XL Keystone Pipeline: Is Obama Kicking The Can Down the Road

After a weekend protest by celebrities and environmentalists, where between 5,000 and 10,000 protesters showed up, the State Department IG has decided to review the environmental impact assessments conducted for the State Department.  The move could delay the decision beyond the 2012 election.  Is this cover for President Obama, who is between a rock and a hard place, after declaring as a candidate that he would take on big oil. 

The pipeline, which would carry oil from Hardesty, Alberta to refineries in Texas should be a logical move for oil addicted America.  Not only would it provide a safe supply of oil, but is also in the interest of national security.  The protesters have been vocal and may just have reached Obama.  They claim that the expansion of the Alberta Oil Sands will be the demise of the planet.  Meanwhile they all drive cars and at least the Hollywood celebrities have a huge carbon imprint that would serve most of us a lifetime.

President Obama has a huge carbon imprint.  Just look at all the carbon being put into the atmosphere , with his constant campaign trips, especially in the past several weeks trying to sell his Stimulus, also known as the Jobs Act.  This morning he is on the move again in the battle state of Pennsylvania.

Whether or not the pipeline is build is irrelevant.  Either way America will continue to import oil from the Middle East, where 40% of the world's oil travels through the Strait of Hormuz, a Strait that could fall to attacks by Iran, which has been flexing its muscles as of late.  Does the American public really want to be held hostage to Middle East oil?  For decades precious American blood has been shed to secure the supply of oil.  Even Libya was to secure oil for the Europeans.

Obama is dithering on this issue, as he has on so many other difficult decisions.  Take note though that Obama wanted the job and no one forced him.  The application for this pipeline has been on the books for three years.  Trans Canada Pipeline has invested billions to build it.  Yet again the Presidential Permit decision, which was to be decided on by the end of the year, has been stopped, awaiting this latest IG investigation.

Presidents are elected to make the difficult decisions, without being motivated by their re-election.  Unfortunately, it appears that Obama is trying to push the decision past the 2012 election. 

Trans Canada Pipelines should ditch the plans, build a pipeline to Canada's West Coast,  and sell our oil to China.

In an article published by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on the latest Pipeline Drama "Keystone Pipeline Faces Special U.S. Review," , there was one comment that caught my eye.  While a little extreme, it shows the frustration by many Canadians over Obama's righteousness:

"First off if you think ten thousand people protesting against a pipeline that will someday be full of oil for the American domestic market and more importantly fuelling the largest military in the world carries any weight at all you would be wrong.

The Strait of Hormuz waterway carries 40% of the worlds oil everyday right past Iran.
The Israelis are going to take out Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nuclear program in less than 9 months with the approval of the United States.
This will spike oil prices off the scope, while the markets panic sell.

Knowing Ahmadinejad's pattern of unstable behaviour the oil going down the strait will be stopped as Insurance companies drop coverages or remind their clients that they do not cover losses as a result of acts of war.
Or most likely he will sink a few tankers blocking the strait as retaliation. 

Washington knows that without this pipeline and the many other planned pipelines from Canada that the American public could easily be facing 10, 12, 15 dollar a gallon fuel prices in the very near future.
And if you think ten thousand upset hippies, hired anarchists, enviro-geeks along with a sprinkling of hollywoods bleeding hearts are impressive just you wait, you will see ten million very angry Americans marching on the US capital demanding fuel.

This pipeline not unlike the ones already in the planning stages fall under the heading of vital to the national security interests of the United States and nobody but nobody messes with the National Security of the United States, not even the President."

I think Mandleton, the nickname the commenter goes by, said it all.  It.s time for the President to get off his duff and make a decision, any decision.  His decision should not take his re-election efforts into account, but indeed be based on facts such as energy independence and security.   With the recent events in the Middle East, especially the possible developments of nuclear weapons in Iran and Israel's frustration, this should be a relatively decision for the President.  Perhaps ideology trumps common sense in this case.

Tags:  XL Keystone Pipeline, US State Department, Energy Security, Environment, Obama, EPA, National Security