20,000 Private Construction Jobs and Obama says "No"?, "Maybe"?, "Yes"?

Recently President Obama decided he was going to delay his decision to approve the XL Pipeline until after the election in 2012 much to the surprise to all the parties involved. His reasoning was the project needed additional environmental studies to determine the viability and safety of the project. After almost 3 ½ years of exhaustive review, review and more review he was still not sure if it was safe enough to build.  Let’s also note that the extensive approval process for a project of this magnitude has never happened before.

The regulatory hurdle that has blocked the approval of this much needed pipeline will not stop Canada from building the pipeline.  It would be naïve to think that Trans-Canada is sitting on their hands waiting for a decision from Obama.  They will continue with their plans to produce upwards to a million barrels of much needed oil from the Tar Sands Pipeline and instead of the United States being the beneficiary the oil will probably go to oil starved China.  The proposed pipeline would run from Alberta, Canada to Texas and pass through six states.

By delaying this decision Obama is still in a win-win situation.  If he approves the pipeline and the most extreme environmental wackos come after him they will still support him in the 2012 election.  As for the unions and the much needed jobs that would ultimately go to them, they may be upset at his decision but he will still get there support in 2012. 

One very important piece of the puzzle that Obama missed was the ability of Congress to override his decision.  In the past few days we have been subjected to more of the same gridlock that has plagued congress this year.  But much to our surprise, the republicans in congress decided to take a right turn and deny Obama a win in the fight over the pipeline by including a rider in the payroll tax bill that had overwhelming support by the republicans and wavering support by the democrats. 

The White House has continued to waiver on their objection to the pipeline rider and we all remember that Obama said he would veto the payroll tax bill if the rider stayed in the bill.  Again he has decided that leading is not on his list of priorities as president blaming everyone else for the current state of our economy.  His job plans have been a disaster and the one chance he has to redeem himself and let the pipeline go through he has again shanked the ball into the woods.  This pipeline will create 20,000 private construction jobs, not to mention the amount of secondary jobs that will ultimately be needed to complete this project.

Obama has only one decision to make and that is to sign the bill and give the American people an early Christmas present with an extension of the payroll tax cuts.  This is not the time to deny what Americans need the most, lower taxes and more jobs.