If President Obama insists that “we can’t wait” for measures that create jobs, why does he keep trying to sidetrack the Keystone XL pipeline? Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), writing at Investors Business Daily, argues that it’s all politics:
Here at home, Republicans are working on legislation that will make it easier and cheaper for the private sector to create jobs for all Americans.
For example, the creation of the Keystone Pipeline — a shovel-ready American energy project. It will create as many as 20,000 construction jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs and it will strengthen our nation’s energy security.
Keystone would allow us to transport 700,000 barrels of oil a day from our northern neighbor Canada to refineries in the United States. Having a steady source of energy from our friend and ally here would make us less dependent on energy from the volatile Middle East—and that is good for America.
Everyone from members of the United States Chamber of Commerce to members of Labor Unions support this project.
But the President has threatened to veto this bill because the pipeline is opposed by a number of extreme environmental groups.
These are the same groups who in the past have supported the President and he needs their support for his reelection.
It appears that President Obama is opposing these new American jobs in order to try to save his own job. It’s time for the President to stop playing politics.
