Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Boehner: 'We May' Try To Attach Keystone Pipeline Plan To Payroll Tax Cut, Again

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Speaker John Boehner hinted on Sunday that he will attempt, once more, to tie the fate of a long-term extension of the payroll tax cut to approval of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.

One week after the president -- citing State Department concerns -- put the kibosh on plans to build a pipeline through the United States for the purposes of carrying crude oil, Boehner told "Fox News Sunday" he would attempt to resuscitate the proposal.

"The Keystone pipeline is the prime example of a shovel-ready project that has been through every approval process here in Washington," he told "Fox News Sunday." "Every option is on the table. We are going to do everything we can to try to make sure that this Keystone pipeline is, in fact, approved."

Asked by host Chris Wallace whether he would try to "link" the pipeline to extending the payroll tax holiday for an additional 10 months after it expires at the end of February, Boehner replied,"We may. But as I said, all options are on the table."

This is, more or less, the same tactic that Republicans deployed when the payroll tax cut extension was being debated at the close of last year. Obama then said that expediting the review process for the pipeline would mean that the State Department reviewers would recommend killing it. And, sure enough, that's what happened.

It's hard to imagine that anything changes if Boehner tries again to link the pipeline proposal to the payroll tax cut. If anything, the political fallout that the GOP suffered in late December might give the president comfort in knowing he can win this fight.

Original Article
Source: Huff 
Author: Sam Stein 

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