America needs a leader like Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper

By Judi McLeod —— Bio and Archives January 18, 2012

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During his three-year-plus anti-American world tour, President Barack Obama became infamous for bowing to the enemy. Today he caved in to environmentalists by postponing the long-delayed, TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL pipeline forcing it back until after the November 12 election. But while only internet sniping followed Obama’s subservient bows to America’s enemies, the disappointing postponement of the Keystone pipeline at least got him outed for the artful dodger he is.

Obama is not about jobs. All those clinging to the hope of one of the approximate 20,000 jobs that come with the pipeline, had their hopes dashed. Speaking to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) last night, Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper had this to say: “But just because certain people in the United States would like to see Canada be one giant national park for the northern half of North America, I don’t think that’s part of what our review process (for the Northern Gateway) is all about.” (CBC News, Jan. 16, 2012). Harper’s CBC remarks made the opening monologue on talk show radio giant Rush Limbaugh today.

In a nutshell, this is the pro and con argument on the $7 billion pipeline: Cheerleaders of the project remind the Obama administration that the pipeline would generate mega jobs and lessen a beleaguered America’s dependence on foreign oil by bringing on stream a secure energy supply. Environmentalists--many of whom Obama depends on for votes--insist the pipeline will increase the chance of oil spills in environmentally sensitive regions and claim oil sands crude is dirtier and more corrosive than lighter grades in pipelines. By his rejection of the Keystone pipeline today, Obama made it clear he cannot afford to antagonize environmentalists in an election year. Harper, in effect, outed Obama from hiding behind his delay tactics on the project. In a western world where populations are losing faith in their leaders, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper stands out like a beacon. Nobody has stood taller than Harper on defending Israel. Under Harper’s Conservative government, Canada has taken a leading role in standing tall against encroaching United Nations policy. Today Harper put the Obama re-election bid into full perspective. Indeed, Obama’s stance against the mega job providing Keystone pipeline was that of the über artful dodger until Harper pulled his props out from under him. America needs a leader like Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.