By msnbc’s Anna Tuman
Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) told Chuck Todd on Friday’s “The Daily Rundown” that President Obama’s decision on the Keystone Pipeline will not be based on the best interest of the country, but rather on what will get him votes in November.
“Really it should be a no-brainer, it should be an easy call on the president’s part,” he said. “But, you know, this is about November, it’s not really about national interest in my judgment.”
The Senator said the President’s decision on the issue puts him in a difficult position because it will affect two different groups that support him, environmentalist groups and unions.
“The problem the president has is his environmentalists, part of his base to get reelected, don’t want the oil sands development in Canada,” he said. “On the other hand, part of his base, the unions want to build the pipeline, and so the president is punted.”
Asked if he thought the President would come to a different decision if he had more time, Johanns said it had nothing to do with time. “It has nothing to do with dates,” he said. “It’s the President counting votes and not wanting to irritate a part of his base that he thinks he needs to get re-elected.” Johanns now supports the pipeline project since the concerns he had with it have been addressed.
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