It's not about 'wanting' it. It's about giving approval permits to the actual planned route. So far the new proposals that take a different route in Nebraska have not been evaluated, partly because they were only set out recently.

The people responsible for the problems with the Keystone approvals are Transcanada PIpeline. They chose a bad route, they failed to do the due diligence required on the route or the approval processes.
In brief, they cut corners. And they were as willing to risk a break in the pipline over the Sandhills as BP was to risk a leak in the New Horizon with inadequate measures in place to deal with a failure.
Their evaluation of the risk involved being a helluva lot different then the populace who's lives would actually be affected by a failure.

This really isn't a case of not wanting the XL. Its a case of insisting that a corporation take the proper pre-cautions when putting at risk a shared resource. Its a case of insisting that the cost of the precautions be borne by the private enterprises who will profit from the exploitation of the resource or the risk undertaken rather than assuming that any mess will be left for govenrment and tax payers to incur. Prevention seems to be an ugly word amongst conservatives. Which seems odd, considering the definition of the word conservative. Instead reflexively conservatives take the side of corporations who complain that the cost of adequately preventing a disaster impairs their profitability. And yet prevention always costs a helluva lot less than the consequences of a disaster.
The Nebraska govenrment , all republican, eventually stood up for the local populace which is the real reason the route is being changed.

rickyp wrote:he wants it rerouted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/ ... M120111122

Which takes time.

Yeah, apparently until September. Here's the funny thing: the President could have said "yes" and then the governor could have said "no," thus blocking the pipeline. The governor didn't need the President's help.

"I fully expect we could get it done certainly in the early September, August time frame," the governor told Fox News on Thursday. "I would send the letter back to the president of the United States saying we approve it and if he were decisive, he could turn around and approve it shortly thereafter, well before the November election."

The White House, in justifying its decision to turn down the permit, blamed Republicans for forcing a decision in a tightened time frame. Congressional Republicans had attached a provision to last year's short-term payroll tax cut extension requiring a presidential decision on Keystone in 60 days, a time frame administration officials warned would not be sufficient.

But all along, administration officials have also invoked the concerns over the pipeline of Nebraska officials, including Heineman, in justifying their handling of the issue.

Shall we talk about how things are "turning around?" Read it and weep Obamabots:

Real GDP increased 1.7 percent in 2011 (that is, from the 2010 annual level to the 2011 annual level), compared with an increase of 3.0 percent in 2010.

The increase in real GDP in 2011 primarily reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, and nonresidential fixed investment that were partly offset by negative contributions from state and local government spending, private inventory investment, and federal government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.

Not exactly a barnburner.

In other words, the economy is slowing down.

Eventually, it will get better, but Obama's policies are a drain on the economy. The best thing government can do is tighten its belt and step back. However, that is not the Obama way.

Ricky will now show polls that exhibit a bump for Obama. Great. Wait until the summer. Gasoline prices, already at historic highs for January, are not going to plunge. If anything happens in the Middle East, we could see gas at $5 a gallon. He won't be very popular.

In any event, look at his economic record and his "leadership." Where is he on the Debt? Where is he on unfunded mandates? Why isn't he after the "do nothing" Senate for not passing a budget for more than 1,000 days?

Answer those questions, Obama supporters, and stop dancing. Stop pointing fingers in every other direction and tell me what he is DOING on those issues?

steve

In other words, the economy is slowing down.

U.S. GDP grew at fastest pace in 1.5 years in fourth quarter 2011

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ ... ml?hpid=z1

Hmmm?

rickyp wrote:steve

In other words, the economy is slowing down.

U.S. GDP grew at fastest pace in 1.5 years in fourth quarter 2011

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ ... ml?hpid=z1

Hmmm?

So, you found one stat you like? Tell you what, how about when it is adjusted downward (as they fairly consistently are), will you pop up here and post it? Hmmmm?

From your link:

The figure suggests that, after the slowdown for much of 2011, the recovery has begun to accelerate again.

Um, okay, so, one quarter negates the previous three? Well, aren't you the optimist?

Or, the cherry-picker.

More:

Although consumers are spending more, they are also saving less, with the personal savings rate dropping for each of the last four quarters.

Moreover, disposable personal income is slightly lower, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than it was a year earlier.

“That’s a very disappointing outcome,” said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S economist for Capital Economics. “You would expect that the income earned by everybody would be going up.”

I think there are reasons for optimism and for caution. I think this is so fragile, because people have so little disposal income and are not saving, that the slightest hiccup could things straight downhill.

I hope the economy is getting better. I'm not rooting against my own country. However, there should be little doubt that Obama's policies have not resulted in a typical recovery. This one is on a knife's edge.

steve

Or, the cherry-picker.

Pot meet kettle.

steve

I hope the economy is getting better. I'm not rooting against my own country. However, there should be little doubt that Obama's policies have not resulted in a typical recovery

Good for you. Will you also admit that the major reason its not a "typical recovery" is that it wasn't a typical recessiion?

rickyp wrote:Good for you. Will you also admit that the major reason its not a "typical recovery" is that it wasn't a typical recessiion?

Indeed. No wonder the recovery has not been as strong as for any post WWII recession. The recession was deeper and longer than any other post WWII recession. In addition, it's also carrying over some of the effects from the dotcom dip of 2001, as the tax cuts put in place to stimulate demand just postponed the inevitable.

Has anyone looked at data that correlates the size of the recession to the size of the recovery, say based on % growth of GDP? Is a large recession typically followed by a large recovery or a smaller one?

ray

Has anyone looked at data that correlates the size of the recession to the size of the recovery, say based on % growth of GDP? Is a large recession typically followed by a large recovery or a smaller one?

In the past deep recessions in the US were often followed by great rebounds, and shallow recessions by shallow rebounds. Especially in 92 when the recession was really a reaction to the S&L fiasco...
But the problem with comparing current conditions is that the US is now more than ever dependent upon its consumer spending componenet of GDP, and consumers have not recovered. Particularly not home owners with mortgages. Until the mortgage debt runs right through the system that chilling effect will still be felt.
Part of the reason that attacking the benefits that effect middle class and poor right now, is that
they haven't recovered, and any impact on their behaviour has an outsized effect on consumer demand. And that, more than anything, defines the direction of GDP.

Another reason the current recovery has been stunted is that the recession was triggered by a housing collapse and a credit crisis that chilled lending.

When the prices of homes and commercial real estate collapsed, foreclosures mounted, forcing banks to tighten lending and leaving many consumers unable to tap home equity to get loans. While many Americans' retirement accounts have largely bounced back from the 2008 bear market, their home values haven't. Americans have recouped $8.1 trillion in household wealth since the depths of the recession but are still down $8.9 trillion from the peak. One in four homeowners with mortgages owe more than their homes are worth.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2 ... very_n.htm