Oil Industry told Obama: "You do what we say on Keystone or there’ll be political trouble’”

[Triana]

Bill Moyers asked environmental activist Bill McKibben why the State Department concluded in a long-anticipated report delivered last week that the proposed 1,179-mile Keystone XL pipeline would basically have no impact on climate change. Like so many issues in politics today, McKibben says the answer basically comes down to money and power. “The American Petroleum Institute told the president two years ago, ‘you do what we say on Keystone or there’ll be political trouble,’” McKibben tells Moyers. “We’ll find out how scared he was.”

http://billmoyers.com/2014/02/07/bill-mckibben-on-why-the-white-house-wants-to-approve-keystone/

VIDEO: http://vimeo.com/86050741

[NYC_SKP]

1. I can believe that. nt

[grasswire]

2. I trust Bill Moyers more than any other American today.

So if he accepted what McKibben says about this, then it is so.

Looks like Ed Schulz got a call from oil, too.

[bermudat]

3. What political trouble?

This is Obama's final term, he is not running again.

[frazzled]

4. That was my reaction: too late

at least for him.

I'm sorry, but is Bill McKibben quoting something or just putting out a theory about what he presumes they said? One can only think the latter. And what if that even was the general message?

We saw in the last election that despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on attack ads and support to crazy Tea Party candidates, the Democrats did just fine. Keystone XL doesn't really have that much sway over American voters.

I'm not predicting what Obama will do one way or another. But one thing I think I know about him after all this time: he's not bullied by political pressure. He'll do what he thinks is best. We may not agree with him. But the process will be his.

[sabrina 1]

7. Two years ago. Remember Clinton. Political trouble can mean many things.

And there are other Democrats to be concerned about.

If it is true, and nothing should surprise us anymore, he should have told the public that he was being threatened, he should have taped them and exposed them.

I hope one day that is what will happen, that those who have taken over this country are thoroughly exposed for the criminals they are.

Meantime, this country is in big trouble so long as these crooks can pour money into elections and so long as we have massive spying, even on Congress, of the entire country.

[madfloridian]

16. Hey Sabrina, remember Reich's words about Clinton and business?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/6699

He was fearful of business and the harm they could do. Leaders are afraid of them.

"The reviewer sets up the scenario by saying "Reich and his wife Clare, and Bill and Hillary go to Kinkaid's, an elegant restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue. It's a good-bye dinner for Clare, who is going back to Cambridge with their two sons. Over dessert, Reich can't help himself."

'After all, we're balancing the budget and sacrificing public investment so that corporations have more money to invest. At the least, we should expect them to invest with their employees and communities in mind.'

There's an awkward pause. Have I overstepped the line?

'It seems to me,' says Clare, weighing her words carefully, 'that corporations are downsizing not only themselves but also a big part of the middle class.'

She's bailed me out. I want to kiss her on the spot. I throw caution to the winds and ask B, 'Would you be comfortable saying what Clare just said?'

'I have to keep myself from saying it everyday,' he says softly. 'I shouldn't be out in front on these issues. I can't be criticizing.'[/blockquote]

[Luminous Animal]

8. He is probably referring to this:

President Obama faces “huge political consequences” if he does not approve the proposed 1,700-mile Keystone XI pipeline that would link Alberta’s oil stands to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast, a top oil industry lobbyist warned Wednesday.


Obama (AP Photo)
Jack Gerard, head of the American Petroleum Institute, used his annual “State of American Energy” speech to draw a pipe in the sand on behalf of a project backed by Big Oil and construction unions, but opposed by environmentalists.

“Clearly the Keystone XL pipeline is in the national interest,” said Gerard. “A determination to decide anything less than that, I believe, will have huge political consequences.”

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/01/04/big-oil-warns-obama-huge-political-consequences/

[Coyotl]

26. So, basically a hyperbolic statement to Moyers.

Granted, you don't want to fuck with Big oil. Ask Siegelman!

Gov. Don Siegelman, the Roughly $3.6 Billion, ExxonMobil, and Pissing Off BIG OIL.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3070446

Did hackers remove this from DU????

ON EDIT: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NqzW4KIwLdkJ:www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az%3Dview_all%26address%3D389x3070446+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

[freshwest]

24. Agreed. He was threatened early on and their revenge was the creation of the TeaParty. They have

been given enough rope to hang themselves and are discredited with most Americans.

[Luminous Animal]

5. "There will be political trouble" is not specific to Obama.

[iandhr]

6. Dems are facing tough reelections fights in oil states.

E.G Landreu in LA.


That's a race we need to win to hold on to the senate.

It's supported by business and labor and people like Bill Clinton.

Rejecting the decision is the right decision for the country but it is the wrong decision politically

[B Calm]

21. Doesn't matter how they stand, they'll still spend tons of

money trying to unseat democrats.

[underthematrix]

28. maybe those of us who can need to start taking the bus or car pooling

[Whisp]

15. I think it came in 2010 midterms with the introduction of the Baggers.

That was Obama's punishment from the Kochs.

I want those fuckers shut down, hard. I want all who are fighting sooooo hard to stuff their fat sloven pockets full of keystone cash at great expense to the people and the environment - shut them fuckers down.

and that includes the Clintons. Bill has made speeches about how great it will be financially - yeh, Bill, but for who? The likes of you and your filthy rich friends like so many other little projects of yours.

I pray that Obama nixes XL. I hope and pray and cross all fingers.

But if he doesn't - that doesn't mean I'll stick a knife in his back either. It will be a dissapointment for sure, but lots of things are and will forever be.

[SalviaBlue]

9. So the oil companies pulled a "Christie"

sounds like par for the course.

Thugs.

[maindawg]

10. balderdash

The oil industry never bullies anybody.

[jsr]

11. Recommend

[Coyotl]

12. Who? When? Where? Witnesses?

[Triana]

19. See reply #8

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024466555#post8

[Fred Sanders]

13. Corruption in America is so prevalent that one can blackmail the elected President, how precious?

[kelliekat44]

14. The people impacted need to rise up and fight this and rise up against the oil companies.

I wish we could start a national boycott of petroleum but I know that's impossible. If people are going to be jacked around by the oil companies we cannot expect one man, Obama or otherwise, to fight the battle alone.

[Cha]

17. I call Bullshit.

[debunkthis]

18. I can't help but wonder

whether they gave Obama the "bag of cash or bullet" option our government gave to various leaders in Central/South America in the past.

[davidpdx]

20. It wouldn't surprise me if the oil companies all decided to sue the government

That being said, I hope Obama stands up to them and doesn't approve the pipeline.

[L0oniX]

22. You will do it or else!

Alright you guys ...drop the cigars ...this is Biggy ...see ...yeeaa ...yer gonna do what Biggy says or we'll have to muss ya up ...yeeaa!

[freshwest]

23. Actually the threats started in 2009. Keystone was planned during the Bush era. Chasles Koch

came out directly in 2010 and threatened Obama.

The GOP fought his alternative energy stimulus programs with media assistance to make it look as if Obama was wasting tax dollars and it wouldn't work. Then they launched the Tea Party to force that and stop the Bush era tax cut sunset, which has only been delayed, not fully stopped as demanded.

Obama kept on stalling and the fossil fuel groups have been furious since then. Part of their strategy was the sequester to halt the help for the alternatve energy companies. Obama has gotten part of that done and the success speaks louder than their complaints.

The battle is primarily in the states that have pushed many of ALEC laws and elected state repesentatives to make this go through the state legislatures, one by one. He can't control that, he can only stymie them on one level. The SOS report is not an edict which must be obeyed, either.

[2naSalit]

27. ^^THIS^^

[adirondacker]

25. "There Will Be Blood"

I wonder who is playing the character of Plainview?