Breaking: Senate Narrowly Defeats Keystone XL Pipeline

[Hissyspit]

Last edited Wed Nov 19, 2014, 04:20 AM - Edit history (6)

Source: New York Times

Senate Narrowly Defeats Keystone XL Pipeline

By CORAL DAVENPORT and ASHLEY PARKER
NOVEMBER 18, 2014

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Tuesday defeated a bill, 59 to 41, that would have approved the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, rebuffing a Democratic colleague, Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, who had hoped to muscle the legislation through in advance of her uphill runoff election fight back home.

Forty Democrats and Angus King, independent of Maine, voted against the bill, with just 14 Democrats joining all 45 Republicans in support of the oil pipeline.

The battle over approving the pipeline, which will carry petroleum from the oil sands of Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas, ultimately became a proxy war for the Louisiana Senate seat, where Ms. Landrieu and Representative Bill Cassidy, a Republican, are locked in fight for votes in their oil-rich state ahead of a Dec. 6 runoff election.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/us/politics/keystone-xl-pipeline.html

[hedgehog]

1. I have to go see if NBC Nightly News leads with this or with shots

of the snow in Western New York courtesy of their sister network, the Weather Channel.

[AngryDem001]

29. The Weather Channel?

The channel that has NOTHING to do with weather forecasting anymore?

[christx30]

59. To be fair,

The History channel doesn't do much history, There is no learning to be had on The Learning Channel, and not much news happens on FOX news.

[grahamhgreen]

53. Did they???

[hedgehog]

61. Sad to say, there was breaking news out of Isreal, so that was the lead.

[grahamhgreen]

64. Of course it was... can't let the American People think they've won anything.

[davidpdx]

2. Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[villager]

3. That's...astonishing.

Of course, the recently "elected" Senate will just pass it once they're ensconced.

Keep your veto pen, and those discarded vertebrae, handy, Mr. President!

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. With 41 votes against ...

it looks like the Veto will withstand over-ride ... though much will depend on who voted "No".

[villager]

13. 41 votes against -- who'll be remaining?

[1StrongBlackMan]

20. That's my question ...

Landrieu's vote won't change things but Pryor's and Udell's and Hagan's replacements might.

[karynnj]

62. Harken's too

That does look like the complete list. This would give them 63 in favor of Keystone if everyone else stays where they are. They likely will try and probably will pass a bill -- and Obama could veto it.

The danger is that they could pass it as an amendment on a must pass bill. Obama could still veto it as Bush did when Reid/Feingold (the 2007 version of Kerry/Feingold) ) was added to a defense bill. However, the defense bill was then redone - eliminating it - and then signed. In this case, they would probably not back down. They would love the meme that Obama closed down the government to stop Keystone (something that they have managed to make popular in spite of how bad it really is)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Great news!

[locks]

5. Hurray!

Though Michael Bennet of Colorado voted yes against most of his constituents we didn't need him!

[Raul Hernandez]

24. hes a Turd Wayer

And failed on his job. I want him primaried again. Since Colorado has its share of nutjobs, wouldnt be suprised if Klingenhoffer challenges the D side.

[AverageJoe90]

38. Yeah. Too bad about Mark Udall, though.....wish we had him here in TX.

BTW, welcome to DU.

[awake]

6. And guess who was in the "Chair" at the time announcing the result of the vote

Elisabeth Warren!!!

[freshwest]

49. Beautiful! Thanks for that news. Didn't see this thing.

[grahamhgreen]

7. WoooHooooo! "Senate" defeats????? Why does it not say "Democrats Defeat"?

[Veilex]

31. Because that would imply successful Dems... and the media doesn't like that.

[truedelphi]

8. Cynically astonished but happy.

As long as this doesn't mean some stealth pipeline will be running down Wisconsin and Illinois.

[groundloop]

9. What's the chance the new Senate will do away with filibuster?

I can just hear the clamoring that Keystone is critical to US security, jobs, feeding the 1%ers, whatever GOPers want to make up and that the filibuster must be done away with in the name of Keystone.

[Action_Patrol]

19. Zero chance.

[harun]

58. ZERO. If anything they would strengthen it. Filibuster is the friend of the 1%.

[femmocrat]

11. This is very good news, but....

the repukes will just re-introduce it when they take control.

A temporary reprieve, I fear.

[DonCoquixote]

25. perhaps but

as Obama needed to remember, if the GOP has to flex their muscle in such a way that it is crass, blatant and one, it means the glue that keeps the mask of good intentions on will wear out quicker, right on camera where everyone can see.

NO, I repeat NO thanks to Mary landrieu.

[stuffmatters]

12. I think the chances a Repub Senate will do away with fillibuster =s 100%

[Veilex]

32. Fortunately, eliminating the fillibuster doesn't stop a veto.

[DocMac]

14. Good feelings! nt

[madville]

15. That means 13 Democrats supported it

They will only need 6 Democrats in the new Senate.

The Republicans will attach this as an amendment in the new Senate session, to a continuing resolution or budget at the last minute, pass it, and then dare President Obama to veto the whole thing and shutdown the government. They will believe they have cover since polling shows a majority of Americans supporting the pipeline.

[groundloop]

26. Sadly, your prediction makes perfect sense

[shenmue]

16. Ice cream tonight

Every time something bad happens to the Republicans, I like to have ice cream. Gonna be some good chocolate tonight!

[Veilex]

33. I like that idea!

I may adopt your tradition

[shenmue]

34. Please do

It's great fun! I prefer chocolate, but you are of course free to choose your own.

[Veilex]

37. I like icecream a little too much...

so I'll have to be carful though

Though considering the time of year... maybe a pumpkin pie spice ice-cream!

[Bluenorthwest]

17. Ron Wyden's email statement---I just voted no on Keystone. Here’s why:

I just voted against approving the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. It’s a bad deal for America, and I’ll tell you why.

The pipeline would connect Canadian tar sand oil fields to the Gulf of Mexico and the global oil market. Who would benefit? First and foremost: Canadian oil producers.

That’s great for Big Oil, but it’s a terrible deal for America.

The Keystone XL Pipeline is an environmentally risky project that would hurt, not help, American consumers. It would siphon off Canadian oil from our domestic market, increasing prices at the pump for American consumers – especially in the Midwest. The few temporary jobs that the pipeline would produce can’t compensate for the wide scale negative economic and environmental effects it would create.

President Obama has been right to refrain from approving the Keystone XL Pipeline, and I urge him to hold firm.

Thank you for standing with him on this critical issue.

Ron Wyden

[Historic NY]

30. Hello its what we have been saying...

if Canada wants it so much built it there and stay the fuck out of the US.

[brett_jv]

36. "siphon off Canadian oil from our domestic market"

and
" connect Canadian tar sand oil fields to the Gulf of Mexico and the GLOBAL oil market"

B.b.b.b.but what's he MEAN by that?

I could've SWORE my local GOP politician said they was building this pipeline just to mainline $1/gallon gas right into US Consumers gas tanks for the next 100 years and provide like 50,000,000 good-paying jerbs!!!

Ya means I been hoodwinked? Nawwwwww ... this DemoncRAT politician has GOT TO BE LYING. Rush even said so!

[SoapBox]

18. Wow.

[slumcamper]

21. And an American Indian sang effusively from the balcony--

in a tortured voice a song of relief, of gratitude, of joy.

I also heard "Thank you Democrats!" at which a cacophony of dissent arose from those angry minions who care nothing for the Earth.

A skirmish won; the battle yet looms.

[FailureToCommunicate]

35. Sounds like you were there! Lucky. We were in the balcony (guests of NM Senator Bingaman) for Lilly

Ledbetter Fair Pay Act vote.

It felt like we were there witnessing...history.

[freshwest]

48. Inspiring post on Keystone, much needed these days. Thanks.

[joshcryer]

22. Democrats cave yet again!

[bigwillq]

23. Great news!

[Historic NY]

27. Wow, wait what...

[TxDemChem]

28. Let's keep this up

[flamingdem]

39. Yay, a good start

none of the other dems jumped

[cheapdate]

40. Democratic senators voting "Yea" :

Begich (D-AK), Yea
Bennet (D-CO), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Hagan (D-NC), Yea
Heitkamp (D-ND), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Walsh (D-MT), Yea

[DarthDem]

44. So, The Usual

Landrieu is not mentioned but of course she has to have voted for this too.

So, four lame ducks, McCaskill, Carper (such a jerk), Casey, and Heitkamp. The usual suspects apart from Bennet, and since his seat is up in 2016 I'm happy to have him vote the way he did - - probably arranged as cover by Reid to eliminate this as an issue in that election.

Mad sarcasti-props to Begich, Pryor, Hagan, and Walsh for the cowardice of voting this way when their votes effectively did not matter and they were free to do whatever they wanted (although it's very possible that Begich, Pryor and Hagan might all run again in 2016 for the other Senate seat in each of their states, so perhaps that explains it).

[DarthDem]

45. Actually, List Is Wrong

I thought something was off when Manchin was not mentioned. Anyway, the correct list of spineless Democrats is in another thread on LBN. Manchin, Mark Warner, etc. as well as those listed here.

[cheapdate]

46. +1

[Cosmocat]

66. Casey is not a "lame duck"

He won reelection in 2012 ...

[freshwest]

50. Easy solution to that. A media blitz between now and January to educate their voters on the facts.

Just purging the party for this vote gives the seat to the GOP, who are sworn to vote for it.

AFAIK, NONE of the GOP voted against Keystone. They know they're goners if they do.

Get the voters in an uproar, not to purge, but change their votes. Change the mind of the GOP voters as well, there is a contigent of even the Tea Party that is against this stuff.

The Senators will change their minds quick if they voters get the facts and call them about it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

55. Republicans voting "Nay"....

See the diff?

[derby378]

41. Response from McConnell...

[SunSeeker]

42. That's karma. Mitch blocked by a filibuster.

[jtuck004]

47. Sitting here, watching the oil go on rail cars to the coast. Rail making big investments to increase

this, the pipeline would add more.

[thesquanderer]

51. No mention of Bernie Sanders...

re: "Forty Democrats and Angus King, independent of Maine, voted against the bill,"

So did independent Bernie Sanders. Maybe they think he's a Democrat already?

[quadrature]

52. misleading headline... 41 votes was a given

several people voted for political convenience.

the votes were traded around.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

54. Reed would never have brought it to the floor unless he knew it would fail.

[NJCher]

56. Wonderful news to go to sleep on

I was up late reading student papers, and was headed off to bed but decided to take a quick look at DU. Am I ever glad I did!

Now if we could just get a decent decision out of Ferguson.



Good night, everyone!



Cher

[Art_from_Ark]

57. This is one time when I'm glad the 60-vote rule was in place

But my gut tells me it's probably only a temporary reprieve.

[Thor_MN]

60. "which will carry petroleum from the oil sands of Canada to the Gulf Coast"

Guess we know that the NY Times is in favor of the pipeline.

[SansACause]

63. filibuster everything!

That strategy paid off big for the Republicans this year.

[grahamhgreen]

65. Amen.