Senate Democrats may vote on Keystone in lame duck session

[Miss Marmelstein]

Source: Reuters

- The U.S. Senate may hold a vote on a bill to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada when it returns from recess,
largely to boost support for Democrat Mary Landrieu's run-off election to retain her Louisiana seat.

Lawmakers return to Washington on Wednesday for a "lame duck" session and will try to wrap up some legislation,
such as spending bills, before the Republicans take control of the Senate in the new year.

The $8 billion pipeline project would deliver heavy Canadian oil sands crude from Alberta to Nebraska and make it easier to deliver oil from North Dakota's Bakken region to the U.S. Gulf Coast. It has languished for six years awaiting presidential approval, which is needed because the pipeline crosses a international border.

A senior Senate Democratic aide said in an interview that a Keystone approval vote in the lame duck session is under consideration but no decision has been has been made.

Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/senate-democrats-may-vote-keystone-001811354.html

---

I am beginning to give up on the Democratic Party if this comes to pass.

[mikehiggins]

1. They can't approve a new Att'y Gen but they can sell out the US on Keystone?

What Democratic party do you think is left to give up on? All this to help Mary Landrieu? Folks, she's a dead duck no matter what happens. Do you think those people who voted for the other two candidates are going to switch to vote for her in the runoff?

Have all the Dems been infected with the Stupidity virus? This isn't aimed at Louisiana voters, its aimed at showing the Koch's, et al, that the Democratic Party is ready to line up at the trough to get their share of the oil money.

[KeepItReal]

4. I second that!

Disgusting if this is true.

[INdemo]

14. That Stupidity Virus is called

corporate $$$. Somehow there are Koch Brothers money in some PAC that are influencing these Republican lites. Do we think the Democrats will filibuster bills like the Repukes did ..No
That will do what they think is showing voters they are not like the Repukes but it wont work and that strategy is laughable.


Its time to start a new Progressive Party and there are liberal Democrats out there that would support it by the millions.

[City Lights]

20. It's grotesque. nt

[Lodestar]

30. Exactly. There is no representative government anymore. All bought and sold. n/t

[INdemo]

32. What we need to do for 2016 is

DRAFT

[newfie11]

2. So much for protection the environment

What's happened to the Democratic Party I used to know.
It seems to have become republican lite.
This needs to stop!

[Miss Marmelstein]

3. I agree!

I grew up in a Democratic household....my grandfather was on the Democratic Central committee as was my mom later on. My poor grand dad and mom are probably rolling in their graves, seething in anger at what the party has become. It's so sad.

[INdemo]

15. This Democratic Party sell out is not just national

it is in local Politics too. There are Corporate dollars involved in school board elections, county and city council elections too.
The Koch Brothers money is spread far and wide

[villager]

5. Less and less "lite," it would seem

n/t

[Fuddnik]

6. Nobody could have ever seen this coming.

[RandiFan1290]

7. BOHICA!

[tomm2thumbs]

8. omg that image says so much - thanks for posting

wow!

[TBF]

35. ...

[Big_Mike]

37. Truly farooking awesome illustration. BOHICA at it's ultimate expression

because everyone loses in this example. Especially those banks driving this through on us, in the form of loss of trust and development of rage in the voters.

Whether the voters ever note the problem is another issue, entirely.

[DeSwiss]

40. Excellent!

[asiliveandbreathe]

9. Help me understand, even

IF, the senate approves this disgusting addition to the already spider web of pipelines - my understanding, the individual states such as NE have this tied up in their state courts arguing eminent domain -

At this point I really don't care if Landrieu's loses, the senate is already in the hands of the plunderers of our beautiful country - we get who we vote for.

A real eye opener was a documentary testing students on a TX college campus who couldn't even answer the question, who is the VP of the US.. but they knew the name of Brad Pitts first wife...

Bravo to those who are fighting the good fight in NE against the taking of their land..our water, our land, our future is at stake - what next? -

Case in point from 2003......Arizona

Oct. 2, 2003 12:00 AM


Mesa, AZ - Vindication finally came for a family-owned Mesa auto shop Wednesday when the state Court of Appeals ruled in its favor, saying that City Hall wrongly tried to take their property so developers could use it.

The 15-page decision took more than 14 months, left at least two local businesses in legal limbo and the city with a black eye. It caught the attention of producers from CBS News 60 Minutes, which aired the story Sunday.

It is a landmark ruling that will affect cases everywhere that involve eminent domain, the right local government has to take private property for the public good.

And for Randy Bailey of Bailey's Brake Service, the victory couldn't have been sweeter.

"This ruling today means that justice has prevailed and America is what America is supposed to be about," said Bailey, smiling through a thick beard and covered with grime and sweat from working on cars.

"Property rights are still sacred in this world."

Hope is not lost, although, I do understand we live in a very different world from 2003..this keystone pipeline is for private profit - public debt...

[djean111]

11. Right now a company is threatening homeowners in New Jersey with eminent domain/lawsuits if they

don't want a couple of gas pipelines running, literally, through their back yards. Christie must be behind this, there is such hubris.
And the state of Texas is basically saying tough shit to a town that voted against fracking. Not their place to decide that, says the state employuee who grants permits.

[asiliveandbreathe]

13. Hopefully the good people of NJ and TX

will fight on...NE is showing the way! - be well....

[former9thward]

24. The Mesa decision was overruled by Kelo v. New London in 2005.

Kelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 (2005)was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States involving the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another private owner to further economic development. In a 5–4 decision, the Court held that the general benefits a community enjoyed from economic growth qualified private redevelopment plans as a permissible "public use" under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment.

The case arose in the context of condemnation by the city of New London, Connecticut, of privately owned real property, so that it could be used as part of a “comprehensive redevelopment plan.” However, the private developer was unable to obtain financing and abandoned the redevelopment project, leaving the land as an empty lot, which was eventually turned into a temporary dump.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._City_of_New_London

[lancer78]

39. Congrats Ralph Nader

your legacy is intact.

[former9thward]

42. Well no.

The Kelo decision was made by the four 'liberals' on the court plus Kennedy and opposed by the four conservatives. It was a disgraceful decision but we can't blame Nader for that.

[lancer78]

43. Wow, guess they forgot the defenition

of "liberal"

[djean111]

10. Gosh, for Christmas, maybe they can give an all "up" vote on the TPP -

before that piece of shit is even finalised. And then give a resounding YES! to Chained CPI.
I am already betting that Net Neutrality won't happen, for all the flowery rhetoric.

[Enthusiast]

12. Hey, I have an idea!

Let's ruin the Ogallala Aquifer so an few already filthy rich guys can have even more money. Then the rich guys can invest it in electing more politicians that will vote for things that compromise the environment. USA! USA! USA!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer

[salib]

16. Because not standing for anything makes the citizens of Louisiana what to vote for a friend of your?

This really could be a line in the sand for a large number of Dem supporters.

Love how they "float" this stuff, like the Chained CPI. It does as much damage whether the vote takes place or not.

[blackspade]

17. Fucking idiots

For Landrieu? Really?
No, this is to keep the donor money coming their way.

Assholes

[INdemo]

18. Until we get a Real Progressive heading up our party this will continue

to happen. But time is running out folks. We are so close to losing our Democracy it is not even funny.And that is not Radically speaking. Both houses of Congress are now controlled by corporations, The Koch Bros. Just read a post about Texas citizens voting against fracking? Tough shit says the State. They are going to do it anyway.That is the Koch Brothers $$$ influence talking there, because they have millions invested in the keystone project.
....
Reading the full article this looks like it is a done deal. With votes lined up they have over 60 votes for approval.
But will the President sign the bill,I think he will cave too and give the Repukes and the other Repukes their victory.
(one of many such victories the President will hand the Repukes)

This wont be the first time we will complain about these Republicans lites.I don't think we can expect many filibusters either

[RadicalGeek]

26. One can only hope

That "Real Progressives" like Warren and Sanders mount an opposition.

Also, the Greens might see this as a recruiting tool.

[Nihil]

19. Gosh ... what a surprise!

Lovely single party government you have there ...

[Freethinker65]

21. Landrieu will lose regardless.

Keystone will pass with the new congress with a veto-proof majority anyway. Sad.

[24601]

33. It will not be a veto-proof majority as that takes 2/3 of each house.

[karynnj]

22. This is all speculation - and the article has contradicting statements

A senior Senate Democratic aide said in an interview that a Keystone approval vote in the lame duck session is under consideration but no decision has been made.

Another congressional aide said the measure to approve TransCanada's pipeline could come as an amendment to a must-pass defense authorization bill.

I wonder if this has more to do with the fact that Reid is member of the class that will be up for reelection in 2016. He was VERY vulnerable in 2010 - and though 2016 is better for him as it is a Presidential election year, he had very low approval ratings. Against a well funded SANE (if they can find one) opponent he might not be all that safe.

As to Landrieau, it looks like she is a long shot --- whose position on anything oil is not in doubt. How does the DEMOCRATIC party taking the lead on this help her?

Not to mention, why don't WE learn from the Republicans - if we argue the potential environmental damage (from leaks more so than global warming where they argue it will happen anyway) and the fact that it does NOT have the jobs promises, will not have a significant impact on cost of gas or oil here and - while the potential costs are all borne by the US, the profits go to the company. The Republicans are likely correct that they have the votes. LET THEM PASS it if they can over a filibuster.

Democrats have to ask if the John Birch Society based Koch brothers will NOT still go out to defeat them even if they give up their values here. Why would they think they have anything to gain?

[fasttense]

23. Last time the Dems had a lame duck congress

They voted to extend the bush tax giveaways to the uber rich. And Obama gleefully signed it.

So this is the awful thing the Dems will force down our throats this time. Not holding out much hope for failure of the horrific TPP to pass or Social Security cuts through the chain CPI failing. Welcome to the Obama legacy. Destroying democracy and our few remaining liberal success all in one big crap fest.

[PatrynXX]

25. Hows that to boost?

smh so all the folks waiting for BP money are gonna sit this one out. ouch


ie they haven't learned anything from their loss in November

[vi5]

27. So once again we face

the Democratic party selling out an issue they supposedly care about, to aid the fortunes and needs of a right wing member of our party who may or may not vote with us on some (maybe) issues.

That always works out so well for us, doesn't it.

[MisterP]

31. well, they can because some Dems will vote nay but no Pubs will

so you can't say there's no absolute difference between the parties--just a leadership that works with its millions of dollars and votes to ensure that the difference is as small as possible, especially when it comes to outcome

[Historic NY]

28. Sounds more like duck and cover....

if it fails to pass now they can lay it on the Republican doorstep next session.

[PoliticAverse]

29. Recd for exposure. n/t

[former9thward]

34. A decison has been made.

House to vote Thursday and Senate on Tuesday.

But in recent days several Democrats and Republicans have cited authorization of the oil pipeline as a modest proposal that could be used to restore bipartisan cooperation in the fractured Congress. Party leaders agreed, saying it likely would come up early next year in the new Congress.

Landrieu, however, had other ideas.

"I don't think we necessarily need to wait until January," she said Wednesday afternoon, shortly after top leaders formally reconvened the Senate.

She eventually secured an agreement from Democratic and Republican leaders to hold a vote authorizing the pipeline as early as next Tuesday.

House Republican leaders also announced plans to hold a vote as early as Thursday to authorize the pipeline, the ninth time the GOP-controlled House has voted to approve the pipeline in the past six years.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/11/12/louisiana-lawmakers-jockey-to-approve-keystone-xl-pipeline/

[hatrack]

36. But don't worry! If the Democrats approve it, they'll . . . uh . . . uhh . . .

Appoint a Blue-Ribbon Panel to study new climate technology!

Get their pictures taken next to a hydrogen fuel-cell car!

And they'll wear little green ribbons on Earth Day, 2016, to remind us that they're the Party Of The Environment, and if we don't vote for them, it'll be even worse under Republicans!

[alcibiades_mystery]

38. The only possible benefit to doing so will be that the same Senate would have to override a veto

In the new Congress, they may have enough to override, whereas in this one, they may not.

Of course, that would actually be a smart thing to do, since it would mean that the new Congress would have to submit already vetoed legislation, that already failed a veto override.

It's too smart, in fact. Democrats couldn't possibly be up to something like that. They'll pass it, and the President will sign it, and they'll hope we all forget by 2016.

It's horrible.

[DeSwiss]

41. K&R

- The two parties seem to finally be merging into one monolithic entity. Just like INGSOC.....