Obama, Democrats Block Keystone

President Obama personally lobbied wavering Democrats to kill the Keystone Pipeline today. He was successful; 11 Democrats voted with the Republicans to speed approval of the pipeline, but the Republican amendment to a transportation bill was still defeated. It got 56 votes, but needed 60. 42 Democratic Senators voted against the amendment. The Democrats who defected to vote for lower gas prices were Max Baucus (Mont.), Mark Begich (Alaska), Bob Casey (Pa.), Kent Conrad (N.D.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Jim Webb (Va.).

The Senate also defeated a proposal by Sen. David Vitter to allow the sale of leases throughout the Outer Continental Shelf, including off the coasts of Florida, California and Virginia, 44-54.

At this point, I think it is safe to say that Barack Obama and the Democrats own the price of gasoline.

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