Canada tires of American indecision

As you probably heard, last Thursday the State Department put the Keystone Pipeline on hold again.  This time the excuse was to study rerouting a portion of the pipeline that was planned to run through the Sand Hills of Nebraska.  It is anyone’s guess what State will be studying however.

The State Department had previously considered alternative routes to bypass the Sand Hills but concluded they were either economically or environmentally impractical.

While State studies again the rerouting that it had already studied and deemed inadvisable, Canada has had enough.

 …Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Sunday the country would push to sell its crude to Asian markets instead.

Russ Girling, the Chief Executive of TransCanada Corporation, the company which wanted to build the pipeline, said it best.

If Keystone XL dies, Americans will still wake up the next morning and continue to import 10 million barrels of oil…without the benefit of thousands of jobs and long term energy security.

What Mr. Girling fails to understand, however, is President Obama’s burning desire to be re-elected next year.  But to do so, he can’t antagonize the ‘greenies” who are opposed to the pipeline. 

Given that as the President’s mission, jobs and energy security will just have to take a back seat.

 

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SoundOffSister

The Sound Off Sister was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and special trial attorney for the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; a partner in the Florida law firm of Shutts & Bowen, and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, School of Law. The Sound Off Sister offers frequent commentary concerning legislation making its way through Congress, including the health reform legislation passed in early 2010.

19 Comments

  1. Eric on November 14, 2011 at 8:01 pm

    How did we end up with such a pissant for a president? ?It’s shameful!



  2. gpantone3 on November 14, 2011 at 8:30 pm

    This bunch of clowns make Carter look like the Duke.



  3. GdavidH on November 14, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    I find it?forehead slappin’ silly?what happens when you change this quote, ever so slightly from this,
    “If Keystone XL dies, Americans will still wake up the next morning and continue to import 10 million barrels of oil?without the benefit of thousands of jobs and long term energy security.”

    To?this,

    “?Americans will still wake up the next morning and continue to import 10 million barrels of oil”

    And the “green” pushers still don’t get it.?
    ???
    ?



  4. ricbee on November 14, 2011 at 11:31 pm

    The unions will win out & the pipeline will get built-Obama just wants the Greenies to think he did his best.



  5. winnie on November 15, 2011 at 4:03 am

    I’m pretty sure that somewhere along the line someone said something to the effect of, “Obama is a great statesman”.? He’s already pissed off the Israelis, why not the Canadians?

    I wonder if his next (inappropriate) hot mic comment will be directed toward PM Stephen Harper?
    ?



    • phil on November 15, 2011 at 9:00 am

      Not that he cares, but he’s also pissed me off!



  6. WagTheDog on November 15, 2011 at 8:38 am

    All hale our overlords from the North – this is now Amerida.? Start calling your couches chesterfields, and adopt the “aboot” idioms.
    The truth of the matter is that even if we are successful in bringing the pipeline in, we are still dependent on foreign oil.? Two things need to happen: Long term – alternative energy source, short term – use the oil we have in our own country.? Looking to government to get us off the need for oil is a path to failure.



  7. JBS on November 15, 2011 at 9:11 am

    The Zero will do and say anything in order to be reelected. He is well on a path to destroy this country. His reelection will compound a mistake with a tragedy.
    I agree that the pipeline will be built; the unions are only waiting to get the most favorable concessions. This country will continue to import oil. The only question there is whose name is on the check? The “greenies” will have to find another project to protest. They are tomorrow’s collateral damage. We need the oil and Canada is our NAFTA partner. Done deal.
    (Historical note: Our military (and our economy) runs on oil. Look what happened to the Nazis in WWII when they ran out of oil and tried to replace it with synthetics.)



    • JBS on November 15, 2011 at 9:18 am

      ?Ameranada?
      Mexamada?
      Amexida?
      Canamexico . . . ?
      ?



  8. Dimsdale on November 15, 2011 at 12:50 pm

    I wouldn’t call it “indecision”.? The wizened ?bama has put his reelection above the needs of the country, and made a political decision.
    ?
    I would rather pay Canadians for oil than terrorist supporting nations in the Middle East.? Apparently, “fearless Leader” would not.



  9. sammy22 on November 15, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    I’ve been reading since yesterday that the Keystone pipeline is going to be moved farther east. So what’s the big deal? Maybe it will be moved farther and farther east until it it hits CT or MA). Then it will be killed as other “energy” projects have been killed.



    • Dimsdale on November 15, 2011 at 7:11 pm

      If so, you can bet each “decision” will require months of “deliberation”, sufficient to make the plan ineffective, as in this case, and in the Gulf, as after the BP oil spill.
      ?
      The terrorists and their oil rich supporters must be smiling…..



  10. sammy22 on November 15, 2011 at 10:22 pm

    I am sure that a Republican President would have the pipeline ready next week and the oil flowing the week after that. BTW, why get so worked up about this pipeline when South Dakota is awash with oil?



    • Dimsdale on November 16, 2011 at 10:35 am

      Well, let’s just leave it at “a lot faster”.
      ?
      Maybe it is easier to get the oil from Canada than run up against the inevitable “reviews” and “reviews of reviews” that this feckless administration will conjure up, although we are seeing that even transporting the oil is being hindered.



  11. Lazybum on November 16, 2011 at 7:34 am

    I never thought I would EVER miss Jimmy Carter as President…..



    • Dimsdale on November 16, 2011 at 10:36 am

      You have Carter II in office now.? What’s to miss??? 😉



  12. PatRiot on November 16, 2011 at 11:51 am

    Nothing new here.? Another political football at taxpayer expense.
    Yucca mountain has cost the US taxxpayer billions and yet it sits empty.? A single respository for the spent nuke fuel.? Instead we have?at least 110 nuke plant sites holding this stuff?- with all of the economic inefficiencies, environmental?and possible terrorist risks?that come with it.????????
    For what’s best for America – HA !? And they call this progress ?



  13. PatRiot on November 16, 2011 at 11:52 am

    The reason is there.?
    The harbor is big enough.?
    There just isn’t enough tea in China (that’s funny!) to fully represent how most of us feel about how this government(R’s, D’s & I’s)?is failing in its duties.



    • Dimsdale on November 19, 2011 at 10:56 am

      Pretty soon, there will be enough oil in China though, between this and contracts they have with Cuba etc.



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