Congress blunders on Keystone pipeland . . . again

I can't be sure that a Democratic-led House would not have made the same blunder -- after all, support for the Keystone oil pipeline is not limited to Republicans.   However, I do believe Democrats would have been a little more likely not to have blundered this badly.

It seems that the planned route for this pipeline from Canada to the Gulf state refineries in Texas and Louisiana will pass through tribal territory of the Great Sioux Nation.    The treaties of 1861 and 1868 between the U. S. government and the Sioux Nation give the Sioux certain sovereign rights over their own territory.

Last February, the Sioux Nation adopted resolutions opposing the Keystone pipeline project crossing their land.

What this will do is give President Obama even more moral and legal authority to veto it, if both houses of congress should pass the bill to allow it.    The Senate failed by one vote to muster the 60 needed to move on the House-passed bill.   That's small comfort, knowing that in January they will have enough new Republican members to reverse that vote.    

So it may come to a veto;  and if it does they don't have the votes to over-ride.

Even more than that, however, this matter of the Sioux territory gives reason for it to be challenged in the federal courts -- and I don't see how the SCOTUS could ignore valid treaties.

But, of course, I would never have thought they would give the 2000 election to Bush, or make the Citizens United decision either.    We should never underestimate the conservative bloc's capacity to turn a blind eye to their own loudly touted principles when it comes to corporate interests.

Stay tuned.

Ralph

PS:   I first read about this and wrote this account several days ago.   I have seen nothing in the mainstream media about it.    Has someone made it go away?    Is the MSM just going to ignore it?   Is anyone in congress or the administration going to talk about it?