Punter-in-Chief

            When he was an Illinois legislator Barack Obama voted "Present" 129 times instead of taking a stand on tough issues? Well, the Punter-in-Chief hasn't changed his MO.

            The President is in full campaign mode, flying all over the country at taxpayer expense to push his jobs bill, which can't even get passed by the Democrat-controlled Senate. He assures us that his first thoughts when he gets up in the morning and last thoughts before hitting the sack in the evening are about jobs.

            Well, there just happens to be a $7 billion "shovel ready" project that would create something in the neighborhood of 20,000 jobs. All it needs is a permit from the government, i.e., a Yes or a No from our leader.  Instead, President Obama has punted once again.

            The project is the Keystone XL Pipeline that would bring crude oil from the Alberta tar sands to refineries in Texas. It would make a huge dent in the amount of oil now imported from the Middle East. We can all agree that this is a good thing. Right?

            So what's the problem? This should be a no-brainer for the President, especially since most of those 20,000 jobs would be going to his union friends. But greenies, another Obama base, have objected on the grounds that the pipeline might contaminate the air, the ground, the water, and, I suppose, be a health hazard for wildlife. Why not throw in unborn babies while we're at it?

            Faced with making a decision that would displease either his union base or his green base, Obama punted. He ordered more environmental studies beyond the extensive studies that have already been done, and put off a decision until after the elections in 2012. In the words of John Boehner, "20,000 jobs have been sacrificed in the name of political expediency."

            Is there a downside to the President's non-decision? Probably not. The greenies will continue to vote for him, and so will the unions. After all, where are they going to go?

            But what about the oil? Where is it going to go? Well, if the Trans Canada Corporation can't pipe its oil across Nebraska to get to Texas, it says it can go directly to the west coast and from there directly to....guess where? China.

            And China doesn't fumble punts.