Unions Object To Obama’s Delay Of Keystone XL Pipeline & Call It Gutless & Slap to Face Of Americans | Media: It’s Entirely Political
The New York Times writes that “[t]he Keystone XL pipeline is a great political symbol. [It] has galvanized environmental activists, who call it a litmus test for President Obama’s commitment to fighting climate change. . . . It has motivated liberal donors, led by the California billionaire Tom Steyer, who has personally urged Mr. Obama to reject the pipeline. . . . But when it comes to the pipeline’s true impact on global warming, energy and climate change experts — including former Obama administration officials — say Keystone’s political symbolism vastly outweighs its policy substance.”
Politico’s Ben Whiteexplains for CNBC today, “The decision to once again punt on Keystone was, of course, entirely political. The White House in its Friday-of-a-holiday-weekend news dump cited an ongoing legal dispute in Nebraska over approval for the Keystone route through the state as the reason for the latest in years of delays. But there is no reason that dispute should change the federal government's decision on whether building the pipeline is in the national interest. President Obama's own State Department has now twice concluded that the pipeline would cause no net harm to the environment. And State is involved only because the pipeline crosses the Canadian border, which does not, in fact, extend into Nebraska. Indeed, it seems fairly clear that on the merits, the administration would likely have approved the pipeline months if not years ago. . . . But there are at least 100 million reasons why the president has held up the decision. Those reasons live in the bank account of hedge fund manager Tom Steyer who has pledged to spend $100 million helping Democrats avoid disaster in a 2014 midterm election where their Senate majority is in serious jeopardy. Steyer's No. 1 issue? Stopping the Keystone pipeline. . . . And the White House clearly believes it cannot afford to make a major decision on Keystone that would be viewed on the activist left as a massive sellout of the environmental movement. Now the decision can wait at least until after the midterms, if not much longer.”
The Times adds, “Mr. Steyer, the former hedge fund manager who is largely behind putting Keystone on the political map, also founded a ‘super PAC,’ NextGen Climate, which has spent millions of dollars opposing the pipeline, including television and digital ads targeting politicians who support it.”
Rich Lowry, National Review follows the money. “One theory is that the White House thinks the delay is good politics because it allows endangered Red State Democrats who favor the pipeline to distance themselves from the president by attacking his foot-dragging. If so, this is highly counterintuitive political strategy: We’ll do you a big favor by making another in a series of indefensible nondecisions that are unpopular in your state. The simpler explanation is that Tom Steyer, as well as the liberal donors and climate activists allied with him, is getting his way. They were always an influential constituency in the Democratic party, but became even more so a few months ago when Steyer pledged $50 million of his own money to Democrats in the midterms, to be matched by another $50 million from other donors. In a punishing year for Democrats, this was rare good news. Why mess it up by deciding Keystone on the merits?”
Lowry continues, “For all the complaints about money in politics, it is unusual that a high-profile decision seems to have such a direct connection to one big-time donor. Steyer deserves perverse credit for his success defying what would otherwise be uncontroversial public policy. Rarely does a meritless cause get so much traction. But union workers can be forgiven for not appreciating Steyer’s virtuosity.”
Yesterday, the ARRA News Service contributor Gary Bauer identified Tom Steyer as "The Leftwing Billionaire Who “Owns” Obama." Read More about Steyer here.
Union leaders were unsparing with their derision of this latest delay. Terry O’Sullivan, General President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, said, “This is once again politics at its worst. In another gutless move, the Administration is delaying a finding on whether the pipeline is in the national interest based on months-old litigation in Nebraska regarding a state level challenge to a state process -- and which has nothing to with the national interest. They waited until Good Friday, believing no one would be paying attention. The only surprise is they didn’t wait to do it in the dark of night. It’s not the oil that’s dirty, it’s the politics. Once again, the Administration is making a political calculation instead of doing what is right for the country. This certainly is no example of profiles in courage. . . . This is another low blow to the working men and women of our country for whom the Keystone XL Pipeline is a lifeline to good jobs and energy security.”
And Sean McGarvey, President of North America’s Building Trades Unions, said, “The actions by the Obama Administration to further extend the review process for the Keystone XL pipeline is a cold, hard slap in the face for hard working Americans who are literally waiting for President Obama's approval and the tens of thousands of jobs it will generate. Despite this administration’s own findings that the Keystone project will result in significant economic benefits to our country, President Obama has placed politics over substantive policy that only serves to advance the agenda of well funded radical environmentalists. . . . Why does President Obama continue to side with radicals instead of the middle class that . . . supports this project by a significant majority? It's ironic that at the same time billionaire conservatives are coming under increasing scrutiny and criticism by the left for their involvement in politics, there is nary a word about the political spending by liberal billionaires that negatively impact the job prospects and livelihoods of working class Americans.”
Tags: Presidenet Obama, Obama administration, Keystone XL Pipeline delayed, Unions respond, gutless, slap to face, Americans, union workers, Tom Steyer To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Politico’s Ben Whiteexplains for CNBC today, “The decision to once again punt on Keystone was, of course, entirely political. The White House in its Friday-of-a-holiday-weekend news dump cited an ongoing legal dispute in Nebraska over approval for the Keystone route through the state as the reason for the latest in years of delays. But there is no reason that dispute should change the federal government's decision on whether building the pipeline is in the national interest. President Obama's own State Department has now twice concluded that the pipeline would cause no net harm to the environment. And State is involved only because the pipeline crosses the Canadian border, which does not, in fact, extend into Nebraska. Indeed, it seems fairly clear that on the merits, the administration would likely have approved the pipeline months if not years ago. . . . But there are at least 100 million reasons why the president has held up the decision. Those reasons live in the bank account of hedge fund manager Tom Steyer who has pledged to spend $100 million helping Democrats avoid disaster in a 2014 midterm election where their Senate majority is in serious jeopardy. Steyer's No. 1 issue? Stopping the Keystone pipeline. . . . And the White House clearly believes it cannot afford to make a major decision on Keystone that would be viewed on the activist left as a massive sellout of the environmental movement. Now the decision can wait at least until after the midterms, if not much longer.”
The Times adds, “Mr. Steyer, the former hedge fund manager who is largely behind putting Keystone on the political map, also founded a ‘super PAC,’ NextGen Climate, which has spent millions of dollars opposing the pipeline, including television and digital ads targeting politicians who support it.”
Rich Lowry, National Review follows the money. “One theory is that the White House thinks the delay is good politics because it allows endangered Red State Democrats who favor the pipeline to distance themselves from the president by attacking his foot-dragging. If so, this is highly counterintuitive political strategy: We’ll do you a big favor by making another in a series of indefensible nondecisions that are unpopular in your state. The simpler explanation is that Tom Steyer, as well as the liberal donors and climate activists allied with him, is getting his way. They were always an influential constituency in the Democratic party, but became even more so a few months ago when Steyer pledged $50 million of his own money to Democrats in the midterms, to be matched by another $50 million from other donors. In a punishing year for Democrats, this was rare good news. Why mess it up by deciding Keystone on the merits?”
Lowry continues, “For all the complaints about money in politics, it is unusual that a high-profile decision seems to have such a direct connection to one big-time donor. Steyer deserves perverse credit for his success defying what would otherwise be uncontroversial public policy. Rarely does a meritless cause get so much traction. But union workers can be forgiven for not appreciating Steyer’s virtuosity.”
Yesterday, the ARRA News Service contributor Gary Bauer identified Tom Steyer as "The Leftwing Billionaire Who “Owns” Obama." Read More about Steyer here.
Union leaders were unsparing with their derision of this latest delay. Terry O’Sullivan, General President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, said, “This is once again politics at its worst. In another gutless move, the Administration is delaying a finding on whether the pipeline is in the national interest based on months-old litigation in Nebraska regarding a state level challenge to a state process -- and which has nothing to with the national interest. They waited until Good Friday, believing no one would be paying attention. The only surprise is they didn’t wait to do it in the dark of night. It’s not the oil that’s dirty, it’s the politics. Once again, the Administration is making a political calculation instead of doing what is right for the country. This certainly is no example of profiles in courage. . . . This is another low blow to the working men and women of our country for whom the Keystone XL Pipeline is a lifeline to good jobs and energy security.”
And Sean McGarvey, President of North America’s Building Trades Unions, said, “The actions by the Obama Administration to further extend the review process for the Keystone XL pipeline is a cold, hard slap in the face for hard working Americans who are literally waiting for President Obama's approval and the tens of thousands of jobs it will generate. Despite this administration’s own findings that the Keystone project will result in significant economic benefits to our country, President Obama has placed politics over substantive policy that only serves to advance the agenda of well funded radical environmentalists. . . . Why does President Obama continue to side with radicals instead of the middle class that . . . supports this project by a significant majority? It's ironic that at the same time billionaire conservatives are coming under increasing scrutiny and criticism by the left for their involvement in politics, there is nary a word about the political spending by liberal billionaires that negatively impact the job prospects and livelihoods of working class Americans.”
Tags: Presidenet Obama, Obama administration, Keystone XL Pipeline delayed, Unions respond, gutless, slap to face, Americans, union workers, Tom Steyer To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
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