The Mullahs of Iran are Smiling

This afternoon the Obama Administration denied Transcanada Pipeline's long stalled permit to construct the Keystone XL pipeline that would transport oil from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Coast. We have written before on President's job killing action in delaying the permit for this $8 billion infrastructure project. The ostensible reason for denying the permit was the potential impact of a pipeline leak in Nebraska's Ogallala Aquifier. However a deal has already been made with the Nebraska Legislature to reroute the pipeline around the aquififier. Then why is Obama halting the project?

The answer is simple. He is sacrificing our national security on the alter of the environmental lobby that he deems necessary for his reelection. At a time when Iran is talking of closing off the Gulf of Hormuz to oil shipments and with our navy playing cat and mouse with the Iranian navy, President Obama stalls an energy project that would supply 800,000 barrels of oil per day to our Gulf Coast. Along the way the pipeline would pick up oil from the highly productive Baaken Shale in North Dakota. With completion of the project our nation would be less dependent on oil tankers coming in from Venezuela, the middle-east and Nigeria.

As a result the President just tied one hand behind his back in our upcoming dealings with Iran. To the Mullahs in Iran we are not serious and I am sure they are smiling tonight.