The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[oldberkeley]

When did Obama signal a willingness to eventually approve Keystone? I must have missed it.

Try last November. This announcement and many other news stories from reputable sources:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/10/statement-president-state-departments-keystone-xl-pipeline-announcement

He simply said that it would be prudent to delay the project so that potential health and safety problems could be studied and an informed decision could be made. He also very clearly stated the need for an in-depth assessment of potential alternative routes through Nebraska's Sandhills area (which the Republican Governor of Nebraska, Dave Heineman, requested and supported,) and said he was confident that the project would be ultimately approved.

http://www.factcheck.org/2011/11/pre-thanksgiving-leftovers/

(As a side note, Michele Bachman promptly declared that Obama had canceled the project.)

Come on, with great respect to Charlie and others, we're not talking about an industry with a spotless record of environmental purity! The need for a bit of careful, measured, logical, scientific due diligence has once again been turned into a political football.