Obama Personally Lobbied to Defeat XL Pipeline

By Manu Raju, Politico

08 March 12

UPDATE: The Senate voted today to reject the proposed GOP bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. In effect assuring that President Obama's efforts were successful. - ma/RSN

resident 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.

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 amendment, proposed by Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), states that Obama would have no role in such cross-border permitting decisions since, in this case, the pipeline would originate in Canada. The measure would need 60 votes to pass, and Obama has already lost two Democrats who back the proposal - Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Mary Landrieu - and is at risk of losing more moderates and vulnerable Democrats.

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.

"As the President has made clear, we will ensure any project receives the important assessment it deserves, and the Administration will base a decision to provide a permit on the completion of that review, a process that was unfortunately blocked by Republicans in December," White House spokesman Clark Stevens said in a statement. "Meanwhile we continue to take steps to support American-made energy, including doing all we can to expedite construction of a pipeline from Cushing, Okla., to refineries along the Gulf Coast. "