patoka IL already receive oil with the existing pipeline. The plan is to provide another route from Hardisty Alberta to Steele City. And then extend the pipeline from Cushing down to Texas City and Port Arthur (which I am not aware of the tax status).
Now I think oil energy is only temporary. It is needed now, but we also need to have a comprehensive plan for alternative energy whatever it may be. So let’s spend wisely and also make sure we have something for the next 10 years, as well as the next 100.
Scooter,
Spend wisely? As in spend wisely on alternative energy? I hate to be so damn pessimistic, but as Germany and other countries have found out it is massively expensive to doll out magical green energy to the masses.
Look how expensive it was to prop up Solyndra in the US, and that didn’t even last a few years or put any substantial amount of power to the grid.
I fully agree that green energy is doable, and necessary, but it is going to be astonishingly expensive. This effort will be made even more difficult because coal and oil are still relatively cheap.
Spend we will.
Sy. I’m going to be getting in contact with you one of these days. Beer Summit. You owe me one. Remember?
Solyndra is a fantastic solar power design if you review the product. They took care of major sort falls with “flat” panel technology. But since we are members of a world market, many other factors have to be considered.
Personally I am a major supporter of nuclear energy. It is a fantastic high yield power source that will provide the required levels of energy until another can be discovered and developed. But after the Fukushima issue (bad design and control) no one will consider nuclear a viable option right now.
Oil is a big problem when you consider how we rely on it for transportation. We have to start being smarter so we can provide another solution to the world market. That is where America can succeed again.
America probably won’t be able to compete with Indian or Chinese companies for wind generation production and solar is going to be just as daunting to try to implement on a mass scale due to the high costs associated.
My utopian ecoworld? Each house or building will have solar panels and or a windmill mounted to the roof. You can design a windmill so it looks like a tube. In fact, you could probably make it look like a chimney, so you wouldn’t have any pesky homeowners association fussin’ about your house not being the same as all the other houses on your row.
There are many, many ways to decrease our dependency on oil, but they’re usually expensive, and nobody really wants to pay for it.
China wants this oil. They’ll find a way to get it. The President’s decision is not a permanent victory. But every day we can delay bad projects like this is a day that Great Plains landowners can live in peace, not robbed by eminent domain, not saddled with all the externalities of Big Oil’s profits.
Amen Cory!
Johnson said this in the AL interview today; “Not that many jobs would be produced.” I’m glad he said something, though it may go on deaf ears, since the AL struggles with decent recording devices (yes, Johnson’s speach is not that great) but for Christ’s sakes, when are you going to buy some microphones that actually are directive? Even the podcast Scott & I record at his kitchen table is better, and we do this as a hobby!
http://www.argusleader.com/videonetwork/1400574638001/Sen-Tim-Johnson-interview-with-the-Argus-Leader-Media-editorial-board
Yep Poly, I do…lookin’ forward to it.
Alice1, TransCanada has only itself to blame. The not-so-radical Nebraska farmers, unicameral, and governor saw that putting an oil pipeline through an area with a continental aquifer that is 10 feet below the surface was stupid. The engineers associated with the project design should lose their PEs for malpractice. TransCanada has only itself to blame. If Obama appeased anyone it was the republican Nebraska farmers appeased.
The funeral. Much ado about nothing. Fewer than 500 folks could be bothered to attend the laying in state or funeral show the man long ago forfeited whatever goodwill he had left among residents. While the SD media had nothing else to do for 1 week, check the coverage from the media outside SD – the passing and events rarely received mention, and if so, it was in passing.
Sy and Poly – you 2 have never met? C’mon. I’m thinking of throwing another South DaCola fest, this time at Scarletts. Nothing like talking about politics under black lights.
John – I thought the same thing about the 500 showing up. Heck, they had to bus in school kids to get the numbers up. I would love to see an online poll in the AL that asks;
“Do you think Janklow had a more positive affect on the state then a negative one?”
Plans to sell this oil to China are already under way.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-19/canada-pledges-to-sell-oil-to-asia-after-obama-rejects-keystone-pipeline.html
Now we’re back to buying oil from anywhere in the world with our environmental blinders on.
Bad – we were never “buying” any of this Canadian Oil. Were were only gonna be the “processor” for re-export.
The oil was destined for the refineries near the Gulf. There were plans for building a multi million dollar refinery just south of Sioux Falls, but nobody wanted it in their backyard.
I’m not for, or against oil, but people that are so vehemently opposed to drilling or processing all the oil we consume still don’t care to talk about the environmental impact that oil production has on other countries where there are few, if any laws in regard to how it is obtained and shipped. We get oil from Kenya, yet nobody is terrified about the harm to the environment that is done there when they should be.
What if oil can be drilled and produced closer to home but with less impact on the environment? Can it be? Would it be better overall if it could?
These are the questions that ALWAYS go unanswered when these subjects come up.
So….. we should be more like Kenya???