Ex-ambassador calls U.S. pipeline delay 'catastrophic'

[CHIMO]

Source: CBC News Nov 11, 2011 7:27 PM ET Read 754 comments

The U.S. decision to delay approval of the Keystone XL pipeline is a "catastrophic" cop-out by the Obama administration, former U.S. ambassador to Canada David Wilkins said Friday.

Wilkins, who lobbied for the project on behalf of the Canadian oil industry, told CBC's Power & Politics with Evan Solomon that the delay was politics at its worst.

“This route has been studied and studied and studied," he said. "It’s the longest permitting process in the history of the world, I think. It sends a bad message that we’re not open for business.”

Wilkins was ambassador to Canada during the Republican administration of former president George W. Bush.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/11/11/keystone-flaherty.html

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Perhaps it's a good message if one is at the other end of the business?

[gateley]

1. How surprising that a Bush appointee would feel this way. nt

[Auntie Bush]

6. Isn't Wilkens a wee bit biased in his worthless opinion?

[gateley]

7. Just a wee bit, I'm sure. nt

[madokie]

2. screw wilkins and the bush horse he rode in on

[Crowman1979]

3. Not catastrophic to the 99%. We didn't want it to begin with!

[Philosopher King]

21. And they will be the first whine about high gasoline prices.

[Jackpine Radical]

23. And, if it goes through, there will be more whining

about the destruction of the aquifers, the unbreathable air, and the acceleration in the destruction of the food supply due to climate change. Goddam whiners.

[Submariner]

4. “This route has been studied and studied and studied," Oh really...

Did you happen to notice the giant aquifer put at risk during the studied and studied and studied study?

[Left Coast2020]

15. He must have a learning disabiltiy if he studied that much.

Missing the key element of his studied-study.

[ShockediSay]

5. NB "lobbied for the project on behalf of the Canadian oil industry"

We're talking about some friggin lobbyist here. More accurately the headline should read

"Canadian Oil Lobbyist calls U.S. pipeline delay 'catastrophic'"

Too bad this One Percenter doesn't get to cash in quick {like IMHO Billy Tauzin}

Lobbyists are a pretty good reason 99% of us get screwed.

[SoapBox]

8. Blah, blah, blah...

Time to aggressively go after alternates.

[benld74]

9. HEY, WIlkins! STFU! U douche!

[EFerrari]

10. "Damn, there goes my Christmas bonus."

[russspeakeasy]

11. Dear Mr. Wilkins, Fuck you.

[BlueToTheBone]

12. Well, his distress is my joy! I'm glad there

will be no pipeline. Score one for the Earth.

[freshwest]

13. Catastrophic for who? Not the 99%. Or the planet. Not the end of the world. Their bonuses, LOL.

[deminks]

14. Catastrophic for his bank account. He is a LOBBYIST for the oil industry.

and a bushie.

[Dover]

16. The automakers are also apparently FOR the pipeline project.

Or at least GM. I was listening to former Vice Chairman at GM, Robert Lutz speak the other day on Charlie Rose and toward the end he made it clear that oil/gasoline would be around and used by cars for a long time to come and while he didn't like our dependence on imports, he was all for domestic drilling and the pipeline project.

Here's the interview. (also interviewed that night was Elon Musk of Tesla)http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11984

[FreeBillClinton]

17. Thank you for your opinion that you've been paid to have.

[truthisfreedom]

18. Let's just put this in perspective. We need oil. We have exceedingly high environmental standards.

And you want to put a fucking pipeline across our country a mere year after we experienced the worst environmental oil disaster in our nation's history, followed by a terrible river spill in the Yellowstone river (think National Park), plus we're facing climate change PROBABLY caused by burning said oil at an astronomical rate.

And we're entering an election year where the future of our country is truly at stake. So...

WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU EXPECT, WILKINS? A FUCKING OIL MIRACLE? AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN! SELL YOUR STUPID OIL SANDS CRUD TO ASIA!

[JJW]

19. What happens when one of those wild fires

torch that pipeline, Mr Wilkins? Another pile of rubble?

[Philosopher King]

20. Nothing new here--political interests always trump the nation's interest.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

22. I was mortified when Wilkins was appointed, but...

he was actually an excellent ambassador and certainly the only effective ambassador to any G8 nation during the Bush regime. He actually took the position seriously rather than treating it as a plumb patronage appointment. He was respectful to the career foreign service and had no interest in living in the bubble. I saw the guy just wander around Byward Market in Ottawa unescorted and engaged.

Sort of a Good Man / Bad Wizard dynamic. He had a job and did it well when his counterparts weren't doing it at all.

[uberblonde]

24. 'Catastrophic'?

I suppose if you can afford your own private biosphere, it is.

[Unvanguard]

25. "who lobbied for the project on behalf of the Canadian oil industry"

Bought and paid for.