Absurd

Barack Obama's dithering on the Keystone pipeline is, to be honest, small potatoes when compared to any of his administration's more significant missteps, but it is representative of cynical political machinations that serve only his own ideological agenda and not this nation's best interest.
The Washington Post (a staunch defender of this president) has finally had enough. The Post's editors write:

IF FOOT-DRAGGING were a competitive sport, President Obama and his administration would be world champions for their performance in delaying the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Last Friday afternoon, the time when officials make announcements they hope no one will notice, the State Department declared that it is putting off a decision on Keystone XL indefinitely — or at least, it seems, well past November’s midterm elections. This time, the excuse is litigation in Nebraska over the proposed route, because that might lead to a change in the project that various federal agencies will want to consider. The State Department might even decide to substantially restart the environmental review process . This is yet another laughable reason to delay a project that the federal government has been scrutinizing for more than five years.

At this point, there is little doubt about the big picture. After two thorough environmental analyses, State Department experts determined that the pipeline’s impact probably would be minimal, even on climate change-inducing carbon dioxide emissions. The economic rewards of extracting Canadian oil are too attractive and the options for getting it out of the country are too numerous. We would rather see Canadian crude traveling a well-built, well-regulated pipeline in the United States than on the rail cars, barges and ocean tankers that will move it until cheaper options inevitably come online.

It's interesting that the Post doesn't recognize a pattern here. Virtually everything that Barack Obama's administration does is overtly political—national interest be damned. Delay provisions of laws that might hurt Democratic outcomes in the mid-term elections? No problem. Selectively enforce laws so that the political base will remain happy? No worries. Stonewall investigations into government malfeasance and corruption? Just another day. Delay necessary decisions for as long as possible, hoping that things will resolve themselves? Typical.  Keystone is small potatoes, but in a way, it exemplifies some aspects of Barack Obama and his administration perfectly.

The title of the Post's editorial is "Keystone XL's continued delay is absurd." That should come as no surprise from an administration that is a theater of the absurd.