Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Good Friday brought bad news for American consumers and union workers.
The Obama administration announced another delay for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. This time the State Department used a North Dakota court decision to change the route for the pipeline.
The announcement did not sit well with Obama’s union base.
From The Daily Caller:
“This is once again politics at its worst,” said Terry O’Sullivan, general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America. “In another gutless move, the administration is delaying a finding on whether the pipeline is in the national interest based on months-old litigation in Nebraska regarding a state level challenge to a state process — and which has nothing to with the national interest.”
Labor unions have generally supported building the Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring oil from Canada to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Supporters argue the project would create thousands of jobs — jobs unions sorely need.
While the debate rages on about the pipeline, political influence preventing the project from moving forward is apparent:
The delay has also been seen as a way to appease billionaire liberal donor Tom Steyer, who has promised to raise $100 million to make global warming a top issue in the 2014 elections. Steyer is a former hedge fund manager and major Obama donor. He has bankrolled much of the Keystone XL opposition and was a major force for campaign cash in the 2013 election season.
Several Senate Democrats representing energy states will face a challenging re-election campaign since delays to approve the pipeline are expected to continue until after the mid-term elections:
Indecision on the pipeline will keep energy state Democrats vulnerable to challengers come November. Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mark Begich of Alaska, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mark Warner of Virginia all face tough re-elections this fall and have pushed the Obama administration to approve Keystone, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Unfortunately, hard working Americans including union workers continue to suffer the consequences of Obama’s war on fossil fuels.
Let’s hope these union workers realize Obama’s radical agenda threatens their livelihood.
