Citizen pressure forces Obama to sign bill with Keystone provision



“President Obama signed into law a broad payroll tax package Friday afternoon that includes a measure requiring him to make a speedy decision on the Keystone XL pipeline,” The Hill reports this afternoon.

“The GOP-backed measure requires the administration to make a decision within 60 days on the pipeline, which would carry oil sands crude from Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the Gulf Coast. In order to reject the pipeline, Obama would have to declare that the project is not in the national interest.”

Obama previously asserted he would veto the bill and would never approve any legislation speeding up a decision on the critically-needed, safe, clean Keystone pipeline.

But that stone wall crumbled under a wave of grassroots pressure applied by American Tradition Partnership and other groups.  For days, ATP supporters have been calling, e-mailing and faxing the White House, demanding Obama sign a bill containing language requiring action on Keystone.

“Once again American Tradition Partnership supporters have forced Obama to back off his radical green extremism,” said American Tradition Partnership Donald Ferguson. “I’ll put this in words Obama can understand.  We are the 99 percent.  You and the multi-million dollar Gang Green lobby are the one percent.  If you continue to act on your radical green agenda of killing the Keystone jobs pipeline, you’ll be the one looking for work in 2013.”

But Obama still opposes the jobs pipeline, and all indications are he will reject it.

“Our hope is that the president will use the opportunity to deny the permit, and sooner rather than later,” said Bill McKibben president of the radical green group “350.” “His administration has made it clear many times over the past few weeks that the demand for quick approval attached to this legislation would result in the rejection of the pipeline.”

The shortened deadline means ATP must mount a, as The Hill puts it, “savage battle.”

As I told you Monday, I will be here at my desk through the weekend Christmas holiday fighting for your right to speak publicly about Gang Green.

And now I will have to add to that an intense battle against Obama and Gang Green to approve the Keystone pipeline.

I know things are hectic on Christmas weekend, but I hope you will stand with me.

Please go here to chip in $10 or more to help me keep up the fight for the Keystone jobs pipeline.

Thanks to you I’ve already broken through one White House stone wall, forcing him to actually make a decision.

But this next one, pressuring Obama to do the right thing and approve the pipeline, will be even bloodier and tougher.

Please stand with me.  Go here to chip in $10 or more.

We’ve already been given a great Christmas gift.  Your grassroots pressure brought Obama to his knees and made him accept a bill forcing him to make a decision on the Keystone pipeline.

I’ll be here at my desk all weekend fighting to make sure it’s the right one.

Thank you for your loyal support throughout the year.  May you and your family have a blessed Christmas, and I hope you will continue to stand with me through the holidays and this upcoming election year.

Sincerely,

Donald Ferguson, Executive Director

P.S.  You forced him to back down, somewhat. “President Obama signed into law a broad payroll tax package Friday afternoon that includes a measure requiring him to make a speedy decision on the Keystone XL pipeline,” The Hill reports this afternoon.

But the shortened deadline means ATP must mount a, as The Hill puts it, “savage battle.”  As I told you Monday, I will be here at my desk through the weekend Christmas holiday fighting for your right to speak publicly about Gang Green. Now I will have to add to that an intense battle against Obama and Gang Green to approve the Keystone pipeline.  Please go here to chip in $10 or more to help me keep up the fight for the Keystone jobs pipeline.

Thank you for your friendship and support through this year.  Merry Christmas and thank you!