Some portions :
– In recent weeks, Iran has cut oil exports to British and French companies and threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz,
– The Keystone XL Pipeline would create 20,000 construction and manufacturing jobs immediately, plus an additional 100,000 in indirect jobs along the pipeline.
– While the pipeline would not create immediate relief, it would lead to long-term stability for American families and businesses,

Let’s put those comments into a little perspective.
As readers of the Pioneer Press already knew “Published reports indicate that French and British suppliers already had reduced purchases of Iranian oil and had begun lining up alternative sources, suggesting that the Iranian cutoff could have a largely symbolic effect.”
Symbolic is probably the right assessment as France last year bought only three percent of its oil from Iran.
The sanctions are having an impact … more on Iran than on other countries although that does not mean that speculators will not use any excuse to pump-up prices.

Yes, there may be jobs created … but how many and will those jobs be American jobs ?
The Keystone project plans to use pipe produced in India … these could have been American jobs but the House including all Minnesota Republicans voted against requiring a portion of the steel be sourced from American or Canada producers … this is a lost opportunity.

Third, the press release properly states that it will have no impact on current prices … this is the opinion of noted experts and the Canadian company will not guarantee that the oil will be sold in America … thus it is questionable to imply that American interests will be served.

All these points aside, the intent of the press release is to chide politicians to support the Keystone XL project … yet, last week, the House voted on H R 3408, Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security (PIONEERS) Act. The bill requires the federal government to approve permits for the construction and operation of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast. The roll call was easily approved with only 21 Republicans voting against the bill … that included Erik Paulsen (R-MN-03).

If the MN-GOP feels that Keystone has so much potential, it needs to ask Mr. Paulsen explain his vote … IMO, the favorable tax treatment potential involving the Keystone project and the lack of assurance that Americans will benefit in jobs or oil supply, tells me that a NO vote was the right vote … there should have been a better bill.

The Obama Administration released its budget proposal last week while the House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan fiscal 2013 budget plan will be unveiled in March. The Ryan budget plan will offer voters an alternative vision to the “cradle-to-grave welfare state” philosophy. The House Republican budget resolution will contain reforms to Medicare, the health care program for Americans 62 and over, such as providing subsidies to help recipients pay for private insurance, based on their wealth and medical needs. “We haven’t written it yet, but we’re not backing off on the kinds of reforms we’ve advocated.”

While budgets are being debated, there is another debate … where does Pro-Life end ?

The term pro-life originated historically in the struggle to end abortion on demand and expanded to the issues of euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research.

In some ways this definition seems to be driving the focus into the fetus.

For example, consider the efforts underway principally in Virginia and Texas to require women seeking first-trimester abortions to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound, regardless of the wishes of the woman or recommendations of her physician or the medically evaluated health of the fetus.

The motivation may be a reaction to what potential President Rick Santorum and his assessment that President Obama’s healthcare reform program which provides free prenatal testing is designed to detect if children were disabled … thus, encouraging more abortions and saving money as the child moves from “cradle to grave”.
According to potential President Rick Santorum, “One of the things that you don’t know about ObamaCare in one of the mandates is they require free prenatal testing. Why? Because free prenatal testing ends up in more abortions and, therefore, less care that has to be done, because we cull the ranks of the disabled in our society. That too is part of ObamaCare — another hidden message as to what president Obama thinks of those who are less able than the elites who want to govern our country.”

OK, so there is clear desire to protect the fetus, but that “cradle to grave” thing must be questioned ? What about the health of the child after it is born … and there the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) has launched an education campaign claiming that “being pro-life means protecting the unborn from mercury pollution.”

That claim is being disputed by a number of influential voices that normally promote Pro-Life issues …. such as,
Gary L. Bauer, President, American Values
Rev. Richard Land, Ph.D., President, Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Marilyn Musgrave, Vice President for Government Affairs, Susan B Anthony List Penny
Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
and many others.

Thier assessment is that mercury exposure due to power-plant emissions does not kill infants.

Knowing if someone is Pro-Life may be too broad of a term … politicians will need to tell us if they are simply Pro-Fetus and that the government’s duty ends at the cradle … when the Ryan Budget comes out, voters will see the Republican “alternative vision” … and one telling way to know is to see how Republicans voted previously on SCHIP. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) covers health care for poor children — usually involving a sliding-fee scale so that as your income goes up you pay a premium that’s income-based and everybody pays co-pays and deductibles like people do on private health insurance.
For example, when Congress debated this issue the last time a Republican was President, Republicans Michele Bachmann and John Kline casting the only dissenting votes against funding while Republican Representative Jim Ramstad, voted for funding, as did Democrats Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum, Jim Oberstar, Collin Peterson, and Tim Walz.
At that time, Catholics United Executive Director Chris Korzen said you can’t be opposed to abortion and not support taking care of children once they’re born.

As Republicans promise to repeal Obamacare, who will be the limited Pro-Fetus and who will be Pro-Life ?

Here are the highlights :

Once in a while an idea comes along that should receive overwhelming bipartisan, if not unanimous, support. One such idea is being held up in the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Senate. It is known as the Trans-Canada Keystone XL Pipeline project, a proposed 1,700-mile crude oil pipeline that would wind its way from the tar sand fields in Alberta, Canada, to existing terminals in Texas and Louisiana — giving much-needed employment to American workers at no cost to taxpayers.
This project is good for Minnesotans. It is good for the American worker.
Completion of the project carries with it the promise of immediate jobs for 20,000 workers, the potential for hundreds of thousands of additional ancillary jobs by 2035, and enhanced energy security for the United States.

Well, the House is pushing new legislation to make that happen …. essentially, moving the decision-making responsibility from the State Department to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline Project regardless if other agencies have concerns.

The Republican-managed House are moving forward on debate and voting on H.R. 3408 … while there is a lot of questions, there’s one simple one … will the legislation really result in JOBS for American Workers ?

One easy way to assure that is to require that a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline is not to be issued or deemed issued unless the permit applicant can certify and provide adequate documentation to FERC that at least 75% of the iron and steel to be used in domestic portion of the pipeline is produced in North America ?

Sounds simple doesn’t it … no Russian-produced steel … no China-produced steel … no German-produced steel … no Japan-produced steel … yes to Canadian-produced steel … and YES to AMERICAN-Made steel.

So, it was that Mike Doyle (D-PA-14) offered an amendment … “Everyone in Congress wants a pipeline like this to create good American jobs. TransCanada has promised us that construction of this pipeline will create 7,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs. If it’s true, that’s great. But I for one want to make sure that we aren’t getting played for suckers. This amendment is about truth in advertising,” Congressman Doyle observed. “It is simply asking that before a permit is issued, the applicant must certify their claim and provide documentation that 75% of the steel to be used in the pipeline is sourced from North America. No one in the House should have a problem with making sure the American people haven’t been lied to. That’s all this amendment would do.”

Well, not everyone agreed … with only FOURTEEN Republicans caring where the steel was produced.

Standing up for American Jobs were :
Gus Bilirakis (FL-09)
Charles W. Dent (PA-15)
Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-08)
Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01)
Chris Gibson (NY-20)
Bill Johnson (OH-06)
Walter Jones (NC-03)
Steve LaTourette (OH-14)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02)
Patrick Meehan (PA-07)
James Renacci (OH-16)
Jon Runyan (NJ-03)
Steve Stivers (OH-15)
Bill Young (FL-10)

This amendment would have assured that American produced material was used … instead it appears that steel pipe imported from India will be used in the Keystone XL pipeline.

Representative Cravaack concluded his OpEd … The American worker is the most productive in the world, and so many people thirst for good-paying jobs that would come with projects like Keystone.
… well, families in India will surely thank you for your vote, but your constituents in the Eighth District recognize your platitudes but that does not satisfy our thirst !

Did You Know : TransCanada, the company behind the pipeline, has entered into long-term contracts with refineries to export the fuel to Latin America, Europe and other markets ?

Did You Know : At an Energy and Commerce hearing on December 2, 2011, the CEO of TransCanada, the company proposing the pipeline, confirmed this plan, saying he could not guarantee that the fuel from the pipeline would stay in the United States ?

Did You Know : Internal analysis done by TransCanada has shown that moving the end point of the current Keystone pipeline from the Midwest to Texas would increase gasoline prices for Midwest U.S. consumers ?

Did You Know : TransCanada Corp. already is shipping close to 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day into the US regardless of President Barack Obama’s denial of the Keystone XL Pipeline extension permit ?

Did You Know : The Keystone XL’s 300-mile leg from Steele City, Neb., to Cushing (Cushing is the largest U.S. terminal and trading hub about 60 miles west of Tulsa) has been in operation since last March ?

Did You Know : In September, Nebraska Governor Dave Heinemann (R) asked President Barack Obama to deny a permit due the planned route over an aquifer … or did you just know that President Barack Obama blocked the TransCanada permit to build the Keystone XL leg from the Canadian border to Steele City, citing potential environmental dangers if the route went through the Sand Hills region of western Nebraska, which is just above the massive Ogallala Aquifer ?

Did You Know : An amendment on H.R. 3548, the “North American Energy Access Act” was offered by Representative Ed Markey, No. 1b, to prohibit the export of oil and refined products that originate from the Keystone XL pipeline ?
The Amendment reads : A waiver for this requirement may be issued by the President if it can be determined such exports will not lead to increased imports from hostile countries, higher fuel prices, or the violation of current laws and trade agreements.
The amendment failed with every Republican voting against it.
Representative Markey reacted : “under this bill there are no guarantees that even a drop of the tar sands oil and fuels will stay in this country. This bill is not about energy security, it is not about jobs, it is about oil company profits, plain and simple.”

Did You Know : Ed Markey introduced a bill that would ensure that the oil and refined fuel from the Canadian conduit is actually sold in the United States — H.R.3900 — To ensure that oil transported through the Keystone XL pipeline is used to reduce United States dependence on Middle Eastern oil ?
Mr. Markey commented, “You can’t sneak a 1,700 mile pipeline past the American people, and you shouldn’t be able to sneak the oil out of the United States either. Other countries shouldn’t be allowed to bisect our country with a pipeline and then bypass our citizens to send the oil abroad.”

Do You Know of any reason WHY our Representatives Should Not enact HR 3900 ? ? ?
Why shouldn’t TransCanada be required to sell some of the refinded product to American consumers … aren’t we already paying more at the pump even though the Crude Oil inventories at Cushing climbed 1.5 million barrels in one week to 30.1 million barrels (according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration January 27).
Yes, there would be construction jobs (but how many workers will be American taxpayers?) but why should we not be guaranteed some of the oil ?

Representative Cornish explained that when there’s a gun rights dispute, it generally ends up in state court.
“The National Rifle Association has worked on this in other cases in other states. The language we have is preferred, and is really strong. When it gets to the ballots in other states, it generally passes by 62-80%, and is popular with the people. I think it will pass with a big majority,” he said.

As such, Representative Cornish has introduced legislation –HF2121 – Right of individuals to keep and bear arms for defense of life and liberty and for all other legitimate purposes protected as fundamental.

Further, Representative Cornish wants it to go to the general election ballot, in the form of a constitutional amendment, so that all citizens can provide their approval.
Thus it is that Representatives Bruce Anderson (19A), Paul Anderson (13A), Tom Anzelc(3A), Mike Benson (30B), Roger Crawford (8B), Bob Dettmer (52A), David Dill (6A), Steve Drazkowski (28B), Sondra Erickson (16A), Dan Fabian (1A), Mary Franson (11B), Mary Kiffmeyer (16B) Mike LeMieur (12B), Kathy Lohmer (56A) Carolyn McElfatrick (3B), Pam Myhra (40A), Joyce Peppin (32A), Duane Quam (29A), Ron Shimanski (18A), Steve Smith (33A) and Chris Swedzinski (21A) have signed on to Representative Cornish’s bill.

Representative Cornish is on to something here … the citizens have entrusted their Representatives too long to make decisions for us … we need more Constitutional Amendments so that the People can approve … there have been way too few votes to allow the People an actual chance to the grant their approval.

After all, there was that little law suit after Representative Cornish’s previous legislation – Citizens Personal Protection Act of 2005 (the so-called “Conceal and Carry Act“) … if only Representative Cornish would have given the People the opportunity to vote grant their approval, it could have saved countless hours of judicial time (and taxpayer cost).

Currently, Representative Cornish is actively promoting legislation regarding the Castle Doctrine. The Minnesota House passed the bill last year and a Senate committee approved the measure Thursday. The bill allows deadly force in several defined circumstances if people feel like they’re in imminent danger.

And Minnesota does not currently have a Death Penalty … but Representative Cornish took a trip to Tombstone Arizona and personally took pictures of “Boot Hill” the famous cemetery and of a “gallows”. Representative Cornish sent an email to his fellow legislators (and MN-GOP staff) “I have a Crime Bill at my Desk” and the actual color picture of the museum gallows was attached.

Representative Cornish needs to get all four measures on the ballot this November … let the People decide …. of course, there is some risk.
Voters might just wonder why we need legislators who are investing time proposing Constitutional Ballot Questions … a recent online poll including respondents from Representative Cornish’s District, responded overwhelmingly with this response regarding the need for Constitutional Amendments — “Am I missing something here? People are starving, the economy is in ruins, and we’re debating whether to amend our Constitution? Seriously?”

Seriously, isn’t it time that voters take a long hard look at the priorities of Tony Cornish and his collaborating legislators who seemed bent on “government by gimmickry” and ask them when are they going to get serious ?

Here’s the transcript of Rep. Maureen Walsh’s (R-WA) speech in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage
“I don’t wax as eloquently as most of the people on the floor here, but I’ve allowed my heart and my mind guide me in decisions that I’ve made on a lot of different issues that have been before us in the legislature. And I think sometimes that’s what we have to do.

I too don’t want to wag my finger at anybody about which way you should vote on this. It’s certainly an issue of conscience to me, and certainly one that I have been weighing very heavily for the last few weeks.

I was married for 23 years to the love of my life. He died 6 years ago, and you know, I’m a lonely old widow right now. I’m 51 yeas old, looking for a boyfriend. Not having much luck with that.

And yet, when I think of my husband, and I think of all the wonderful years we had, and the wonderful fringe benefit of having three beautiful children, I don’t miss the sex. You know? And to me that’s kind of what this boils down to. I don’t miss that. I mean I certainly miss it, but it is certainly not the aspect of that relationship — that incredible bond I had with that human being — that I really, really genuinely wish I still had.

So I think to myself, how could I deny the right to have that incredible bond with another individual in life? To me it seems almost cruel.

You know, years ago my daughter was in elementary school. Many of you have met my daughter, she’s a fabulous girl. She’s wonderful. My boys are great too, but my daughter is just something special. She was the light of her fathers eyes.

And she went to school and there was a whole group of kids just picking on another kid. And you know, my daughter stood up for that kid. Even though it wasn’t the popular thing to do, she knew it was the right thing to do.

I was never more proud of my kid, knowing that she was speaking against the vocal majority on behalf of the rights of the minority. To me, it is incumbent upon us as legislators in this state to do that. That is why we are here.

I shudder to think that if folks who have preceded us in history did not do that, frankly I’m not sure I would be here, as a woman. I’m not sure other people would be here due to their race or their creed.

To me that is what’s disconcerting. Someone made the comment that this is not about equality. Well yes, it is about equality. Why in the world would we not allow those equal rights for those individuals who truly were committed to one another in life? To be able to show that by way of a marriage?

My daughter came out of the closet a couple of years ago. And you know what, I thought I was just going to agonize about that. Nothin’s different. She’s still a fabulous human being, and she’s met a person that she loves very much, and some day, by God, I wanna throw a wedding for that kid.

I hope that is exactly what I can do. I hope she will not feel like a second-class citizen involved in something called a “domestic partnership” that frankly sounds like a Merry Maids franchise to me.

Thank you Mr. Speaker, that’s all I want to say. Thank you for the civil, wonderful debate today. It’s been great.”

The bill passed 55-43 and will be signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday.

“I’m just so impressed with my colleagues on the House floor,” Representative Walsh said. “People were kind and gracious about this issue. It’s tough to be the odd man out in the caucus, but my caucus has been so kind to me. I am so proud to work with these people.”

While, the people of Walla Walla have a Representative to be proud of … it’s the daughter who is telling the world that her Mom Rocks !