House Speaker John Boehner, by all early reports, wanted to avoid another damaging fight over the payroll tax cut extension. There were reports that he wanted to wrap this up quickly, and that he was going to cut the tea party out of the negotiations. Well, a funny thing happened, apparently, in the big all-GOP caucus retreat he had with his members last week.
"The Keystone pipeline is a prime example of a shovel-ready project that's been through every approval process here in Washington. Every option is on the table," Boehner said on Fox News Sunday.
"We're going to do everything we can to make sure this Keystone pipeline project is approved," he said.
Asked specifically about linking the project's approval to the payroll tax cut, Boehner replied: "We may. We may."
On Friday,
a number of members said they were still spoiling for a big Keystone XL fight. Apparenlty, Boehner's leadership position is just too weak to resist them.
The good news for pipeline opponents is that the GOP could very will kill it forever with this maneuver. It might not halt the actual tar sands extraction project, but it could keep the pipeline out.
The good news for Democrats in an election year is that the Republicans are apparently as committed as ever to making themselves even more unpopular by blocking help to the middle class.