No Keystone XL Pipeline Decision until After November Election
Whew!!!
The State Department has extended the comment period on the Keystone XL Pipeline, “...likely postponing a final decision on the controversial project until after the Nov. 4 midterm elections.”
If nothing else, this will buy an extra seven months before Planet Earth's Worst Nightmare begins. I'm guessing President Obama will veto the XL Pipeline if the Democrats keep control of the Senate. Then again, if the Senate goes Republican, Obama will probably be impeached and convicted of, well, whatever flimsy trumped-up charges the Kochsuckers can come up with. If that's the case, maybe Obama will give the finger to the Kochs' useful idiots, veto the XL Pipeline and say “what're you gonna do, impeach me?”
It doesn't say much for American voters' collective intelligence, but most Americans are in favor of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Sad but true.
But I don't think the XL Pipeline will be a major issue during the 2014 midterm election. The election will revolve around the economy in general, and Obamacare in particular. As pundits and columnists have been saying for months now, Democrats need to get behind the Affordable Care Act (i.e. Obamacare) and get out there and talk about it. They need to keep hammering away at the fact that eight million (and counting) previously uninsured Americans now have health insurance. Health insurance companies can no longer turn you down because of a pre-existing condition, and they aren't allowed to cancel your coverage if you have the nerve to go and get sick. Shout it from the rooftops! Get the message out!
Anyway, this pipeline delay was a shrewd decision. It won't be a factor in the upcoming election. Democrats are the ones who usually fall into this trap: campaigning relentlessly on their favorite issues — the environment, income inequality, the Talibangelical war on women (war on everybody, for that matter) — issues where the voters agree with them wholeheartedly, and then they turn around and vote Republican because of “Jobs!”
Maybe Republicans will fall into that same trap this year. Maybe they'll wage a shrill campaign in favor of Keystone XL and against those treehuggers and environazis who are ruining America, while Obamacare gets more popular and the economy improves.
Works for me.
Labels: Keystone XL Pipeline, State Department extended comment period
posted by Tom Harper @ 4:36 PM
9 Comments:
I don't see why we should risk our environment (US soil) for Canadian crude products going to China. Keep us out of it.
"Kochsuckers" You got that right!
I've got the sinking feeling this is all kabuki to see if we can get some more dems in office then they can go about screwing the environment. Call me cynical but it is how they do things.
Jerry: Too many dumb Americans think the Keystone tar sands oil will help our energy crisis. It won't; like you said, it's all being exported.
Life: That's my favorite description of them, plus a few less printable terms.
Jess: That's possible. I like to think the Democrats are less Plutocratic and corporate-friendly than Republicans, but sometimes it's hard to tell.
That's right, Tom. Want to bring down the price of OUR gasoline? Stop exporting OUR oil and oil products!
Jerry: Damn right. If only the Fox viewers and talk radio listeners could figure it out.
There is an article in today's LA Times
about the future rise in electricity prices. It discusses several of the usual reasons people give such as the shift from coal to natural gas, shutdown of nuclear plants, shifts to renewable sources, etc. but buried deep in the middle of the article is this little gem,
"Plans to export massive amounts of liquefied natural gas,..."
MASSIVE AMOUNTS!!!
This item they don't discuss. What the hell? Nat. gas is already more expense than coal and the price is expected to continue to increase as our usage increases. What the hell are we doing planning to export MASSIVE amounts of the stuff?
We should tell the energy companies "hell no! You are not going to export it." Once again, they are putting profits over people. They would rather keep supply tight and prices high in the US, and sell gas to Europe where nat. gas is twice the price.
Screw them. It is our gas and should be used here!
Jerry: Thanks for the link. You're right, the article makes it sound like treehuggers and enviro-wackos are solely responsible for soaring energy prices. Everything would be just fine if we'd just crank up the nuclear power plants and Drill Here Drill Now.
The natural gas industry says:
Frack deep,
Frack often,
And frack you!
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