Remember that in TransCanada's initial application their stated goal on the XL pipeline was NOT to benefit America or to supply tar sands for US refineries or to create jobs for Americans. Instead, their goal from the start has been to raise the price of the dirty Canadian tar sands for world markets and to bring more profit to TransCanada NOT America.

Notice that when Republicans were pressured to make sure that the XL pipeline was construction by US steel, that the relatively few temporary jobs (not the hundreds of thousands that Boehner lies about) created during construction and the few hundred permanent jobs would go to Americans, and that the tar sands would go to America rather than being shipped overseas to China, India, etc., Republicans opposed it in their blind allegiance to the rich and polluting energy and chemical companies. Recall that the tar sands are the dirtiest (even moreso than dirty coal) fossil fuel and the costliest and most energy-demanding to refine. It took oil to reach $100 per barrel to make profitable and TransCanada avoided opposition in their own country for a shorter route to the West Coast across Canada by counting on American and Republican greed over the environment.

There is also never any mention of the owners of a half-million American farms and ranches that the XL pipeline must cross thanks to the GOP-SCOTUS-backed "eminent domain" laws that literally allow the rich and corporations to take advantage of and overpower individual homeowners. In brief, the pipeline benefits the few at the expense of the many.

After more than 3 years of studying this, you would think that it would be approved quite rapidly. But, I'm guessing it won't be any sooner than 1 day after the election. The unions may not like it, but they realize the will need to take one for the team, so Obama can pander to the Enviromentalists.

What is Obama's problem? If it's worth building, then it's worth building now and not after campaign season. He makes everything political. Why did he keep gas prices high after the BP spill? Normally prices would have floated back down like they did after Katrina and other events in Bush's time. If the media can blame Bush for gas spikes, they ought to have the integrity to do the same to Obama. I know, they're biased and they won't.

I hope Keystone succeeds eventually. Domestic oil means jobs, a growing economy, and lower cost of living. Especially after the exposure a couple months ago of Obama's domestic oil exports in the past three years (found at CNN Money) at a time that our domestic gas prices are so high, one must wonder what Obama's really going for. If he cared about the economy or jobs, he'd lift the oil-drilling moratorium still existing today on federal lands, accept Keystone, and allow domestic oil to be used domestically. Prices would plummet, we would have spending money! If on the other hand, this is about the environment as he'd like you to believe, why do you believe we're saving the environment when we're instead buying oil from distant, hostile, human-rights violating countries with less stringent environmental standards then our own? That doesn't fly. It must be the ensuing economic hardship driving citizens of the United States to turn to their government instead of relying on themselves. He's buying votes with dependency for his reelection, after which we'll make a swift and seemingly natural transition to socialism despite the failure of socialism everywhere it's been tried. Do you really want to follow in the footsteps of the EU? Our debt per capita exceeds that of Greece already, and our deficit is greater than our GDP. We can't afford more of Obama.

For the good of the country, let's hope President Obama has the courage to 'flip flop' on this one.

sharp77: May. 4, 2012 - 11:32 PM EST

Algae is being grown right next to the power plant, ethanol plant, and plastics manufacturer.

The biggest difference is oil is actually a proven, affordable energy reserve while algae isn't. One works and one is a pipe dream of the left.