Boehner's at it again!

It is impossible to understand the GOP; I have long ago given up at the idea that I could make sense of their logic and their concept of reality.

Now, just little over a week after President Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline on January 18^th, Boehner is at it again. It doesn’t matter that Keystone can reapply, it matters even less the reason given for the rejection: not enough time for EPA to review the proposal and for EPA to make sure the environmental impact of this pipeline is minimal… We all know that the GOP doesn’t care for the environment; all that matters to them is the mighty buck.

But Boehner has to have balls bigger than Newt’s ego! Maybe that is why he cries so much; the mere weight of those balls would make anyone cry! After being exposed to his real interest in the Keystone XL Pipeline – he owns stocks in TransCanada and other tar sands companies – he still is pressing and planning to hold hostage any other bill, no matter the urgency of it for the American citizen, unless his ‘baby’ project is included. Boehner said a week ago, that he might try to tie the Keystone XL project to the Payroll Tax bill, again. Today, the news are that he will include the project with the GOP’s Transportation Bill as well as to the New Jobs Bill, the American Energy and Infrastructure Job Act. In other words, if Obama administration wants a bill to pass that will benefit the working class the House of Representatives under the skillful guidance of Boehner will insert the Keystone XL Pipeline project as part of that bill, even if it has nothing at all to do with it. That is a way to manipulate and bully their way in Congress; if there is a bill that will create permanent jobs for the unemployed, or that will benefit students, teachers, the veterans or anything that is essential for the people, the GOP will hold it hostage to force Obama to sign their evil projects. If Obama rejects the bill with the pipeline in it, the GOP has absolutely nothing to lose, they never cared for the working class so if these citizens are kicked to the curb, they will not lose any sleep over it on the other hand, if Obama signs it because of the urgency of the bill for the good of the people or the country, then they did a slam dunk, they got their wish that benefits themselves as well as their multimillion dollars ‘friends’ and Obama will look bad to those that supported his decision of rejecting the pipeline and chances are, or at least is what the GOP is expecting, that Obama’s base will blame him for it and not the real culprit: the GOP.

It is imperative that we demand that this Pipeline doesn’t cross our borders, at least not without EPA’s complete and thorough investigation. I would prefer that it is once and for all permanently rejected, but if it can’t be, we must not rush into it, overlooking the necessary reviews and studies to ensure, as much as possible, the safety of our land and our environment. Write to Congress, call your representatives, and don’t wait for others to do what you can do. Don’t leave the burden on Obama’s shoulders alone, let’s back him up and show our support for his decision to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline!

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

Our President Rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline!

Today, January 18^th, amidst the blackout of many information pages, our president announced the rejection by his Administration of the Keystone XL pipeline project. Those of us that protested, signed petitions and mobilized to stop this environment assault to our country are justifiably rejoicing, at least momentarily, from this good news.

The President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, announced in not uncertain ways, the rejection of this project and clearly stated the reason for his decision:

“I have determined, based upon your recommendation,” [the Secretary of State] “including the State Department’s view that 60 days is an insufficient period to obtain and assess the necessary information, that the Keystone XL pipeline project, as presented and analyzed at this time, would not serve the national interest.”

I am so proud of our President for listening to us in this so very important cause! This project, regardless of what Republicans and the oil industry have to say, represents a clear and imminent danger to our wildlife, water supply, our land and our environment.

In the official Statement from The White House also released today, the President said, “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” – so far so good. Bravo Mr. President!

My enthusiasm took a turn downwards when in that same statement, Obama makes clear that he is for other similar and equally dangerous ventures, when he said: “ – including the potential development of an oil pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico”; even though the aforementioned pipeline will cause less damage than the Keystone XL pipeline, it will still represent a danger to our environment.

As it was expected, the Republicans are raising hell over this rejection by the President. The rhetoric that this pipeline will create much needed jobs, which up to a point and not in the numbers they claim it could be true, the claim that it will reduce in any way our dependence in foreign oil is ludicrous. To begin with, this dirty oil is not ours it belongs to Canada and once it’s refined in Texas, it will leave our shores to be sold somewhere else, the taxes of this sale will be abroad so this nation will not receive a penny from it, as usual, and the citizens of this country will not save a penny at the pump – the financial benefits will only be seen by TransCanada and their allies, the oil magnates that have never looked out for our benefits or that of our nature. One needs only to see what their greed had done in the past to our shores to recognize that all that moves these companies is the profit they can obtain with complete disregard to the environment.

According to Steve Hargreaves from CNN Money, the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Thomas Donohue, said in reference to the President’s decision of rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline project that “The president’s decision sends a strong message to the business community and to investors: keep your money on the sidelines, America is not open for business.” I find this statement offensive. Our nation has been ripped, raped, abused, neglected and usurped by corporations for decades. Foreign companies have been allowed to merciless annihilate our manufacturing industries by allowing them to import their cheap junk to our land, by exporting jobs (that’s the only thing they export), by avoiding fiscal responsibility which has rendered this nation almost bankrupt and as of lately, the greatest insult for the citizens of this country, the Supreme Court even have granted these companies the status of ‘personhood’, something never done anywhere else in this world… but rejecting ONE project is sending a message that “America is not open for business”? Really? Maybe that could be the best thing that will happen to this country, that these ‘people’ leave and we can return to being an industrialized nation instead of a consuming nation which only purpose is to line with our blood and sweat the pockets of these greedy corporations, sorry, “people.”

To read the complete CNN article, click here

To read the complete Memorandum for the Secretary of State, click here

To read the complete Statement by the President on the Keystone XL Pipeline, click here