Democratic President Barack Obama’s decision Wednesday to reject the controversial Keystone XL pipeline in the middle of the country predictably drew criticism from some Republicans seeking higher office in Connecticut.
The project was sought by TransCanada.
Linda McMahon, who is seeking the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, in a statement said, “Clearly in campaign mode, the President has decided to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline and the 20,000 desperately needed jobs it would create. Today, the President is caving to the most extreme of his political base and ignoring the facts.”
Lisa Wilson-Foley, running for a seat representing the 5th Congressional District, issued the following: “The Obama Administration’s decision to reject the pipeline project and the 20,000 well-paying jobs that come with it is another example of putting Washington politics before the American people. This is a President that is willing to spend $850 billion dollars of tax payer money on a failed stimulus package that created zero jobs, but refuses to approve a project that will put people back to work right now.”
And the National Republican Congressional Committee saw an opportunity to use the Keystone matter to criticize U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Greenwich. NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay in an email wrote, “If Jim Himes continues to march in lock-step with the Obama Administration, it could cost American middle-class families thousands of jobs just so Democrats can appease some wealthy anti-energy donors.”
Time Magazine published an interesting analysis of the White House’s decision, pointing out among other things that as of late last year one major poll found 53 percent of Americans “somewhat favored” TransCanada’s endeavour.
So to begin with this isn’t exactly an issue that will have voters marching on the White House.
Now let’s talk about Connecticut and how Obama’s decision will play here.
Time also concluded the decision was a victory for the Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) crowd.
“It was concern over the local environmental impact of the pipeline in Nebraska and the upper Midwest that really galvanized opposition, rather than the larger issue of climate change,” wrote the magazine.
Connecticut knows a thing or two about combating major energy projects that will impact the local environment. It wasn’t that long ago lawmakers from both parties engaged in a successful battle to prevent construction of the Broadwater liquified natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound.
Certainly some local voters will agree with McMahon, Wilson-Foley and the NRCC. But given the state’s own environmentally-conscious history, support of Keystone isn’t going to help them make the inroads they need to win a general election in NIMBY Connecticut.