So it turns out a lot of people like the Keystone pipeline

by Unicorn Jones | February 1, 2012 11:34 am

Its sort of fun hammering this home. I have to be honest. Here’s a President who, in his State of the Union speech claims that he is doing everything in his power to ensure that American people – and especially those blue-collar American workers who are so essential to his re-election – are headed back to work after a long and tiresome economic downturn, and then turns around and rejects a $7 billion energy infrastructure project[1] that not only did most of America want, but the unions, who are made up of those blue collar voters, as well.

And now, its pretty likely that Canada, who has no obligation as America’s Hat to wait for America to realize it really needs its oil. Instead, its just going to sell that oil to whoever needs it, like China[2]. Its not often that even Newsweek says Obama’s insane[3], but it seems the planets are all aligning.

The Administration has used the excuse that the Keystone pipeline is unpopular. That its mere existence will melt the polar ice caps and send waves of water gushing over what we now know as California but will then be known as “that great civilization under the sea.” Penguins will be roasted. Polar bears will starve to death. The oceans will roil and the crops will shrivel up. Environmentalists will weep and gnash their teeth. All because a little bit of Nebraska will have a pipe under it. The funny thing is, as the Hill found out yesterday, Americans support the Keystone project[4] by an overwhelming margin.

Americans are unified in their support of two of the most divisive issues before Congress – the Keystone pipeline, which is supported by Republicans, and the “Buffett Rule” calling for higher taxes on millionaires, backed by Democrats…On [an] issue, however, most Americans side with Republicans, backing efforts to move forward with the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline. Sixty-four percent say they are in favor of the project, against only 22 percent who are opposed.

Granted, they are also in favor of the Buffett rule, so there might be a loophole out of this poll, but maybe that’s just because everyone hates Warren Buffett and believes that three mansions and a fleet of yachts is inappropriate in these times. Little do the Obamas probably realize that this sudden hatred of wealth probably also includes a hatred of multi-thousand dollar shopping sprees, like the ones the First Lady regularly undertakes, but I digress.

The point is, most Americans realize that the Keystone Pipeline project is very central to the future of America’s economic well being. As Pete Sepp, head of National Taxpayers Union, put it in US News & World Report[5], the middle class recognizes that it has a huge stake in America’s energy future, not least because American taxpayers hold huge stakes in American energy producers.

Close to half of oil and gas company shares are owned by government and private retirement plans (such as pensions) while private investors account for an additional one fifth of ownership. Corporate executives hold under 3 percent of oil and gas companies’ share ownership.

Its also pretty clear that, as time goes on, our national security increasingly relies on our own success at producing our own energy, as does our economic future. America can’t rely on fake friends to provide us with our lifeblood forever. And with industry globalizing at an alarming rate, energy production is one of the few industries that is always needed at home. If the focus, as Obama seems to believe, is on re-employing our work force here and encouraging domestic industry, he pretty much can’t do better than whoever happens to be building the Keystone Pipeline.

But, its not like common sense has ever appealed to him before. Why start now?

Endnotes:
  1. rejects a $7 billion energy infrastructure project: http://biggovernment.com/dholt/2012/01/26/obamas-state-of-the-union-energy-claims-undercut-by-record/
  2. like China: http://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2012/01/obamas_on_a_slippery_slope_on.html
  3. even Newsweek says Obama’s insane: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/01/20/keystone_madness__112829.html
  4. support the Keystone project: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/207645-poll-shows-strong-support-for-buffet-rule-and-keystone-pipeline
  5. put it in US News & World Report: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/energy-intelligence/2012/01/31/middle-class-has-a-large-stake-in-success-of-energy-industry

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