Let Us Count The Ways

"[The State Department's assessment is] a proven process for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest. My responsibility [in veto power is] to the American people."
"Because this act of Congress [Congressional legislation to force approval of Keystone XL] conflicts with established executive branch procedures and cuts short thorough consideration of issues that could bear on our national interest -- including our security, safety and environment -- it has earned my veto."
U.S. President Barack Obama

A depot used to store pipes for Transcanada Corp's planned Keystone XL oil pipeline is seen in Gascoyne, North Dakota November 14, 2014.    Credit: Reuters/Andrew Cullen

"TransCanada remains fully committed to Keystone XL despite today's veto of bipartisan legislation in support of the project."
"Keystone XL clearly satisfies all of the stated National Interest Determination criteria, it passes the environmental test ... will enhance U.S. energy security and provides economic benefits to the nation through privately funded job creation and economic stimulus."
"Keystone XL will be the safest pipeline ever built in America and be an important part of a modern energy infrastructure system that helps minimize impacts to the environment The State Department's exhaustive six years of scientific study has consistently confirmed that Keystone XL will operate at a  higher level of safety than any other pipeline currently in operation and will have a minimal impact on the environment." 
Russ Girling, president, CEO, TransCanada Corporation

"This veto is conclusive proof that activism works. After four years of rallies, marches, sit-ins, and civil disobedience, we're thrilled to see President Obama take an important first step by vetoing this love letter to Big Oil. As the president himself has argued, Keystone XL would worsen climate change, threaten the safety of farmers and landowners in America's heartland, and create essentially no long-term jobs -- all so a Canadian oil company gets to ship dirty tarsands to the rest of the world."
May Boeve, executive director, 350.org

"I think you should take this personally."
"We have had a long relationship with your country as far as trade, been key allies for decades or centuries, and we have tried to highlight the importance of the relationship at the U.S. Chamber. Some of it has been caught up in U.S. politics. But we think that Canada is being singled out."
Matt Koch, vice-president, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for 21st Century Energy

The American President spoke with undisguised contempt of the plan to ship oil from Alberta across the U.S. to west coast refining plants. As though Canada is an interloper in American affairs, having no entitlement to access that will not benefit Americans, totally ignoring the reality that American labour unions and the U.S. public at large see huge benefit in the pipeline. In employment opportunities and in aiding their country in sourcing sufficient energy to ensure it will no longer be reliant on oil from antagonistic sources like Venezuela, and from U.S.-hostile sources in the Middle East.

That oil, with or without the pipeline in place, is destined to be moved into and through the United States. It will be moved through means that are fraught with their own dangers; an increasing amount of rail traffic moving oil and oil products has in the past few years caused considerable problems in both countries. Moving oil by rail has its hazards; it is clearly not as safe as transporting the product by pipeline. The U.S. environmental movement is aware that targeting American oil business will be harmful to their economy; they have realized great success in making Canadian oil a target.

The Government of Canada, along with that of the Province of Alberta has jumped through hoops for years in attempting to persuade the Obama administration that building the Keystone pipeline would represent an economic boost for both countries. At the present time, the U.S. imports more oil from Canada than from any other external or international source. And it does so at a rate that benefits the U.S. and penalizes Canada by its return, lower than market rate. The pipeline's installation would remedy that.

The State Department review of the environmental impacts of the pipeline installation has been in he works for the past six years. Previous environmental reviews have given the enterprise a green light. The environmental impact would be relatively minimal, was the general consensus. Canada and the U.S. have always enjoyed a trade relationship that has been robust and useful to both countries' advancing economies. In many ways key areas of the economy in both countries are intertwined; no less so the oil industry. President Obama's obvious hostility to Canada has turned that relationship on its head.

So there is Canada down but not out completely, since it will forge on with its determination regardless, given the reality that President Obama will not be president forever, and the trade partnership with Canada although diminished by his tenure, will survive to see itself eventually re-evaluated and refurbished. President Obama insists that any bill that would force approval of Keystone XL would undercut protocol. Protocol is the escape he uses as an excuse that comes in handy in other situations as well.

Insisting that inviting Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu without his knowledge and specific approval to address a joint session of Congress, as per the invitation extended him by the Republicans, demeans the executive branch in the White House. The White House is where the Muslim Brotherhood has entry to American political action at the premier level, undermining the government of Egyptian President al-Sisi who did the bidding of the Egyptian people in removing Mohammad Morsi from the post-Arab spring presidency.

Under this president the United States has left its traditional former allies confused and bitter, from Israel to Egypt, Saudi Arabia to Ukraine, Jordan, Yemen, Libya, and Italy. France, Britain and Germany seem not quite to know what to make of this new America that appears to have withdrawn as the world's superpower, handing opportunity to Russia and to Iran where Mr. Obama's focus appears to have shifted from American support of Sunni states to those of the Shia states, predominately Iran.

Canada has plenty of company.