Obama Blames Republicans For Keystone XL Decision
The big news of the day, aside from the idiot rally finally being back on full bore, is that the Obama administration finally pushed Canada's hand in telling it to sell its crude to China instead of the US, which we are confident it will gladly do. Much of this was largely priced on, as was the fact that opportunity for significant job creation was just kicked to the curb. What was not however expected, is that in keeping up with the fine tradition of taking responsibility for his decisions and actions, kinda sorta, America's president said that it was really the republicans whose fault it is that Keystone XL is now and will remain in its blueprint stages. From The Hill: "Obama said he was not acting on the merits of TransCanada Corp.’s plan, but instead was forced to make the decision based on the “arbitrary” deadline mandated by GOP provisions in December’s payroll tax cut extension deal. "As the State Department made clear last month, the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment," Obama said in a prepared statement. “As a result, the Secretary of State has recommended that the application be denied. And after reviewing the State Department’s report, I agree,” Obama added. In other words, do you remember where you were when the republicans blocked the Keystone Pipeline?
Naturally, Republicans were not happy, and will use this faux pas to the fullest extent.
House Republicans blasted Obama for his decision to reject the pipeline at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
"President Obama is destroying tens of thousands of American jobs and shipping American energy security to the Chinese," House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said. "The president is selling out American jobs for politics.”
Boehner vowed to continue pushing for approval of the pipeline.
"This is not the end of the fight. Republicans in Congress will continue to push this because it is good for our country, it is good for the economy and it’s good for the American people," he said.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said Wednesday that he has invited Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify before his panel next week on the pipeline decision.
President Obama, while nixing the project, sought to show that he backs expanded oil-and-gas development.
“I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my Administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil,” Obama said.
“In the months ahead, we will continue to look for new ways to partner with the oil and gas industry to increase our energy security – including the potential development of an oil pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico – even as we set higher efficiency standards for cars and trucks and invest in alternatives like biofuels and natural gas,” said the president.
“And we will do so in a way that benefits American workers and businesses without risking the health and safety of the American people and the environment,” he added.
The sad thing is that due to yet more political bickering, nobody is a bigger winner here than China and OPEC: precisely the two organizations that America should be most concerned about, and not who has how many votes where. But such is the terminal game of political marionettes which we have.
In the meantime, The Ogallala Aquifier will be appreciated in all its pristine beauty by ever more unemployed Americans, whose jobs skills petrify as most they remain without a job for a record 40+ weeks.
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Couldn't he blame the snow?
nah he should do a brother nathanael and blame the jews.
I get tired of all the mail stating the President hasn’t accomplished anything.
An impressive list of accomplishments!
· First President to apply for college aid as a foreign student, then deny he was a foreigner.
· First President to have a social security number from a state he has never lived in.
· First President to preside over a cut to the credit-rating of the United States
· First President to violate the War Powers Act. .
· First President to be held in contempt of court for illegally obstructing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico .
· First President to defy a Federal Judge’s court order to cease implementing the Health Care Reform Law.
· First President to require all Americans to purchase a product from a third party.
· First President to spend a trillion dollars on ‘shovel-ready’ jobs when there was no such thing as ‘shovel-ready’ jobs.
· First President to abrogate bankruptcy law to turn over control of companies to his union supporters.
· First President to by-pass Congress and implement the Dream Act through executive fiat. .
· First President to order a secret amnesty program that stopped the deportation of illegal immigrants across the U.S. , including those with criminal convictions.
· First President to demand a company hand-over $20 billion to one of his political appointees.
· First President to terminate America ’s ability to put a man in space.
· First President to have a law signed by an auto-pen without being present.
· First President to arbitrarily declare an existing law unconstitutional and refuse to enforce it.
· First President to threaten insurance companies if they publicly spoke-out on the reasons for their rate increases.
· First President to tell a major manufacturing company in which state it is allowed to locate a factory.
· First President to file lawsuits against the states he swore an oath to protect (AZ, WI, OH, IN).
· First President to withdraw an existing coal permit that had been properly issued years ago.
· First President to fire an inspector general of Ameri-corps for catching one of his friends in a corruption case.
· First President to appoint 45 czars to replace elected officials in his office. .
· First President to golf 73 separate times in his first two and a half years in office, 90 to date.
· First President to hide his medical, educational and travel records.
· First President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for doing NOTHING to earn it.
· First President to go on multiple global ‘apology tours’.
· First President to go on 17 lavish vacations, including date nights and Wednesday evening White House parties for his friends; paid for by the taxpayer.
· First President to have 22 personal servants (taxpayer funded) for his wife.
· First President to keep a dog trainer on retainer for $102,000 a year at taxpayer expense.
· First President to repeat the Holy Qur’an tells us the early morning call of the Azan (Islamic call to worship) is the most beautiful sound on earth.
· First President to take a 17 day vacation.
So how is this hope and change working out for you?
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2012/01/11/presidential-accomplishments/
wow, that is a lot of "change"!
there probably weren't enough black companies that had payola from any project. So he rejected it.
It's something as simple as that, one of his favored interests wasn't getting paid enough.
Hey, Harper buddy, I did not reject it, the other party did. I showed you an alternative, let's give it another run.
Hey, Obama Buddy. Shove(el) it, we'll build a pipeline to BC and sell the oil to the Chinese. if you don't want it, they do.
Actually I am impressed that he didn't blame his failure to provide for our engery needs on race.
"A pipeline coming from a majority white country would only surpress the disadvantged. We need new engery sources... like unicorn shit or magic beans. Only those clean inovations will make this nation secure."
PS - Why is press having a stroke about Romney's tax returns? What about Obama's college transcripts?
Keep it clean you turd eaters.
Oh and PPS -
I can also hear Huesein Obama adding this to his speach - "Sure I flushed over $500-million of your tax payer dollars down the toilet on unproven solar technologies, and that is another reason the mean old racist white Republicans don't want this pipeline.. It is a proven affordable engery sourse and ... wait I am confusing myself.... RACIST."
Oh, and also he can legally shoot American citizens, or if he is feeling benevolent he can simply detain them indefinitely without due process.
- First president to arm Mexican drug smugglers with weapons in order to push for stricter gun control laws in the US.
NumberNone
"First president to arm Mexican drug smugglers with weapons in order to push for stricter gun control laws in the US."
Only true in the sense of using Mexicans instead of various drug dealers worldwide. Maybe not even the first to arm Mexicans.
You do understand that arming one cartel allows our boys to pick and choose who controls the pipeline. Who controls our neighbors south of the border.
When Poppy took out Noriega drug smuggling quadrupled overnight.
There are some uneducated folks engaged in discussion here. Who would give you a negative for a true statement? Go back to watching the corporate media dummies. Gully, it's sad that our country is full of a bunch of sheeple who can't think critically. How the hell did they find their way onto ZH?
Posts that start with the name "Obama" are usually intended to kick off the communal "5-hour hate" session. There are places you can have good conversations here, though.
It's critical thought assassins who label thoughts they don't like as "hate" speech that do more damage to constructive debate than anything else. Obama supports are the worst offenders if you ask me because rarely do they actual debate with substance.
Pray tell, where did you get your mastery of Newspeak??
Don't think you'll find many Obama supporters here, but I know they exist. I enjoy a good substantive debate, myself.
But do you think that's the point of the pages of comments about Michelle Obama being fat and ugly? Or Obama being Muslim? Or both of them being black?
There's substance, but these aren't the threads where you'll find it.
Personally, I like it here. I appreciate the window into the thoughts of some of my countrymen. Moderated boards suck.
Well said...
I shudder to think if there was ever a Post that was titled "Obama says Global Warming is Serious Issue"
We've been arming drug dealers/cartels/warlords for decades. Gun running and war is profitable for some.
First president to arm Mexican drug smugglers? Perhaps, but previous administrations have been complicit in illegal activity. The latest scam on the American public is a two fer. Arm CIA associates AND do away with gun rights.
Keep in mind that the CIA has been engaged in trading drugs and guns for a while. Remember Iran-contra?
http://youtu.be/fy9JCDchk34
The Left|Right argument is a fallacy. Money is king, and our system has been corrupt for a long, long time. The government is the mob, with legal authority.
Both Bushes were dirty, Clinton was dirty, Obama is dirty. Some things never change in the good ole US of A.
Do what you can locally to wake up your neighbors. Prepare, and protect yourself and your loved ones. The big shitstorm is coming.
All that typing, and you're still completely clueless.
The individual mandate was originally a Republican idea. Even Fox News got that one:
http://politics.foxnews.mobi/quickPage.html?page=23888&content=35925395&...
So much for the "Constitutional Crisis".
there is only one party... left vs right is entertainment for the masses. And yeah, brother nathaniel would agree...
By george I think he's got it.
+1000
Make no mistake there are differences, however, at this pivotal point economically it would be nice to set the social and religious issues aside for a few years and do what the American people need to fix our economy.
You see, the interests of the American People may in fact differ from those of our new banker overlords, I know, Shocker. Damn shame bonuses have fallen all the way to 375k at Goldman (chump change).
Lets not forget Goldman Sachs great contributions to our society. Who can forget the Fabulous Fabrice Tourre? I actually put an American flag on my house the day congress was grilling he and Blankfein. Abacus was a gift from Blankfein with a bill for the taxpayers. I believe it has now been conclusively proven that John Paulson can only make money when he gets to hand pick the bad paper he wants to bet against. Who would have thunk it?
Goldman is happy to provide such services to the detriment of our society as a whole, and for that we should all be thankful.
Hell, Goldman is responsible for helping Greece cook the books as needed to make it into the Euro. Yes, Greece did not qualify for the Euro without the "Paulson Special" they provided for the Greek .gov to make it in the union. We should thank our GS overlords for their service. Certainly some of the money we lost in the last few years could be attributed to Goldmans marvelous financial engineering.
We are blessed with people of such fine moral terpitude that are willing to take time off from GS to run our treasury department & often times federal reserve. Hell Goldman alums are even willing to run Italy and Greece now. Good people over at GS indeed.
Goldman is responsible for helping Greece cook the books as needed to make it into the Euro.
Yeah, just one of those funny things, right?
That's the kind of thing that would be suspicious if you found it happening at sporting events or with insurance policies. But no one could possibly imagine anything untoward happening in the banking industry. What, like these guys could ever even *try* to plan something more than a quarter in advance? That they'd make decisions solely for the purpose of long-term profit?
Unpossible.
PulpCutter - I love how you idiots apply relativism to justify illegal and/or immoral acts implemented by the left. How many times have we heard "Well Bush did it first" as if that is supposed to make it ok for Obozo to do it.
Get a life and a brain.
Moron-
There's nothing to justify. Obama did the right thing. The Affordable Care Act is a mess, but it's the best deal he could get, given the assinine behavior of "conservative" morons like you who, after first proposing the idea, then when someone else would get the credit for it, decided it was unconstitutional.
The rest of the G20 has single-payer healthcare, at an average price of half what we pay, and with better results. Hey - I could care less how much you piss and moan, because 1) I'm a clinician and I'm raking in your money (thank you) and 2) my family has great healthcare coverage. When the spoiled Boomers get a bit older, they're going to vote in single-payer healthcare.
Here's one for you to think about (but don't try to chew gum at the same time, we don't want you to fall down). The rest of the G20 averages about half the healthcare bill we have. The federal govt (taxpayer) already pays for 59% of America's total healthcare bill, when you total up Medicare/Medicaid, the VA hospital system, insurance premiums for federal workers, etc.. So - we already PAY enough for universal healthcare, we just don't get the healthcare.
You idiot.
So - we already PAY enough for universal healthcare, we just don't get the healthcare.
That's true, but the health-insurance plan as passed doesn't have much to do with DELIVERING CARE. It's about protecting the health-insurance industry. The problems that exist on the delivery side of the health-care system are not helped by forcing more people into the incomprehensible world of modern medical insurance. *Insurers* are the institutions that have the most control on the treatments most people can get--not the doctors or hospitals, and not the government.
Believe me, if there were a real reason to defend "Obamacare," I'd do it. But there isn't. Everyone got chumped.
You seem to have plenty of facts and even personal experience to support your argument. You lose by resorting to "moron", "Idiot", etc...
why trash the power of your own well-informed argument? If you have kids, your patience has been tested way beyond what you read here. Use it as an opportunity to educate rather than humiliate.
peace.
Up yours.
Lee Atwater started this. Real Americans (liberals) have tried 'nice', and got our asses handed to us. Time to close the "nastiness gap".
Never thought of it that way....
It does make a lotta sense though....
You, motherfucker, think you are smart ass? I do not care whether you are clinician or more likely clinical case but I can tell you something. America is bankrupt and it is going to go to hell if Obama stays in White house for another 4 years. You, motherfucker, has no slightest idea what is going to happen with you: but you will suffer in way you cannot imagine. How about looking for food in waste baskets? Living in slums? Being total, miserable, helpless shit? This is your future with adorable affordable act.
And do not worry about Obama and his Marxist cronies: they will enjoy
the life on Swiss government accounts while the rest of the country will be in deep shit. That is what all Marxists crave for: enjoy total control and gorge while the others go to hell.
I normally have reservations about kicking an animal as dumb as your punctuation and grammar indicate...
That said, I'll go through this SLOWLY. See if you can keep up.
If someone takes my property and gives it to the GOVERNMENT, that's Marxism. If someone takes my property and gives it to the WallSt BANKS, that's CORRUPTION.
There is no Marxism in America. The banks' paid media mouthpieces (Fox, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc.) scream "Marxism" to distract you, while they steal everything that isn't nailed down.
--------------------
BTW, did you know that Bain (Romney) bought Clear Channel Communications (Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Michael Savage) in 2008? That's why "real conservatives" haven't been able to agree on an alternative to Romney; they're lost without someone to tell them what to think!
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.[3] It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear_Channel_Communications
- Presided over the worst US mining disaster in many decades (administration is responsible for mine safety -- lack of regulation was not the cause)
- Presided over the worst oil spill disaster (administration is responsible for monitoring oil drilling -- lack of regulation was not the cause)
- Presided over the worst intelligence leak of all time (hundreds of thousands of documents -- and no one above the rank of Private suffers any consequence)
And the MSM pretty much gives him a free pass on all of the above......he is one of them....
It's all Bush's fault.
Didn't you get the memo?
Impeachable offenses and yet no one has the balls to call him out on it.
I think someone just did...
Rosemary's Baby is an enemy to the U.S. Constitution and every moron that voted for him holds that account.
Let me play the devil’s advocate for a second here:
The 935 lies of George W. Bush and other stuff.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/01/30/notes013008.DTL
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/23/bush.iraq/index.html
http://www.rense.com/general58/dadmin.htm
Iraq war totals:
4,000 Americans dead
30,000 Americans injured
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm
All based on lies
September 10, 2002
Soon we hope to have hearings on the pending war with Iraq. I am concerned there are some questions that won’t be asked- and maybe will not even be allowed to be asked. Here are some questions I would like answered by those who are urging us to start this war.
From ........... wait for it ....... Ron Paul of course
This picture needs a caption: "This is how it's gonna be, bitch!"
http://rt.com/usa/news/israel-iran-us-missile-011/
Obama commands the SUN to rise every day...but the F/n republicans make it go away every day
It's all George Bush's fault.
It is a little thread bare ain it?
"With Canadian regulatory approval received from the National Energy Board (NEB) in 2010, the Project is ready to commence construction activities as it awaits final approval from U.S. regulators. In March of 2011, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) committed to delivering a definitive decision on Keystone XL before the end of the year."
http://www.transcanada.com/5738.html
His own administration made the commitment to make the decision before the end of 2011...lol.
“As a result, the Secretary of State has recommended that the application be denied. And after reviewing the State Department’s report, I agree,” Obama added
I love how the Admin is citing the State Dept's advice on the matter... I wonder if Hillary was consulted on the fact that he will later flip and throw her sorry ass under the bus.
The sooner this idiot and his administration fade into obscurity the better.
And the true believers that still support this loser!
+++++++++++++++++
Left vs Right being what it is, what cannot be denied is that even in the face of shades of crap, i'd still rather have any running R than the current D-bag ruining everything him and his congress cohorts touch.
What difference will that make? They'll replace him with something worse and people will continue to except it.
"By their fruits ye shall know them...."
This Obama-puppet is POISONOUS!
Here, here! Bring on the Romney puppet!!
(do I really need a sarc tag?)
Folks think there is a difference between the Democrats and Republicans.
Shows you the astounding lack of critical thinking writ large.
I can't rule out that some of the posters are political shills meant to stir shit and fling it. Just like the monkeys they are.
What sound does a monkey make? Oh I remember...........FUCK YOU!
Dems and Repubs, just different faces of the same criminal enterprise.
i'd be willing to bet that the 100,000 people who would have had jobs as a result (100,000 households benefitting) would feel differently...Rpub of any stripe would have signed off on this pipeline long ago. the grand conspiracy theory doesn't matter a whit to the peope on the ground who need this Obummer the Fuk out of office.
Wake up. real decissions get made that affect real people's lives. if this doesn't make it abundantly clear, i don't know what will.
Shh, R's would have had the NLRB stop Boeing too... They are all the same lets not argue and fight about who killed who, they are all the same.. Their feel right as rain don't you, now go turn on DWS and forget finding any differences or god forbid enforcing them if you find them.
Reminds me of the old parable about catching wild pigs.. well suckers the gate goes up and in Jan 2013...
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57320451-94/union-at-ts-t-mobile-buy-wo...
and ATTs merger with T-mobile that would have resulted in 8 billion investment and another 100,000 jobs installing more network thoroughout the south. But O bummer is the middle class champion! What is this guy thinking? He has had every opportunity to do great things. I just don't get it.
The purpose of a System is WHAT IT DOES! Look at what the system is doing, then figure out its purpose from there.
China would be wise to buy and stockpile as much oil as possible.
Trade worthless paper promises from a bankrupt welfare state for the most valuable thing on Earth.
It's Bush's fault
It's about time someone understands
-Democrats
+ 1, LOL
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"..
Psalm 109:8 ~ "Let his days be few and brief; and let others step forward to replace him."
He's pushing for solar-powered Volts.
He has no time for this bullshit!
sarc
I'm waiting for TOTUS to announce that the US military will be replacing all Humvee's with armored Chevy Volts.
Totus: "Our military will be the deadliest and greenest force on the planet."
You can use them as a rolling Molotov cocktail in it's current civilian form.
Our government sucks so bad. It's absolutely shameful.
The sad thing is that we voted these people in.
No country gets the government they want...but every country gets the government they deserve.
Wow.
I've read some stupid shit today but this comment takes the cake. (the voting part, not the part about our government, I liked that part.)
We voted these people in? With our proprietary and yet closed Diebold electronic voting machines? Get the fuck out of here with that propaganda. The same goes for the "It's the republicans" vs. "It's the democrats" bullshit. Two parties my ass. Money knows no color or boundaries. It's just fucking money.
You didn't vote jack diddly. You just played a game... and lost.
Besides that everyone knows it's the person who counts the votes that matters, not the voters.
+300 million.
Diebolic, isn't it?
Yea BobD, that is fucking sad. Congressional incumbency rates reflect the stupidity of the average voter who will tell you that their congressman and senator is not the problem, it's everyone else's representatives that are wrong. If our next President doesn't exercise his right to veto every omnibus bill that crosses his desk then we are fucked.
When in doubt, just go to the old playbook 'political blame game for dummies' and blame something on 'the republicans' so the media can have a feeding frenzy and divert the sheeples attention a while longer.
Speaking of diverting attention, CNN Headfake News just said a human head was found beneath "the famous HOLLYWOOD sign...."
Good thing The Rocketeer took out the LAND part of the sign. Typing HOLLYWOODLAND every time would get tiring.
Can someone price me in a new house and car please. Oh and 2 years worth of food
Why, of course Obama wants to keep his commitment to American made energy. He has some more buddies to take care of like Solyndra.
Greek debt talks open Pandora’s box
Several hedge fund managers that hold Greek debt have said they have not been involved in the talks and will not be agreeing with the “private sector involvement” (PSI) deal – which centres on a 50 per cent loss on bondholders’ capital and a reduction in the interest they receive. Alongside them are insurance companies, fund managers and pension funds that also have little incentive in agreeing to the negotiated terms...
Even members of the committee concede the process is unlikely to succeed in time for the crunch date: a €14.5bn bond repayment falling due on March 20.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/137a416c-41eb-11e1-a1bf-00144feab49a,s01=1.htm...
Premature Greek PSI Deal Market Euphoric Ejaculation
There are not just hedge funds, but also insurance companies and pension funds that will not agree with PSI deal.
Insurance companies in particular, bank traders note, were buyers of Greek CDS in an effort to try to hedge their exposures last year and now are likely have little incentive to stomach a painful debt swap.
“There isn’t much of a reason for anyone to agree to the terms precisely because of the threat of CAC clauses,” said a fund manager who owns Greek debt. “If people think they are going to get forced into a deal anyway, then why agree to the terms before you have to? Especially if by not doing so you can trigger your CDS.”
All hail Comrade Obuma! Fighting for the middle class by destroying jobs but handing out food stamps and unemployment checks!
I see 1600 Penna. Ave. is an absolute insane asylum. Delusional and megalomanical, for starters. Geesh.
Just like they "forced" him to unconstitutionally recess-appoint his latest czar when Congress was still in session. What's next, the anti-dog eat dog rule?
And just like he was "forced" to sign NDAA into law despite some "serious" reservations. Not to worry though, when his administration indefinately detains US citizens he will say, "I am not doing it, the military is."
"Let me be clear, I may be the commander in chief, but Americans being detained indefinitely by the military is really the fault of the Republicans in Congress, they forced this action. I sympathize with those incarcerated and I will not stop fighting until every Republican is blamed."
It's all George Bush's fault.
Funny how he at first said he wouldn't sign it, and then signed it with "serious reservations". He has also stated he won't sign SOPA. I wonder how "serious" his reservations will be when he signs that fucker.
About as serious as his ExOrder to keep Fed money from funding abortions to get my ex-Congresscritter to back Obamacare....
Where are the unions on this? How many teamsters and pipefitters will be drawing unemployment instead of doing something productive? Or perhaps this just frees them up to attend re-election rallies.
Theyre all gone. Replaced with mexican day laboreers and the 1%
Yeah... big scary, bad, pipeline... dangerous...
Ok, get back to fracking the NG Obama.... earthquakes and poisoned aquifers are not dangerous.
I think I feel another trip to Hawaii coming on for Barry and Moochelle.