The decision by the Obama Administration to delay the decision on the Keystone XL pipeline brought the issue quite a bit of attention, even getting notice on the "Colbert Report."
Stephen Colbert has no problem taking an opportunity to mention Canada, and used the Keystone XL pipeline story to make a bigger story on the environment.
Funniest line: once the oil is out of the sands, then Alberta will be left with just sand, which is good because global warming will make Alberta beachfront property. Well, it was funnier when Colbert said it.
Canada has responded in recent days by inferring that the country might sell its oil to China if the U.S. keeps delaying the pipeline. The infrastructure issues of getting the oil to China (actually to Canada's West Coast, and then to China) make it a somewhat hollow threat. Needless to say, Canada is not happy with the delay.
Harper pointed out that the U.S. problems are due to this being the "political season." The U.S. is getting to the point where every day is part of the "political season."
Some analysts are saying 2012 may bring the highest gas prices in U.S. history, and America needs to get the oil from somewhere.
Canada and the United States are each other's largest trading partner. Oil is something Canada wants to export and the U.S. wants to import. If finding a new path for the pipeline will help the U.S. decision, the Harper government will be happy. But the Harper folks would rather have that sooner rather than later.
The "Colbert Report" airs Monday-Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States and the Comedy Channel and CTV in Canada.
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