LA Times: Obama should agree to Keystone XL as sign of bipartisanship

[DetlefK]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-gop-congress-assessment-20150215-story.html#page=1

Excerpts:
"When Republicans swept into power last November, they promised a new era of productivity and discipline that would break four years of gridlock. "America's New Congress," they called it.

But far from striking a bold contrast with the last two terms of stalemate, congressional Republicans have quickly run into familiar obstacles, including partisan paralysis and party infighting."

...

""To the president I would say this: Do the right thing, sign this bill and help us create more jobs," House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio said in brief remarks before affixing his signature to the legislation."

...

"Even the Keystone bill was passed only after an exhaustive process in the Senate. During the course of the debate, more amendments were discussed and dispensed with than in the entire previous year when Democrats were in charge.

In the meantime, however, gas prices plummeted, leaving some analysts to question whether the pipeline project would still pencil out.

"Is it the most important piece of legislation facing the nation? No. But it is an opportunity for us to prove that we're able to work with each other and govern, and it is a good test of whether or not the president is interested in doing that as well," said Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.)."

...

"Even when Republicans have been able to stick to their shared priorities — approval of the Keystone legislation, for example — they are running into the power of the White House veto threat."


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Those poor Republicans! They are just trying to overcome the partisan paralysis that has plagued Washington D.C. for years! Okay, the Keystone XL pipeline is neither urgent nor economically sound, but Obama should just sign off on that damn thing to show his goodwill towards the Republicans!

[marym625]

1. fuck that noise

I'm so very sick of them.

[daleanime]

7. +1

[Ykcutnek]

2. Hell no. EOT

[BlueCaliDem]

3. Put our environment in jeopardy using OUR tax dollars...just to "appease" Republicans??

F*CK THAT.

Once again, corporate media standing up for Big Corp.

[winter is coming]

4. Well, some things never change.

Republicans still think "bipartisanship" means "do what we want." Funny how it never works the other way.

[BlueCaliDem]

11. The arrogance and conceit of Republicans is mind-blowing but rarely questioned by our M$M. eom

[MurrayDelph]

16. That's only half the definition. To a Republican

bipartisanship means "Do it our way, and then we can blame you when it all goes to shit."

[fadedrose]

5. We need to show them good will

to show them what good will looks like, cause they sure as hell don't know.

How about Obama showing good will to those Indians? I still remember their haunting prayer-song when the vote came down against the XL.. Was it good will when Boener invited BB to Washington?

I hope he stands his ground. He can keep plugging away for the rest of his term and let the republicans look like the asses they are.

[sarge43]

8. Uh huh.

How many times has President Obama attempted cooperation with the Repubs and gotten the middle finger salute in return?

Pssst LA Time, look up the definition of insanity again.

[rufus dog]

9. The LA Times reported this, they did not endorse the pipeline

Some Douchebag republican made the statement.

[DetlefK]

10. Journalism is more than parroting politicians.

The article paints the filibuster as a new obstacle when the Republicans abused it for years.
Where did that partisan gridlock come from? What did it look like? No word on that.
How is it possible that we now see a massive spike in amendments being mentioned in the Senate? Might there be any relationship with the aforementioned filibuster and its past use?

A journalist turns a reader into an informed reader. And the LA Times fails here at that job.

[sarge43]

13. Thank you

I sit corrected.

Please don't insult douchebags. They have a useful purpose.

[spanone]

12. BULL SHIT.

[Vinca]

14. For all those pimping the pipeline, I say - let's run it through your back yard.

And over your water supply. And will someone ever explain to us why a foreign company has the power to take our land by eminent domain?

[oldandhappy]

15. Water!

That pipeline is a disaster. Why is it still alive? Pollution, 35 jobs, leaks and breaks, oil belonging to someone else and going somewhere else. Nutz!

[freshwest]

17. LATimes: Giving $100B to the Koch brothers isn't bipartisanship. It's suicide.