A Little Old Fashioned Swap.

       It may be that the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline should go the way of the dodo bird. It's not that the pipeline is a good idea. It's certainly not that this tar sands oil from Canada is good stuff, it's some of the worst stuff. And it's not that the fight isn't a good fight, it was. But everyone needs to smell the roses. The State Department made some honest statements. The oil is going to get used no matter what. Fighting that is like taking a swing at the wind. You'll never land a punch.
       That doesn't mean something good can't come out of it. What if I suggested a push to add an addendum to the agreement to allow the pipeline to become a reality? What if that addendum set stronger requirements on coal, oil and gas to lower emissions? What if it came as an agreement with Republicans for more funding for the EPA and enforcement?
       Both parties have come to understand strong-arm tactics. Republicans with their talk of no more taxes because we've already done that. It's done. Democrats forced cuts to defense. Now it appears that both parties have received what they wanted. Tax increase for the Democrats and large cuts to spending for the Republicans. So even though it was done unwillingly, they both compromised.
       Okay then, why not get folks to compromise on the Keystone XL. They get the pipeline, we get some improvements to pollution oversight, funding and limits. If they don't go for that, suggest additional subsidies for renewable energy as the offset. Knowing how they hate the idea of renewables, they'll surely go along with the emissions and enforcement.