◼ President Barack Obama is intervening in a Senate fight over the Keystone XL oil pipeline and personally lobbying Democrats to reject an amendment calling for its construction, according to several sources familiar with the talks. - Politico
The White House lobbying effort, including phone calls from the president to Democrats, signals that the vote could be close when it heads to the floor Thursday. The president is trying to defeat an amendment that would give election-year fodder to his Republican critics who have accused him of blocking a job-creating energy project at a time of high gas prices....
The president has accused Republicans of playing politics with the pipeline, which is strongly opposed by the environmental community. He’s called for more studies on the project before making final permitting decisions.
◼ President Who Didn’t Turn Down Keystone Working Phones in Effort to Stop Senate Pipeline Amendment - Michelle Malkin (image source)
Just a couple of weeks ago, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney claimed that it wasn’t President Obama who turned down the Keystone pipeline, and that Obama’s denial was only due to Republicans forcing his hand by playing politics.
Today, Republicans are again forcing Obama’s hand… to pick up the phone and call Senate Dems to convince them to vote down a pipeline amendment that would bypass the White House completely
◼ Senate falls four votes short of overturning Obama’s Keystone pipeline rejection - HotAir
