The best government money can buy......................................

Shouldn't these members of Congress be obliged to declare a conflict of interest and abstain in any vote on the subject? I could be wrong, but I believe that's the way it would be done in Westminster.

It looks exceptionaly good value for money, if it only takes a few million to subvert the whole US democratic process. Russia is far more expensive.

How can the pretence of US democracy continue?

Yes, and this is the nature of 'democracy' the American oligarchs try to impose on other nations.

Let's not forget that Enron promoted the Kyoto Protocol and that James Hansen has called carbon trading a fossil fuel and banking scam.

Enron officials later expressed elation at the results of the Kyoto conference. An internal memo said the Kyoto agreement, if implemented, would "do more to promote Enron's business than almost any other regulatory initiative outside of restructuring the energy and natural gas industries in Europe and the United States."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A37287-2002Jan12&notFound=true

It would be good to also see how much financial pressure the green lobbyists have applied too. They have made this a major issue and even threatened Obama with the political consequences in November of him not doing what they want.

In the interests of balanced reporting, I expect that we can see this here soon.

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Interestingly America has quite strict laws about bribing foreign officials for commercial gain, yet bribing its own politicians is fine.

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America is a Democracy. Every four years Every citizen of the republic votes for a party and candidate of preference. The winner makes political decisions during the next four years, based upon their own political philosohy and upon the balanced and best interests of the polulation as a whole. The country is fair and balanced as it is run by the population who vote for their representative government. If the government is ineffective then it is voted out at the next election. Or something.

Let me try and understand this.

I run an oil company and I am free to send large sums of money to elected members of the 2 houses to help them get relected. in return they vote for bills that suit my business.

What a total carve up.

I wonder how the donations from pro Israel organisations work out?

It would be good to also see how much financial pressure the green lobbyists have applied too. They have made this a major issue and even threatened Obama with the political consequences in November of him not doing what they want.

In the interests of balanced reporting, I expect that we can see this here soon.

There's a great resource on funding to the American congress here. I haven't the time at the moment to investigate the 'green lobby's' donations, but the Keystone pipeline decision is compelling circumstantial evidence that it does not match the oil lobby's.

I am sure your insinuation is correct though, if green interests had more money than oil interests they would surely be able to buy congress. I think it makes it even more significant that in the scientific community not a single major scientific institution in the world has promoted climate skepticism on the oil lobby's behalf...

I run an oil company and I am free to send large sums of money to elected members of the 2 houses to help them get relected. in return they vote for bills that suit my business.

It is a wonderful cycle, congressman routinely lobby companies for funding by telling them that they will fight for particular laws beneficial to said companies if they are elected.

They are also interested in making laws suitable their peers, the proverbial 1%, as at least half of them count themselves amongst that privileged group.

Where is the honour?

Have we become immune to this kind of trash politics? Have we accepted that it's okay to buy politicians? Watch the Republican primaries. The same trash talk about the non-political aspect of the opponents.

How can we put politicians under the microscope regarding their personal lives and then turn the other way when they prostitute themselves to get elected?

If Obama's America doesn't want the oil, the Chinese will. It will be used, one way or another.

It's economic and environmental madness for the US not to take advantage of local sources, otherwise the oil has to be shipped halfway around the world, with all the extra cost and pollution that that will entail.

Talk about false economy and cutting off your nose to spite your face. The whole thing is liberal lunacy.

It would be good to also see how much financial pressure the green lobbyists have applied too.

Here is the "Alternative Energy Sector's" funding to Congress. $20 million dollars in 2011, apparently, compared to over $100 million for oil and gas and nearly $300 million for energy and natural resources overall.

Oil and gas are the biggest contributors to congress besides Pharma and Insurance, with $100million. That is compared to $20 million for alternative energy, and $12 million for environmental groups.

It would be interesting if someone had the time to line up fossil fuel interests versus alternative fuels and environmental issues, but it is clear to see that oil and gas alone outspend the "green lobby" many times over, without considering coal and other interests that compromise the environment.

If Obama's America doesn't want the oil, the Chinese will. It will be used, one way or another.

It's economic and environmental madness for the US not to take advantage of local sources, otherwise the oil has to be shipped halfway around the world, with all the extra cost and pollution that that will entail.

Talk about false economy and cutting off your nose to spite your face. The whole thing is liberal lunacy.

But if China or the US or anyone else use all that oil then it is apparently game over for the climate. If this is liberal lunacy, it is lunacy based on sound science.

Have you read about the Tragedy of the Commons? It goes a long way to explaining the conundrum you describe.

Yea, I suppose it's kinda like those involved with solar power companies giving Obama and the Democrats huge sums so that they can benefit from grants and bailouts taken from the taxpayer. Think Solyndra scandal. Bush declined to give them money, but Obama was almost obliged to because of donations. He put a donor ahead of taxpayers.

To think that the USA lectures onther nations on corruption when their own government can be so totally bought!
Given their disastrous effects on the global environment and their catalogue of wars and interference with other nations, it is clear that the USA, despite all its grandiose delusions of greatness, is the most dangerous nation on earth

Corporate and private campaign bribes to politicians must be banned. The politicians won't agree so it must come from the people through protest and occupy movements. Modest and equal public funding should be allowed for political messaging.

Thank you for your comment. It's good to see how many tens of millions that the green lobby spends on lobbying congress alone. Then there are the other vast sums it spends (again, in the tens of millions), for example during the recent elections in California.

It's obvious that the green lobby is also not short of money to use to try to buy the government that it wants.

But the point of my comment was, as stated, about balanced reporting and the hope for the Guardian to publish such information, not just for such facts to be buried in the comments to its articles.

The Standard Oil / IG Farben conglomerate controls oil, drugs and much of the auto industry.
Chase / Federal Reserve Bank is a Rockefeller brother.
The $10,000 Federal Reserve Bank Note has a portrait of Salmon P. Chase.

An Alberta refinery means permanent jobs for Canucks Pipeline jobs are primarily temporary. They have mandatory vacations and heath care and generous wages and environmental laws.
We have to refine it in a US controlled third world country.

Thank you for your comment. It's good to see how many tens of millions that the green lobby spends on lobbying congress alone. Then there are the other vast sums it spends (again, in the tens of millions), for example during the recent elections in California.

It's obvious that the green lobby is also not short of money to use to try to buy the government that it wants.

It's obvious that every lobby does this, and the fossil fuel lobby outspends the "green lobby" by a factor of roughly six to one. I would be worried, NeverMindTheBollocks, if you took the figures I provided as vilification of the "green lobby" to the benefit of any other lobby, they are obviously severely hamstrung in the funding battle compared to their supposed opponents.

On the energy question, fossil fuel lobbies are the funding Goliaths to the "green lobby's" David. They buy far more influence, as seen in this report they essentially bought an entire Congress.

does the america population know that they buy oil at approxamatly 10 dollars cheaper a barrel from canada than any other country in the world ? as a canadian i really dont care if the pipeline goes threw or not. the reason i dont care is because there is a list of countries as long as you are tall that would love to buy our oil. now this being said.
to the tree huggers out their let me ask you this.where would you rather get your oil from ? a middle east country that in a few yrs your going to be at war with ?or a country that has supplied you with clean drinking water,trees,gold, silver, diamonds, hydro power,beef,pork,fish oh ya and oil just to name a few of the things we supply your big headed nation with ? nah lets buy it from saudi arabia.first we will get them to use their women and children whom they pay next to nothing to drill it for us.then we can have them fill great big oil tanker ships and float it across the ocean for us...thats a great idea !! oil tankers never sink and even better we can pay more for it when it gets here..lol wake up people.the fact that there is even a debate on this subject is a joke. the oil companies,the banks and your nations leaders have set this debate up to make you people feel like you have a voice.lol YOU DONT !! the pipeline will go threw whether you like it or not. the fact of the matter is there is just to much on the line(pipeline) for this not to go threw.both our nations need jobs and and the financial benefits of this are huge to both of our countries. so for the daryl hannahs and robert redfords out their who arent in need of jobs to feed their families good for you but let the rest of us get on with our lives so we can feed our children and stimulate our nations economies.

"Villification"?

Unlike many others here, I haven't villified anyone.

Again, I am simply looking for balanced reporting here of the large-scale lobbying by both sides, neither of which is even remotely "hamstrung" for money.

Reminds me of Greg Pallast's book "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" a good read. He has to work in England even though he's an American journalist.

"Villification"?

Unlike many others here, I haven't villified anyone.

I had no intention of accusing you of vilification, not at all. I said that "I would be worried, NeverMindTheBollocks, if you took the figures I provided as vilification of the "green lobby" to the benefit of any other lobby". The vilifying, in this is instance, would have been done by me if anyone!

I am simply looking for balanced reporting here of the large-scale lobbying by both sides, neither of which is even remotely "hamstrung" for money.

I take your point, but I am concerned that you are presenting the case of balance as the case of equivalence.

There is nothing significant in the fact that alternative energy companies and environmental groups several millions of dollars to influence Congress, it is not significant because every national interest in America does it.

What I find significant in this case (the Keystone pipeline) and in the funding figures, is that while the "green lobby" can sometimes influence congress, fossil fuel lobbyists can buy an entire congress. Environmental groups simply cannot compete, and in that sense they are hamstrung.

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*approximately
*Canada
*don't
*through
*nation's
*aren't

10 dollars cheaper if your ignore the environmental cost.

Women and children working on Saudi oil drilling rigs? Really?

Canada won't have so much clean water soon.

nope, not presenting the case of balance as the case of equivalence either.

I don't buy the "hamstrung" argument either. As I wrote tens of millions were spent by them in the recent California election. And the combined budgets of the big green lobbies are well in excess of a billion dollars.

In addition, they are often spending vast amounts on their campaigns; trot out celebrities to dip their hands in oil for the camera (as a symbol of... perhaps the petroleum products that brought them there?); have large grassroots support, often from very zealous supporters,...

There is nothing illegal about such tactics, and I'm not suggesting that there should be, but once again it shows that there is little hamstringing (other than own goals) that they suffer from.

And finally, I repeat that I'm merely looking from some balanced reporting.

One point I have to make is that Americans (and Brits) have to change their habits in order to help reduce consumption.

Every airport, shopping mall, restaurant, office building, (even homes) etc. is heated to ridiculous, uncomfortable extremes in winter and in summer, air conditioning so high that you often have to wear a sweater.

I was back in UK at the end of december. Strolling through town in a T shirt (yes it was that warm) I could not believe the shops had the heating on. Most people were wearing coats and scarves. Come on Brits, what is wrong with you? What do you have in your veins? Water?

Turn down the heat. It is not necessary.

Cars? Time for governments to mandate minimum 40 mpg. Time for people to put the car culture in reverse. Time for people to get out of their cars and try walking. Apart from saving money, you will be surprised how good you feel.

Corruption in USA politics??. Massively corrupt, always has been. I live in USA, not a citizen so don't vote but they do not offer a box titled NONE of the ABOVE so it does not really matter.

Jarv.

I don't buy the "hamstrung" argument either. As I wrote tens of millions were spent by them in the recent California election. And the combined budgets of the big green lobbies are well in excess of a billion dollars.

But surely you accept, as we have somewhat established over the past few comments, that the fossil fuel lobby outspends them several times over?

I realise I am trying to put words in your mouth, feel free not to speak them.

As I wrote tens of millions were spent by them in the recent California election.

California is the home of green energy in America, extrapolating their national spend from California would be as mistaken as extrapolating the oil lobby's national spend from their influence in Texas elections.

I won't use the term "cherry-picking", but it's right at the tip of my typing fingers!

Some truth, courtesy of the Telegraph.

“American funded groups seek to exploit any loophole they can find, stacking public hearings with bodies to ensure that delays kill good projects. They use funding from foreign special interests to undermine Canada’s national economic interest. They attract jet-setting celebrities with some of the largest personal carbon footprints in the world to lecture Canadians not to develop our natural resources.”

According to preliminary calculations, since 2000 USA foundations have poured $300 million into the environmental movement in Canada. The David Suzuki Foundation alone has been paid at least $10 million by American foundations over the past decade. Why?

EXCELLENT piece of research!!!!

Whether you are pro or anti the pipeline, this sort of research is extremely important - and not just on this topic either. It makes for transparency. It makes accountability clearer. We are all better off for that.

Congratulations!!! i'm glad you can spell. As far as the water goes we will always have more than you.(no matter where your from) My piont in the women and children comment is that the u.s.a would rather buy oil from countries who are guilty of unethical treatment towards their people.( Complete hypoccrits) and as far as the environmental costs go feel free to explain them to me.

Obama sold out the American people when he signed the NDAA, and he will sell us out again when he signs on to the XL pipeline deal.
The only change America got with Obama is, unlike the little deserter George Bush, Obama is a very smooth talking flim flam man.

Don't you Brits understand anything?

With unions, corporations, and environmentalists paying-off Congressmen, that

tends to reduce their incentive to steal from us taxpayers.

This is what's known as a win-win situation.

Explain Environmental costs?
Massive CO2 release, toxins left in massive settling ponds to leach into the water table, not to mention killing every bird that lands in them. Massive disruption of the local ecosystem.

Did no one explain that to you before? Perhaps that is why you think tar sand extraction is a good idea.

Unconscionable treatment of the environment, and oh yes everyone who isn't a rich white man in a suit.

* hypocrites

well where are these ponds and dead birds you speak of ? this isnt the 1960's anymore. oil extraction has come a long way since then.iv worked the pipelines for 20 yrs and have never seen a dead bird in a pond that was caused by a pipeline that i worked on.i have never benn sujected to co2 release... massive or small. oh and what local ecosystem are you talking about ? i know here in Canada we have government and private agencies that inspect to make sure the environment is treated and respected in a lawful manner.
so whats your solution petey, we all stop using oil..get real my friend it just isn't going to happen in our lives. i know what your trying to say but the reality is America needs the oil and Canada needs to sell it to them. so as far as i can tell your just not part of the solution petey and that would make you part of the problem.

Corporate Oligarchy at its finest...and people still think that Politicians govern us?
Dear candidate, please bend over.

What settling ponds?

http://www.naturecanada.ca/tarsands_birds.asp

http://www.wilderutopia.com/health/worlds-dirtiest-oil-alberta-tar-sands/

Don't feed the trolls, too much ;)

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Wow, direct threats to our President and coercion from our billionaire oil boys. I wonder what it's like to have noone who can check you -- to be able to do and say anything you want, with no consequences? I'm beginning to reconsider all of those conspiracy theories about what happened to President Kennedy in Texas. He just crossed the wrong mob bosses, I guess. At least these sweethearts have been kind enough to fire a warning shot.

There must be a lot of money to made in this -- well, money to be made for them, in this. Sadly, The Pipeline will pass and The Middle Class will, again, be left to foot the abatement bill. The best analogy is one where The American Poor, The American Middle Class and The American Rich are all sitting to dinner. During dinner, The Rich smash glasses, turn over tables and throw things. The bill comes and The Poor scrounge-up what they can and promise to leave the tip. The Rich throw a dime on the table and say: "You're just lucky that I'm letting others see me here with you" before running off to go smash something else up, somewhere and leave someone else to foot the bill. The Middle Class is, again, left with the tab, but notice their wallet was pickpocketed by The Rich. So now, The Middle Class will spend the rest of the night washing dishes.

Remind me, again, what the incentive is to go to school, work and pay taxes in The US? The Keystone XL Pipeline will be subsidized, too, by the way. I suppose in that alternate dimension where Billionaire Oil Barons live, negative tax rates -- compared to their gains from projects that were financed by our taxes and our parents' and grandparents' taxes -- equals paying their way in this society. And who says Math has no place in government policy (besides Republicans)?

Unfortunately, that list of sell-outs will still find people who will vote for them. Possibly even a majority of people who will. It's astounding.

Oh, I don't think they go through the trouble of saying "Please". They just take what they want, even if they have absolutely no right to take it.

We're talking about the drinking water for a significant portion of the midwest region of The US, here -- an area that will also be experiencing increasingly drier conditions in the coming decades -- and The Oil Boys decide to throw a hissy fit, demanding that this project be rushed through now, now, now, without, proper environmental assessment. Who the hell do they think they are, anyway?

They are trying to blackmail the American government. That's corruption. Arrest them fo treason and jail them for twenty years . See if that does any good.

With Corporations being the only US Citizens that matter due to buying their might, it matters not that human beings will be rendered extinct sooner rather than later as BIGCorps destroy the earth.

Secondly, BigOil and Gas have no profit incentive to take a longer view to alternative energy sources since their objective is today's stock price and this years bonuses for Executives.

I hope the 1% has figured out how to avoid the coming catastrophes that their actions are bringing on.