The State Department’s review of the Keystone XL pipeline got a lot of attention when it was released on Friday. As the New York Times put it (2/1/14), the report found the pipeline project “would not substantially worsen carbon pollution, leaving an opening for President Obama to approve the politically divisive project.”
That framing carried over to Meet the Press (2/2/14), where NBC news personalities Chuck Todd and David Gregory wondered if Obama would seize this as an important historical moment. No, not to take a stand against climate change and the burning of untapped fossil fuels. The moment they meant was Obama’s opportunity to do something Republicans might like:
DAVID GREGORY: I mean, I know the left can be upset with the president. But there’s a real opening to say to Republicans: “Hey, you say this is a priority? Well, I studied it, and I think it’s a priority, too. We’ll go ahead and do it.”
CHUCK TODD: Well, I–you know–
DAVID GREGORY: It could be a big moment for him.
CHUCK TODD: It could be. I was surprised. You do get a sense that the president doesn’t want…did not like the statement that he got out of State. Because now they’re emphasizing, the White House is emphasizing, “Well, other agencies have to weigh in.” So it feels as if a little bit of–
(OVERTALK)
RICH LOWRY (National Review): Well, for a month, they’ve been saying it’s all about the State Department.
CHUCK TODD: It’s all about the State Department thing. So it does feel like as if, politically, they’re in a vise. Look, the politics of this, with Arkansas, let’s not forget this, where the pipeline might be going through–
(OVERTALK)
CHUCK TODD: Mark Pryor, Democratic senator. So, you know, at some point you do figure the politics is going to sort of impact where the president comes down here. But on the big picture legacy thing, you know, the other part that the president was elected on was changing politics as we know it in this town.
And that’s what sort of has stunned, from the David Remnick interview to the State of the Union itself, which all paints a picture of, you know what? He’s resigned to the constraints of the office and the constraints of the politics of this town. He’s given up on trying to break the polarization addiction that this town has. And some will say he added to it. But he’s given that up. And to me, that’s going to be something that I think historians are going to be writing about as the great disappointment of the Obama era.
Florida after 20 meters (66 feet) of sea level rise (Geology.com)
So the “political” issue here might be how a pipeline could impact the electoral fortunes of a senator from Arkansas. But bigger than that, we’ve got the matter of Obama’s historical legacy, and for people like Todd and Gregory, this is mostly a question of whether he did enough to make Republican politicians happy.
It’s doubtful that historians living in an era when sea level is 40-70 feet higher than it is today, and many coastal cities are entirely underwater, will be looking at Obama’s failure to make common cause with Republicans to accelerate the burning of fossil fuels as “the great disappointment of the Obama era.”
About the only thing Dear Misleader hasn’t done that Republicans, and those they (and his own party) serve, want
Is address them as “Massa”.
War?
Check.
Austerity?
Check.
(Even greater) Corporate control of our lives?
Check.
Overseeing the continued construction of the police state necessary to preserve privilege, as the dystopia becomes even more manifest?
Check.
His mission has been to further this agenda while seeming to stand as a “reasonable, pragmatic” alternative to the reactionary wet dream
To be the good cop.
In that, he has performed with distinction
And our wretched existence is the proof.
@ Doug Latimer: You’re several notes ahead of the choir on this one. Obama is, alas, a total loss.
I would only add:
Climate destruction?
Check.
Gun mayhem?
Check.
John, we’re gonna need a shitpot full of folks to start changing their tune
‘Cause we know Barry and the Bumfuckers won’t
Or the only song we’ll have left to sing
Will be a funeral dirge.
The misinformation about the Keystone XL Pipeline continues. Newspaper columns report that the oil is for America when it will be shipped off to China. The Pipeline jobs for unions are temporary and their may be only five full time jobs. The Koch Brothers will make billions of dollars in this project. America will be left with the toxic wastes. New jobs as a result will be with the NSA to guard the pipeline from terrorists all at American taxpayer expense. This is really welfare to the multibillionaires–the Koch Brothers may rise to number one or two on the most rich in the world list at our expense.
Bunch of bigger questions here.Number one if he hampers all development of natural resources will he take responsibility for the uptick in prices and downtick in the economy?Answer is no.Will he continue to take credit for private industry drilling and keeping prices manageable though he has stood in the way at every turn.Answer yes.Lastly ..even if he signs a deal ,can republicans or anyone rely on him to keep it.That answer in no.Even “the tan” said in the house this week that any discussion on anything is meaningless with this man.He simply ignores congress(the reps of the people)in violation of the constitution.so he will pick the winners and losers.He will not move to improve clean use of fossil fuels or anything else as he moves to dismantle all forms of energy production in favor of future pie in the sky forms not yet on the drawing board.Make no sense?Elections have consequences.
I am loving the fact that as everything Obama has touched turns to shit….Instead of taking credit for failed programs,ideas,and ideology,you lot pull a 180 and say ah ha…………it must be because he went republican on us.hahahahhahahahahahahahaahahahahahah you bunch kill me.Not an ounce of ability to see the mess YOU made.One other point.I have come to realize that anyone who spouts this Corporate boogy man gonna git ya crap has not a clue.They are the ones always saying that its not them….its the guy over the hill you cant see causing all the problems.Its the Jew.Or the black.Or the WASP.Or the foreigner.Or the rich man(corporation).Never strangely the government.You know those guys who just bought all the ammo up.And thousands of armored cars for street sweeping.Im not sure if God made the effort…..if he could make some of you any dumber
One might add: dump the never deployed F-22 for the equally ineffective and redundant F-35, check. Bill Maher reported on this last night. The F-22 he said has current costs of $400 billion, $1.4 trillion over the life of the program [pogrom?]. I’m not sure of the ratio of the conflation he alludes to, but plain enough to see we’re talking about a lot of money. Money for the military that Bush must have thought about only in his dreams. And Maher pointed out how there’s no real enemy to deploy the F-22 against. Michael E sounds like a fully vested stockholder. But I have to give him credit; he makes me see the simple side to unhinged rhetoric of his type; which is to ask, “Are you a democrat, small “d” or not?” If you are, what agency is going to effect the democracy if not government? And if not, your opinion is of no matter. It’s not less government we need but honest government; not one bought and owned by the likes of Michael E, inc., LLC.
Wow, NY Times; I do wonder about objectivity. Could we have a look at personal investments of the gung ho gang who so desperately want to fill their coffers, but will unfortunately maim the planet?
NO matter how this oil / shale, poison of the Earth is transported, this transportation debacle is a major fear. Overground, underground, by rail, by truck; so many opportunities for …well, you know, all those terrorists we hear about. : Canada and its XL are invading America( I’m sure the land owners along the proposed path feel that they are being invaded. Maybe this is what the Iraqis felt like and still feel like.
I would want the President and the State Department to think beyond profit and realize what a great terrorist target this all makes, and right over and through our major food producinig areas and major water ways. Mr. President, this is your Lincoln moment: save the Earth and please grant an Emmancipation Proclamation for the Planet.
Flush KXL; it backs Up TPP (EPITOMIZED By the future Florida map):
http://geology.com/sea-level-rise/florida.shtml
pot shot I dont know how in the hell you lump me in with big government.Im tea party.About as far from that as one can get.Your statements on the new fighters are interesting.A good friend of mine works on the new joint strike fighter program.My only feeling is that so far our military has been quite good at putting superior arms on battlefields.Beyond that it is way over my paygrade to judge.I do know that under Obama their has been a 50% downturn in total force preparedness.One general said we no longer could field an army.I do not necessarily blame Obama.We are broke.Flat broke.To fight the chinese we would have to ask THEM to lend us the money.And that leads me to gloriana.Ok you want no development of any natural resources right?You want us to through ourselves on the mercy of our loving Arab brothers right?Ok that is all well and good.But seriously how do we get power into our homes.It been damn cold this winter.72% of the country is locked in snow and ice.What would you have us do as we shut down all retrieval of natural resources because we technically cant handle it in a clean safe way,and because we are too frightened of terrorist factions attacking us.?Turn off the lights for the last time ,and crawl into a corner shivering and shaking as we wine please don’t hurt me?Pass…….This is the USA.
Oh potshot palease dont take any advice from Bill maher on military command and control ,supply and requisition, and force forward deployment strategies.He is a comedian .He knows less than i do on this subject.And I know next to nothing