Obama breaking out the veto pen today for Keystone

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

It's time to suck it to the dumb environmental groups and get building.

It's ironic that you call the opposition to Keystone dumb, considering the scientists who study these projects are against it.

Sure, I'd prefer to eliminate oil one day and be totally on renewables, but that's a LONG ways off.
 
Look, the environmentalists have no actual evidence, backed up by a study, that says that Keystone would significantly harm the environment in any situation that doesn't involve a spill, and I've already addressed why the "it's risky" argument is a ridiculous strawman. The pipeline is no longer being investigated by Nebraska Courts. We've had six years to study its possible effects - and it's clearly not the automatic, guaranteed environment ruiner that the far-left would like it to be.

Look I get that it's not some masterful economy saver and I'd like to see serious regulation of any exporting, but neither of those are big enough concerns for any sensible person to be against the pipeline. It's time for Obama to just tell the Sierra Group, and leftist Senators, and everyone else who opposes it to just give up because there aren't even the beginnings of a logical argument against the pipeline.

Obama likes to think that republicans get nothing after their big victory last year. That's not how things should work. Republicans won big, so they have earned the right to get some of their ideas passed, and it should start with this pipeline. Obama's Veto today shows that, at least on this issue, he only cares about ultra-liberal Chris Murphy, Elizabeth Warren, Jeanne Shaheen, and their allies, and doesn't care about what's popular among the people, which is the Keystone Pipeline.

The Democrats won big in 2008 and the Republicans sure seemed to think they should get nothing then.  Obama was elected and re-elected by relatively solid margins and yet many Republicans won't even acknowledge that he is a legitimate President.  The Republican strategy since Obama was elected has essentially been "let's make it impossible for anyone to govern and block everything Obama and/or congressional Democrats support on principle, and then throw in a healthy dose of race-baiting for good measure." 

I know how frustrating it must be for you guys that the Republicans finally have a majority in both houses of Congress, but can't seem to get anything done because the Democrats are refusing to compromise on anything.  All I can really say to that is that pay back's a bitch and I hope you guys enjoy your useless majority for the next two years.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Obama's given no indication that he would agree to such a compromise. Instead he just sits in a back room and whines about 'muh environmental groups' and 'muh procedural preferences'. Obama was even asked if he'd support the bill if the republicans were very cooperative in putting democratic amendments into it, and he said no.

What exactly is "such a compromise?" He hasn't been offered anything and there hasn't been talk of anything. I'm pretty sure he would do it for a tax increase on upper brackets, a minimum wage increase, or a equal pay act. Or a comprehensive immigration bill. Any sort of red meat for the Democratic base.

Keystone XL is a huge issue for GOP donors. It's red meat for GOP members of Congress, and the President should demand an eye for an eye.

I personally doubt he'd do it. He'd probably hold up the deal because of my 'muh pipeline-related procedural preferences'.

On compromises that have been reached under Obama, there's the 2012 fiscal cliff deal (not a mandatory thing as going over the fiscal cliff wouldn't cause a shutdown), and the 2010 bush tax cut extension deal. For those who have forgotten, he's a good article on that deal:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/16/AR2010121606200.html

There's also the 2011 budget control act, but that included an increase to the debt ceiling, so you could argue that it was a mandatory appropriations bill.

The 2012 fiscal cliff "deal" and the Bush tax cut "deal" weren't compromises, they were Obama folding like a chair.  By the way, you still haven't told us what the Republicans have offered in exchange for Keystone.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

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Good!