Pipeline (Keystone oil sands) fight spurs lobby frenzy

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Joseph Morton

WASHINGTON — This year's fight over the Keystone XL pipeline has produced a lobbying gusher in the nation's capital.

At least two dozen companies and organizations have officially reported lobbying the federal government for or against approval of the pipeline.

The list includes oil companies, labor unions, environmental groups — even John Deere, a company best known for making tractors.

The number of organizations lobbying on the pipeline reflects how the Keystone project has become a battle royal involving a wide array of groups. It also shows the high stakes involved with the $7 billion project that would ship tar-sand oil from western Canada to oil refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20110918/NEWS01/709189882#pipeline-fight-spurs-lobby-frenzy

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Photo: http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=OW&Date=20110918&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=709189882&Ref=AR&maxw=600&maxh=400

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[DCKit]

2. I've said it before.....

Why would they build a pipeline from Canada to the Gulf if they didn't intent to export the finished products?

It would be far less expensive, less controversial and less environmentally hazardous to refine that oil as close to the source as possible.

Nobody will ever convince me that a 2K+ mile pipeline is going to cost less than a refinery. And it's not as if any one of those north central states couldn't use the jobs.

[azul]

4. I just read the Chinese put $18b into buying tar sands in Canada.

The narrative to negate the pipeline should be something like:
China needs Canadian tar-oil. The pipeline goes through Washington DC., into major US rivers, and out of the country through Texas.

[DCKit]

8. I can live with your narrative. nt

[left on green only]

9. Why don't the Canadians truck their filthy crap to their own west coast port

and then load it onto Chinese oil tankers from there? Then let the Chinese create an environmental disaster in their own country when they try to refine the filthy crap, I mean crude. Aren't there any oil refineries in China? If not, then I am sure it should be no big expense for them to build one of their own.

It distresses me to now know that Hillary Clinton can apparently be bought so easily. And I have more respect for most bounty hunters than I do for government lobbyists. There are none who I wish well in any regard.

[Overseas]

3. So much damage for oil to export.

[PufPuf23]

5. Hillary Clinton's campaign manager is a lobbyist for Keystone.

Adding insult to injury, Paul Elliot, Hillary Clinton’s former campaign manager for her presidential bid, is now a lobbyist for the Keystone XL pipeline. And, according to emails released by WikiLeaks, the State Department’s former energy envoy, David Goldwyn, “alleviated” the concerns of Canadians about getting approval for the pipeline and went further by coaching them to improve their “oil sands messaging” by “increasing visibility and accessibility of more positive news stories” on the issue. In a disgusting demonstration of the inbred corruption that plagues D.C.–and which Obama pledged to stop—Goldwyn left the State Department and went to work for a Washington lobbying firm, recently testifying in favor of the pipeline before a Congressional committee.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/09/16/goodbye-obama/

[Vincardog]

6. My question is "Why should a DEmocratic President spend $7Billion to supply years of profit to the

KOCH brothers?" When they say to "oil refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast" read to the Koch brothers refinery in Houston.

[SpiralHawk]

7. The keystone project is a real ream-job for America and Americans

A few fatcats like the Koch (R) boyOs will get richer -- Republicon Family Values -- while everybody else gets doodley squat and far more profoundly toxic planet to try and survive on.

No wonder the Republicons luv it so.