Obama team hints at Keystone veto

[Cali_Democrat]

Source: USA Today

The lame duck Congress seems poised to pass legislation calling for construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, but the White House is hinting that President Obama would veto the measure.

"The administration has taken a dim view of these kinds of legislative proposals in the past," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters during Obama's trip to Burma. "It's fair to say that our dim view of these kinds of proposals has not changed."

The pipeline that would carry oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico became a major flash point during this year's congressional elections -- and still is.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2014/11/13/obama-keystone-oil-pipeline-mary-landrieu-lame-duck-congress/18958541/

[Cha]

1. Thanks Cali.. as you saw from my thread in DU.. "350" has already thanked him

for it!

[Cali_Democrat]

3. More:

Obama Stands Up For Democratic Values By Threatening To Veto Keystone XL Bill

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/11/13/obama-stands-democratic-values-threatening-veto-keystone-xl-approval-bill.html

[Cha]

4. Thanks! Can I put this in my OP? :)..

to you?''

[Cali_Democrat]

5. Sure. nt

[PoliticAverse]

2. See this DU thread for a stronger 'will veto' claim...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025813509

[quadrature]

6. pocket veto? ...nt

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Some heads may explode

with just the "mention" of any veto because Keystone was a done deal, Larry Summers would head the Federal Reserve, chained CPI was guaranteed, the Bush tax cuts would never expire, Iran and Libya would be bombed beyond recognition, the government would not shut down Oct 1, 2013 after a "cave", and on and on.

[ballyhoo]

8. Trolling for a deal on no impeachment

for an EO on a deportation pause. Been waiting for that.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. Mary Landrieu is useless

The White House has determined that it's time to cut her loose.

Good riddance.

[AngryAmish]

11. By screwing the biggest political clan with people throughout the state means LA is lost for my life

Book it.

[karynnj]

13. Tell that to the DSC - not Obama

This is NOT something that has any chance to work. More money for better ads -- and maybe the increased enthusiasm by liberals and Hispanics over the China agreement and the EO on immigration COULD have a decent chance - though Landrieu's Keystone XL temper tantrum might cool anyone happy about the REAL Obama accomplishment with China.

[karynnj]

12. You don't mention that the DSC is NOT giving her any money

You also ignore that she has CONSISTENTLY voted for big oil -- and Louisiana knows this. What would this change? Her opponent wrote the bill the House passed and that she is asking for the Senate to approve.

The ONLY advantage she might hold is that she would head an important committee if the Democrats regain the Senate in 2016 - which is pretty likely. This is a pretty unlikely attempt by Landrieu to hold on. It is by no means a sure thing.

Why should Obama throw away his values and principles when the DSC won't even give her money --- because they know it reduces their funds for 2016.

Just because YOU have long supported Keystone, don't try to make it about Landrieu. Something tells me that the environment is NOT your issue. Do you think Obama's China agreement means anything? I personally think it is a game changer - and not just on climate change. It is very significant that Obama got this deal and the other agreements that went with it.

[AngryAmish]

14. I, for one, have long appreciated your use of all caps.

For a few years I have been a national member of a golf course in Hooker County, NE that is completely dependent on the aquafier. Don't lecture me.

[Nihil]

17. "member of a golf course in Hooker County, NE that is completely dependent on the aquafier"

> For a few years I have been a national member of a golf course in Hooker County, NE
> that is completely dependent on the aquafier. Don't lecture me.



Yeah, your support for the environment is really being shown by that connection!

[davidpdx]

15. Landrieu was and is going to lose no matter what happens with Keystone

or when it happens. The DSCC isn't helping her because they are out of money and the Republicans are going to double down on funding the race since they have an unlimited amount of dark money.

[1StrongBlackMan]

27. Gotta love DU ...

President Obama is damned if he does AND damned if he doesn't.

He sandbagged Keystone in order to protect oil state Democrats, i.e., the Senate, (and they run the f@#% away from him and his policies) and when he has no reason to protect the Senate, he's a " pee chugging loser" for coming out and doing what liberals have been calling for.

Gotta love the independentness and non-locksteppiness of DU.

And we wonder why we lose elections.

[Elmergantry]

16. If the pipeline is not built, do some think the oil will not be used?

Thats wishfull thinking. They will just get it to market another way, probably thru much safer rail

Oh and on the aquifer; NY Time (no rw rag)

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/10/03/what-are-the-risks-of-the-keystone-xl-pipeline-project/the-pipeline-poses-minimal-risk-to-the-ogallala-aquifer

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

19. Let them send it by rail over Canadian territory to the sea.

[Elmergantry]

20. That is what may happen

Would be a shame.

AFAIK it is not legal for US oil to be shipped out as crude. The plan is for the oil to be cracked at plants at the gulf and other places and exported as a value added product(reduce trade deficit) .People forget oil is used for much more than just gasoline. I have read more than once of these plants being constructed (more jobs) in the states to do this.

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/11/06/chevron-phillips-chemical-eyes-another-expansion-in-baytown/

But even if the pipeline is not built, This oil will got to market and will help keep prices down. That is good. Oil is fungible. Becasue of that fact even though the US crude is not being exported to the world markets, its presencein the domestic market is part of the recent drop in crude oil prices as domestic buyers are needing less from the world markets.

So IMHO stopping the Keystone will only hurt us.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

21. You would be the very small minority opinion on this site, but you're welcome to it.

[Elmergantry]

23. Yes I know

But I guess I am just getting down to brass tacks. If the oil IS going to be used, Keystone or not, AND the aquaifer risk is not as bad as some are saying, I'm just coming to this logical conclusion.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

22. You take the opinion of one man?

Three experts who testified before the Nebraska legislature on the pipeline included the optimistic Mr. Goeke, plus two others who said there was no way of knowing what would happen in the event of a spill into the Ogallala. Another faculty member (civil engineering) undertook an extensive study of the potential for damage from the pipeline and arrived at exactly the opposite conclusion from the sanguine Goeke.

[Elmergantry]

25. Who were the other two?

I am not afraid to change my mind. I'm open-minded that way.

Im just not a knee-jerk anti-oil person. I cant imagine life without oil products.

[NickB79]

29. Rail is far more expensive than a pipeline

And if the price of oil stays below $80/barrel, a lot of tar sands become uneconomical to extract, shutting down operations.

[wordpix]

18. GREAT! This oil is obviously headed for markets other than the US

since we don't need it.

[yurbud]

24. what manner of sorcery is this?

Obama loses the ability to anything legislatively, and suddenly he starts acting like the president we hoped we had elected?

[Cali_Democrat]

28. "Obama loses the ability to anything legislatively"

That ability was pretty much lost in 2010 when Republicans took over the House and then had the ability to block everything the Senate had passed.

Remember this chart?

?itok=HAT3IabT

Now that Congress will implement the Republican agenda and pass Republican legislation, Obama will have to veto those bills...even the ones like Keystone which has the support of the Blue Dog Democrats.

Before the Senate would block any crazy GOP-sponsored that came out of the House, now with the Senate under GOP control, it will require a veto.

2 branches of government are now under the firm control of the GOP.

[Man from Pickens]

26. Says a lot

that the first priority is some big corporate agenda item