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Eleven Democrats Push Obama to Approve Keystone
Wall Street Journal ^ | Apr 10, 2014 | AMY HARDER

Posted on 04/16/2014 7:30:07 AM PDT by thackney

Nearly a dozen Senate Democrats, including five up for re-election this year, are pressing President Barack Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, and they say they want a decision by the end of next month.

Most Republicans support the pipeline, but the 11 Democrats who wrote a letter to Mr. Obama urging him to approve the project deliberately made it a one party-effort. While a set of bipartisan signatures can be a powerful thing in the art of Washington letter-writing, these lawmakers clearly want to accentuate the pressure Mr. Obama faces from his own party on this issue.

“It’s really to turn up the pressure on the president,” said a Senate Democratic aide on the condition of anonymity. “We know where the Republicans are on this issue.”

Democratic Sens. Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mark Warner of Virginia, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Mark Begich of Alaska, who all face tight races this November, signed the letter, which urges Mr. Obama to put in place an explicit timeline to decide on the project and to make a final decision by May 31. The party’s quest to keep control of the Senate could hinge on the races of these five Democrats, who have previously expressed support for the project. Many of them come from fossil-fuel rich states.

“This process has been exhaustive in its time, breadth, and scope,” the Democrats wrote. “It has already taken much longer than anyone can reasonably justify. This is an international project that will provide our great friend and ally Canada, a direct route to our refineries.”

Mr. Obama has not publicly indicated when he will make a final decision on the pipeline, which has been winding its way through a regulatory review within the administration for more than five years.

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Arkansas; US: North Carolina; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: energy; keystonepipeline; keystonexl; oil; pipeline
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1 posted on 04/16/2014 7:30:07 AM PDT by thackney
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To: thackney
"Nearly a dozen Senate Democrats, including five up for re-election this year ..."

Which is why I'm predicting a Keystone OK from Obama by about July.

2 posted on 04/16/2014 7:35:26 AM PDT by InterceptPoint
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To: InterceptPoint

“Which is why I’m predicting a Keystone OK from Obama by about July.”

Don’t be so certain. The Marxist often doubles-down on bad decisions, even in the face of “friendly fire.” Further, this “letter” the Democrats wrote to him gives them cover in any upcoming campaign. They probably don’t really care what the Marxist does with it.


3 posted on 04/16/2014 7:39:05 AM PDT by BlueStateRightist (Government is best which governs least.)
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To: InterceptPoint

Everything is about politics and reelection with these scum,you NEVER hear them talk about doing what’s good for the country.


4 posted on 04/16/2014 7:39:25 AM PDT by Farmer Dean (stop worrying about what they want to do to you,start thinking about what you want to do to them)
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To: InterceptPoint

Isn’t it crazy that it takes five years to make a decision to build a pipeline? Sheesh, we won World War II in less time than that.

How much more study is needed? How much more information do they need to make their decision? Why does it take five years to gather information and decide a course of action? Or is this president incapable of making executive decisions?


5 posted on 04/16/2014 7:40:51 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego (Im)
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To: thackney
Mary Landrieu of Louisiana

Miss Piggy realizes that she's likely to be the "guest of honor" at a political Cochon De Lait festival.

6 posted on 04/16/2014 7:41:10 AM PDT by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)
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To: Dilbert San Diego

The US tested, built, and delivered an atomic bomb in less time.


7 posted on 04/16/2014 7:55:23 AM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (Cruz/Palin 2016)
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To: thackney

They must be confusing “I won” with “We won”


8 posted on 04/16/2014 7:55:57 AM PDT by bigbob (The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly. Abraham Lincoln)
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To: BlueStateRightist
Don’t be so certain. The Marxist often doubles-down on bad decisions, even in the face of “friendly fire.” Further, this “letter” the Democrats wrote to him gives them cover in any upcoming campaign. They probably don’t really care what the Marxist does with it.

The important thing is to get Dingy Harry to allow it to come up for a vote. Then everybody who votes (even those voting "present") will be on record and the Pretender has to veto it. When he vetoes it and a vote is held to override there will be less doubt who the real supporters are.

9 posted on 04/16/2014 7:56:41 AM PDT by immadashell (The inmates are running the asylum.)
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To: Former Proud Canadian

Good point. We were able to develop the atom bomb in less time than the time Obama has sat on this pipeline decision.

Well, if it’s still hanging in 2016, or has been turned down by then, I hope the Republican presidential nominee pushes for it.

Assuming that the Canadians will wait for us to make the damn decision. It’s arrogant of Obama, in my opinion, to just assume that the Canadians will wait for us forever to decide whether we want to be part of this or not.


10 posted on 04/16/2014 7:57:33 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego (Im)
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To: Dilbert San Diego
How much more information campaign contributions do they need to make their decision?

This has been a money maker for both sides. I believe neither wants the controversy to end too soon.

11 posted on 04/16/2014 8:14:05 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: Charles Martel

Who’s gonna bring the boudin?


12 posted on 04/16/2014 8:19:07 AM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: Dilbert San Diego
Not sure what you mean by "assume that the Canadians will wait for us". The pipeline is going to be built and financed by TransCanada Pipelines, a private corporation. It is up to them to wait or not.

As for the government of Canada, they are also pushing another route from Edmonton to a tanker terminal at Kitimat on the Pacific coast. Eventually both pipelines will be needed to bring the oil to market.

13 posted on 04/16/2014 9:16:25 AM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (Cruz/Palin 2016)
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