As NorthDecoder readers all know, John Hoeven has been begging -- as recently as this morning -- for increased retail gasoline prices in North Dakota.  He wants regional crude oil to avoid the local market to be shipped to China so North Dakotans can pay $.04 to $.10 more per gallon at the pump.  He thinks this is a good idea. He thinks it's such a good idea that he's been hooking for foreign oil barrons for the past couple weeks, pressuring President Obama to either give the oil barons everything they want, or nothing. Today President Obama gave Hoeven's owners nothing.

For now.

The Obama administration will announce this afternoon that it is rejecting a Canadian firm’s application for a permit to build and operate the Keystone XL pipeline, a massive project that would have stretched from Canada’s oil sands to refineries in Texas, according to people who have been briefed on the matter.

However, the administration will allow TransCanada to reapply after it develops an alternate route around the sensitive habitat of Nebraska’s Sandhills. Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns will make the announcement, which comes in response to a congressionally mandated Feb. 21 deadline for action.

Washington Post

The right wing will -- of course -- play this as "ooooooh.  Obama hates economic development. ooooooooh.  Obama hates jobs."  But they haven't answered any of the hard questions about the Keystone XL.  

If all of this oil is going to be exported to China, forcing US gas prices to skyrocket, then why are you for it?

If someone has made a commitment to you that some of this oil isn't going to China, then can you show us some proof of that commitment?

If the governor of Nebraska (a Republican) has objected to the pipeline's route through Nebraska, virtually everybody agrees with him that (at the very least) it should be re-routed and no acceptable alternative route has yet been presented, then why have you forced the President rush his approval/rejection of the application, if not for blatant political reasons?

If some Bakken oil is going to be allowed into the Canadian-owned pipeline, how come you aren't willing or able to show us a written commitment or confirmation of that, whether in a compact, treaty, contract or otherwise?

When there is a spill that destroys an American aquifer, what written assurances do you have (i.e. how big of an insurance policy/bond is there) that everybody's water will be cleaned up?

If the land along the planned route has to be seized from private land owners via eminent domain, and Republicans are supposed to be against eminent domain, how come you support this?

If North Dakota is already suffering from a huge deficit of workers and if -- as you falsely claim -- the Keystone XL will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in Marmarth, ND, alone, then where are all these workers going to come from?  And where are they going to live? The Marmarth Railroad Bunkhouse?

See... Democrats aren't against economic development, oil companies or jobs; they're just for reasonable, responsible, rational development and a little intelligent planning.

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