Posted on 11/06/2014 11:41:43 AM PST by SeekAndFind
On the Thursday after Democrats’ drubbing at the polls, White House Press Sec. Josh Earnest appeared on CNN where he doubled down on Barack Obama’s insistence that the areas where there was likely to be grounds for compromise were initiatives of key importance to the American left. In his speech yesterday, Barack Obama inexplicably cited “roads and bridges,” universal pre-kindergarten funding, and increasing the minimum wage as places where ascendant Republicans should compromise their principles. Each of these proposals are also, coincidentally, bullet points on the progressive wish lists he calls State of the Union Addresses.
Somehow, Obama was unable to get his agenda passed when his party controlled both chambers of the legislature. Now that the House and Senate are lost to the Republicans, Earnest was asked where there were areas in which the onus would be on Obama to compromise with the GOP. CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota specifically cited one proposal that is wildly popular and generally understood to be good for economic growth: the Keystone XL Pipeline. Earnest demonstrated Obama’s bottomless capacity for magnanimity when he signaled that the president would not budge off his opposition to even something with astronomical bipartisan appeal like Keystone.
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We’re actually going to allow the State Department to conduct their regular process of evaluating whether or not the construction of the Keystone pipeline would be in the national interests of the United States of America,” Earnest said after casting doubt on whether the construction of a transit line carrying oil from Canada to a Gulf Coast port would be of any economic benefit to the United States.
This is, of course, bunk. Keystone was submitted to the State Department in 2008 — or 24 Democratic senators ago — for review. That process would have been completed long ago but for the White House’s direct intervention.
“The Obama administration further delayed its decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project on Friday, with no conclusion now likely until after the U.S. mid-term elections in November,” Reuters reported in April of this year. “The legal process will likely continue past November and might stretch into next year, meaning more delays for the politically-charged issue that has been on the drawing board for more than five years.”
But Earnest got to the meat of the White House’s opposition to Keystone when he was pressed. “I do think it continues to be an open question about what impacts the construction of the pipeline would have on those causes of climate change, and that is a concern that the president articulated a couple of times now,” he said.
Not according to the State Department and its endless review process. “A long-awaited State Department environmental report on the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline indicates what the oil industry and its backers have been saying — it won’t have a big impact on carbon emissions that cause climate change,” CNN reported in January.
This prompted thoughtful and serious liberals like Rep. Raul Grijalva (R-AZ) to declare the entire review a “sham” and insist that there was a conspiracy was afoot on the part of State Department to, presumably, make the planet sick.
The left clings to baseless, unscientific opposition to the Keystone pipeline like a totem. Their antagonism toward this project is either political or paranoid, and it should not be treated seriously. Republicans in the 115th Congress should pass legislation authorizing construction of this universally popular project – even among a majority of Democrats – every week for the next two years. Let the Democratic slate of 2016 candidates determine whether Obama’s repeated vetoes were politically wise moves.
I know there is enough anger out there .....even in California. Arizona would explode. Other states have also seen the evil of illegal immigration. Not sure it would be enough. We shall see.
Note to little Joshua: To steal and old commie lib ‘RAT quote, “WE WON!!!”
With all due respect, have you been paying attention for the last six years?
I predict the unions will turn enough Dems on Keystone to override Obama’s veto for the first time. The votes have been there, but Harry Reid blocked it.
Building Keystone, Obamacare Repeal, restricting the alphabet bureaus, enacting laws to return people to work, tax-cuts for those bringing their money back into the American economy, giving powers back to the states, and so many more items should be the VERY FIRST ACTION on their desks!!!
Put them on his desk in plan, simple, HARSH truthful wording: 100% Repeal Of Obamacare, etc...
This will make Obama and the Democrats OWN every stupid thing going forward. Now, if he vetos, then take it back to the Senate and attempt and override - again it will show the American people who the REAL obstructionists are!
Lastly, if they vote it in or override a full veto, start dismantling these debacles one piece at a time. BUT START WITH THE BIGGEST, HARSHEST MOVE FIRST! Make them own all the failures!!
“On Keystone, I’m not sure if McConnell can muster 2/3 of the Senate to override a veto.”
Yes he can. This is aupported by most senators. It never got past Reid.
With all the oil the U.S. is producing now, and surpluses looming, is Keystone really all that important anymore?
Send 0bama rifle-shot-targeted bills that Americans vastly agree with, and 0bama must veto because he’s a Marxist.
Do that weekly for 2 years.
Make every Dem take hard votes.
We are not going to override vetoes.
We are going to put Democrats on record as opposing positions most Americans favor. Weekly.
That should be the #1 political strategy for the next 2 years:
Obstructionist President and Democrats in Congress.
Then, President Cruz.
“roads and bridges,”
universal pre-kindergarten funding,
and increasing the minimum wage
If Obama wants the newly elected RINOs to compromise on the issues he referenced, he needs to do the following. Since the states have never delegated to the feds, expressly via the Constitution, the specific powers to do the things that he has proposed, Obama first needs to lead Congress as indicated below.
He need to lead Congress to propose appropriate amendments to the Constitution to the states. And if the states choose to ratify Obama’s amendments then the feds will have the constitutional authority necessary to regulate, tax and spend for the issues that Obama has referenced, and he will be a hero.
THe last thing the GOP should do is compromise.
Force the Democrats to vote against the bills, pass them anyway, then force Obama to veto them, then show the American people what the Democrats and Obama really stand for.
Assuming, of course, they can get past the media Praetorians to do this.
Impeachment, Jan. 2015...
We have to, or he will kill this country.
Those democrats who do not support it will be toast the next time they come up for re-election...
I’m thinking enough Democrats are ready to bail on Obama
to make a difference. Many must know he’s a psycho.
Josh is a total tool. He makes Jay Carney, Robert Gibbs and even that Clinton blonde-haired bimbo look like geniuses.
At this point in time, any mention of the word ‘compromise’, should be treated as TREASON.
When has 0bama ever worked with or compromised with Republicans?
He only just learned McConnell’s phone number.
He has spent the entire 6 years trashing and blaming Republicans for all of HIS failures. They shouldn’t give him the time of day. I don’t care if he is POTUS.
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