President Obama: What's next?

[River]

Yeah! When we need it!

Was it Perry who said that we needed the Keystone pipeline because otherwise we'd have to buy foreign oil?

[axordil]

The current pipeline goes to US Midwestern locations and its produce is generally sold on the US Market. The proposed extension would go to the Gulf Coast refineries and straight to China from there (and probably some other markets too, for what it's worth).

The US wouldn't get an additional drop. The whole point of the project is so Canada can sell tar sand oil to other markets, for more money, while not having to build a pipeline in Canada, where they actually still enforce regulations on such things from time to time.

[vison]

The current pipeline goes to US Midwestern locations and its produce is generally sold on the US Market. The proposed extension would go to the Gulf Coast refineries and straight to China from there (and probably some other markets too, for what it's worth).

The US wouldn't get an additional drop. The whole point of the project is so Canada can sell tar sand oil to other markets, for more money, while not having to build a pipeline in Canada, where they actually still enforce regulations on such things from time to time.

Oh, it won't be long, I'm sure, before the pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat or Prince Rupert will be built. There is a great deal of controversy about it, to be sure.

The tiniest possible corner of our property has the Trans-Canada pipeline running across it. The pipeline cuts across the centres of several neighbours' properties, though. It just so happens that it barely touches ours. It is patrolled daily by helicopter and several times a year by men on foot. We get regular mailings full of cool pipeline propaganda. And free pens and erasable message boards and once a really good map book.

[axordil]

See, in the US all you'd get from a pipeline company is, well, an occasional leak.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

This is just too classic. Diane Black, a first term tea party GOP representative from Tennessee is introducing a resolution attacking the president's recess appointments. From her press release:

“It’s astounding to me that the president is claiming these are recess appointments and within his authority, when Congress was not in fact in recess,” said Black. “These appointments are an affront to the Constitution. No matter how you look at this, it doesn’t pass the smell test. I hope the House considers my resolution as soon as we return to Washington so we can send a message to President Obama.”

In other words, let's censure the president for claiming that we were in recess, just as soon as we get back from our recess.

Extraordinary.

[yovargas]

I wonder if there is a fish big enough out there to the entirety of Congress.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

An interesting article about the president from Andrew Sullivan at the Daily Beast:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2 ... itics.html

[Dave_LF]

Good article. Those who hang on my every word will know I'm repeating myself again, but the right's slanderous characterization of Obama as a (Christian) Messiah was more right than they knew. What they forgot is that despite initial enthusism, their Messiah was eventually killed by his own followers. He won anyway though; in the long game.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

It's official, the Obama adminstration has rejected the Keystone Pipeline.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ ... story.html

This is a perfect example of the long view that that article talked about. Remember the rabid protests last year from the left in which people were calling Obama a turncoat and chicken and worse. If he had buckled down to that pressure, it would have a political and policy disaster (and probably wouldn't have stood). Instead, he managed to manipulate the GOP into insisting that he make a decision before a proper review could be completed, giving him both political and policy cover.

[River]

So my Dad and I are the only ones in the family who don't foam at the mouth over Obama. The rest of 'em have the typical hard-left reaction to the man: too little, too late, not good enough, blah blah blah. So I watch these maneuvers with an extra smirk and giggle. I wonder what the Congressional response will be.

Sullivan's article has drawn a surprising, maybe even telling, amount of venom from the right, BTW.

[Inanna]

This article has a clip at the bottom from MSNBC -- an interview with Sullivan. Pretty good stuff:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/1 ... 10182.html

Of course, the pipeline decision will be heralded as a "typical move by a jobs killer" by all the Republican candidates now.

[vison]

This is pretty big news up here, too.

At the same time, there are plans to build a pipeline (Enbridge's Northern Gateway project) from the Alberta tar sands to the west coast. Albertans are all for it, but British Columbians are rather divided on the subject. The proposed pipeline would run through Jasper National Park, for one thing.

The Conservative government has been attacking the people opposed to the pipeline. "Radicals" they call them, "funded by foreign money"!!!! And, yes, there are "foreigners" helping to fight the pipeline, like the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations. Several million dollars have come from all over the world, to fund this fight.

Dreadful, isn't it? I mean, FOREIGN money, and foreigners "interfering with a Canadian issue"!

Um, yes.

Of course, the oil pipeline proponents have had over $100 million dollars from Texaco, Conoco, Pacific Petroleum, etc. and, most of all, from the Government of China. That kind of foreign money is peachy keen with our Great Leader in Ottawa.

However, it is a done deal. The hearings will go ahead and opponents will be allowed to speak and everyone will be all nicey-nicey, but the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline will be built just the same.

Mark my words.

[Lurker]

Darn Obama! My stocks fell 46 cents just like the weather in Calgary!

[SirDennis]

Of course, the oil pipeline proponents have had over $100 million dollars from Texaco, Conoco, Pacific Petroleum, etc. and, most of all, from the Government of China. That kind of foreign money is peachy keen with our Great Leader in Ottawa.

However, it is a done deal. The hearings will go ahead and opponents will be allowed to speak and everyone will be all nicey-nicey, but the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline will be built just the same.

Mark my words.

I think that under NAFTA the minute US investors claimed a stake in this project it had to go through. If the government tried to stop it they would have to pay lost profits to the investors, and/or a fine, and have the thing go ahead anyway.

[vison]

I don't know whether NAFTA comes into this or not.

But, what a blessing it's been, eh?

I always remind myself that when a mouse sleeps with an elephant, the elephant gets most of the blankets.

[WampusCat]

But the mouse gets to cuddle up to a really big heat source.

[SirDennis]

But the mouse gets to cuddle up to a really big heat source.

And enjoy the occasional sip of milk:

[Voronwë the Faithful]

The president took another action this weekend that indicates that rather than moving further to the center in order to try to help cement his re-election he is instead working to help cement his base. This time he took a fairly bold action in announcing that he will be essentially going around Congress by implementing much of what would be achieved by the stalled Dream Act. Essentially, he has declared that any undocumented immigrant under 30 who came to the country before the age of 16, have lived in the country for at least five years, and has a high school diploma or equivalent or served in the military, will not be deported.

With the Hispanic vote promising to be a significant factor in the election, and many getting more than a little impatient with the president's lack of action on immmigration reform (which has more to do with the fact that he would not be able to get anywhere with Congress than anything else), this certainly appears to be an action taken for political reasons. But it also, as the President himself stated, the right thing to do. This is similar to his announced support of same sex marriage. The political implications are difficult to calculate: it could cost him as many votes as it could gain. But it is heartening, to me at least, to see him more and more when faced with this type of balance choosing the right course of action over the safe course of action.

[Teremia]

I feel the same way, V. Thanks for saying it so well!

[vison]

I just hope he hasn't waited too long.