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McConnell: Make me majority leader, I'll give you Keystone XL
The Hill ^ | 09/18/14 | Laura Barron-Lopez

Posted on 09/19/2014 7:51:37 AM PDT by thackney

Marking the sixth anniversary of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline's permit application, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) teased voters with a preview of what a GOP-controlled Senate would do.

"If American people give us the opportunity to be in a majority next year, I'll be setting the agenda," McConnell said. "It's easier to score if you're on offense, and the majority leader is offensive coordinator."

He added: "If we have a new majority next year, and a new majority leader, the Keystone pipeline will be voted on on the floor of the Senate, something the current majority has been avoiding for literally years."

The promise should come as no surprise as Republicans have voiced constant frustration with the administration over the $5.4 billion project, which would carry crude from oil sands in Alberta to Gulf refineries. Republican Sens. John Hoeven (N.D.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), John Barrasso (Wyo.), John Thune (S.D.) joined McConnell in marking the anniversary of Keystone's permit, which is currently in limbo at the State Department.

All 45 Republican senators also sent a letter to President Obama on Thursday, calling on him, yet again, to approve the pipeline, which they argue is "shovel-ready."

Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, when asked by voters why the pipeline has yet to be approved, that he blames billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer.

"There is no good answer to this other than the ideological blinders that Sen. Barrasso was alluding to and the fact that Tom Steyer will come after any Democrat who votes for this because of his own ideological blinders," Cornyn said.

He added that, if given the majority, Republicans would pass Keystone XL, move on natural gas exports, and "have a robust debate about crude [oil exports] as well."

Environmentalists and liberal Democrats are adamantly opposed to the pipeline, arguing it would significantly contribute to climate change, as well as endangering the environment and homes along the project's route.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offered to have a binding vote on Keystone XL earlier this year as long as Republicans joined with Democrats in passing a major energy efficiency bill.

Republicans wouldn't budge, blasting Reid for blocking their energy amendments.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: 2014election; energy; keystonepipeline; keystonexl; mcconnell; oil; pipeline; senatemajorityleader
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Who believes he has the will and the ability to follow through with this claim? What will really change from today?

I have reached the belief that RNC does not want to end this battle any more than the DNC. Both have used it greatly for years to raise donations.

1 posted on 09/19/2014 7:51:37 AM PDT by thackney
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To: thackney

We need to make McConnell unemployed. The traitor needs to go.


2 posted on 09/19/2014 7:54:31 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: DiogenesLamp

Yep. I’ll hold my nose and vote for Grimes. The first time I will have voted for a democrat since 1972. Putting the R’s in charge of both houses is a very high priority. Cleaning out the GOP is a higher priority.

First things first.


3 posted on 09/19/2014 7:59:01 AM PDT by cuban leaf (The US will not survive the obama presidency. The world may not either.)
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To: thackney

I have reached the belief that RNC does not want to end this battle any more than the DNC.


The two parties, as it turns out, have been playing “good cop, bad cop” with us for decades, if not longer.

I’m done with that paradigm.


4 posted on 09/19/2014 8:00:27 AM PDT by cuban leaf (The US will not survive the obama presidency. The world may not either.)
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To: DiogenesLamp

Make McConnell’s 15 minutes END


5 posted on 09/19/2014 8:01:20 AM PDT by molson209 (Blank)
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To: DiogenesLamp

But the primary is already over. Try again in six years.


6 posted on 09/19/2014 8:01:29 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer.)
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To: thackney
"Follow me! I'm a born leader."


7 posted on 09/19/2014 8:03:30 AM PDT by Paine in the Neck (Socialism consumes EVERYTHING)
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To: cuban leaf
The first time I will have voted for a democrat since 1972.

If more people vote for the more liberal candidate, you believe the GOP will take that as a voter preference for more conservative candidates?

The time to make that push is in the primary. I can understand withholding the vote in the general election, but voting for the most liberal is not making your point, in my opinion.

If conservatives farther down the ticket in smaller local elections get more votes than the RINO's near the top, it may help to convey the "No RINO" point.

8 posted on 09/19/2014 8:05:44 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer.)
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To: thackney

Well Mitch. If you are not going to repeal Obamacare we really don’t have any use for you. You have had several years, and as of today absolutely no results.


9 posted on 09/19/2014 8:07:02 AM PDT by paint_your_wagon
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To: DiogenesLamp

I am discussed that he thinks that is all we care about.


10 posted on 09/19/2014 8:10:19 AM PDT by bmwcyle (People who do not study history are destine to believe really ignorant statements.)
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To: thackney

No and no.

We may need McConnell for control of the Senate but it’s a disgrace this rotten, cadaverous old RINO was re-nominated.

Choosing him as majority leader would be further rewarding incompetence and duplicity and cowardice.


11 posted on 09/19/2014 8:10:36 AM PDT by ZULU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLDFiQcjlY Impeach Obama in 2015 !!!)
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To: thackney

Politics is local. McConnel needs to be removed, one way or the other.


12 posted on 09/19/2014 8:13:28 AM PDT by cuban leaf (The US will not survive the obama presidency. The world may not either.)
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To: thackney
But the primary is already over. Try again in six years.

This has nothing to do with the primary. This has to do with Deliberate efforts by McConnell to damage and marginalize the Tea Party. McConnell helped to pay for those Racist attack ads against Chris McDaniel in Mississippi, and McConnell needs to go.

McConnell trod on the Tea Party, now McConnell needs to get bitten.


13 posted on 09/19/2014 8:13:52 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: DiogenesLamp
McConnell needs to go.

In that we agree. But I do not believe electing the democrat shows support for the Tea Party.

14 posted on 09/19/2014 8:15:42 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer.)
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To: thackney
"If American people give us the opportunity to be in a majority next year, I'll be setting the agenda," McConnell said. "It's easier to score if you're on offense, and the majority leader is offensive coordinator."

He added: "If we have a new majority next year, and a new majority leader, the Keystone pipeline will be voted on on the floor of the Senate, something the current majority has been avoiding for literally years."

Whereupon McConnell futilely scanned the horizon looking for takers.

15 posted on 09/19/2014 8:18:56 AM PDT by Dahoser (Separation of church and state? No, we need separation of media and state.)
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To: thackney
If more people vote for the more liberal candidate, you believe the GOP will take that as a voter preference for more conservative candidates?

I think they will take it as "Don't deliberately piss on them or they will bite you."

Yes, it's important to gain seats in the Senate, but it is *MORE* important not to let people attack us in such a way that we will LOSE seats.

McConnell just took a sure thing Mississippi Senate seat, and may have very well flipped it to the Democrat. If we lose that seat it will be because McConnell would rather have a Democrat sitting in it than a Tea Party Reform candidate.

If McConnell is willing to let the seat go Democrat instead of letting one of us win it, why shouldn't we give him a taste of his own medicine?

Beyond that, his tactic of accusing the Tea Party of racism will very likely be used again in the elections two years from now, if he is not seen as having paid a price for stooping so low.

The Tea Party's future is in jeopardy if McConnell gets away with that tactic.

16 posted on 09/19/2014 8:20:41 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: paint_your_wagon
If you are not going to repeal Obamacare

How on earth do you expect him to do that?

Do you think he's President?

17 posted on 09/19/2014 8:21:19 AM PDT by what's up
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To: thackney

I doubt there is a Republican who if became Senate majority leader would NOT bring the Keystone XL pipeline up for a vote.


18 posted on 09/19/2014 8:22:13 AM PDT by duffee (Dump the Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, joe nosef.)
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To: thackney

The first thing McConnell would do is announce Power Sharing with his fellow nutjob Harry


19 posted on 09/19/2014 8:22:37 AM PDT by molson209 (Blank)
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To: thackney

McConnell and his band of RINO’s have done nothing except enable
Harry Reid and his liberal bills by voting for cloture numerous times.


20 posted on 09/19/2014 8:23:08 AM PDT by tennmountainman (True conservatives don't like being rained on by their own party!)
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