Senator Mark Warner Signs Letter Pushing Keystone

Did you know that the 53 US Senators demanding that President Obama build the Keystone Pipeline got an average $551,051 from the oil lobby, a total of $27,500,000 altogether (according to 350.org)? That’s a pretty staggering amount, isn’t it? It’s a sad commentary in this post-Citizens United country.

And know who one of those senators is?  You guessed it, the best friend oil friendly Americans for Prosperity has, Mark Warner of Virginia.  So he’s not only doing the bidding of right-wing hatchet-man and enemy of Social security and Medicare, Peter Peterson, on the budget.  He’s also helping out the Koch’s and the rest of the oil lobby.  

Here’s the list of the sell-outs to big oil.  And note they all oversell jobs, which won’t produce may local jobs along the route and won’t produce nearly as many jobs overall as promised. Nor will the energy be used for the US. It’s Canada’s oil, remember?  And it is headed for China, not the US. So, I wonder, how will this resolve our supposed “need” for more fossil fuel, as opposed to renewable energy?  

John Hoeven (R-N.D.)

Max Baucus (D-Mont.)

Rob Portman (R-Ohio)

Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)

Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)

Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)

Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.)

Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)

John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)

Mike Johanns (R-Neb.)

Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)

Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)

Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)

Dan Coats (R-Ind.)

Rand Paul (R-Ky.)

David Vitter (R-La.)

John Cornyn (R-Texas)

James Risch (R-Idaho)

Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)

James Inhofe (R-Okla.)

Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)

Richard Burr (R-N.C.)

Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)

Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)

Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)

John McCain (R-Ariz.)

Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)

Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.)

Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)

Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)

Susan Collins (R-Maine)

John Thune (R-S.D.)

Ted Cruz (R-Texas)

Mike Lee (R-Utah)

Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)

John Boozman (R-Ark.)

Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)

Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)

Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

Tim Scott (R-S.C.)

Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)

Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)

Dean Heller (R-Nev.)

Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)

Mark Begich (D-Alaska)

Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.)

Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.)

Mary Landrieu (D-La.)

Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)

Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)

Mark Warner (D-Va.)

Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)

Kay Hagan (D-N.C.)

We can’t short cut our way out of our energy problems with Canada’s tar-sands oil and a dirty pipeline sending gas to China. But the above senators won’t tell you that.

And. finally, even the Koch brothers own study shows the effect of our dependence on fossil fuels, a 2.5 degree warming of the planet. PS thanks, Tim Kaine, for not signing.