WASHINGTON — In a blend of crude oil and raw politics, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu scrapped for converts among fellow Democrats on Thursday for legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline before a runoff election that threatens to end her career in Congress.
WASHINGTON — In a blend of crude oil and raw politics, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu scrapped for converts among fellow Democrats on Thursday for legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline before a runoff election that threatens to end her career in Congress.
The White House said President Barack Obama took a “dim view” of the bill but did not explictly threaten a veto. Even so, Senate Democratic officials said the party’s leadership agreed to give Landrieu room to try and pass the measure only after receiving assurances that Obama won’t sign it.
The maneuvering took place as House Republicans readied a vote for Friday on their own identical pipeline bill — advanced by Rep. Bill Cassidy, who is Landrieu’s rival in the Dec. 6 runoff. Landrieu led in a first round of voting last week, but Cassidy is favored to win the runoff, leaving Landrieu in need to shake up the race.
Landrieu sought to cast herself as an independent-minded lawmaker as she maneuvered for supporters for her bill in the Senate and for votes back home. “My leadership didn’t give me permission to do this. Nobody asked me to do it,” she said in remarks on the Senate floor.