Pipe is stacked at the southern site of the Keystone XL pipeline on March 22, 2012, in Cushing,...
Democrats and Republicans are sparring over the impact that the Obama administration's latest delay on deciding whether to approve the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline will have on the 2014 elections.
Environmental organizations and Democrats say the delay will have little effect in tight Senate races in November, while GOP-aligned groups are arguing it underscores that pro-pipeline Democrats have little power in their party.
The focus is on a handful of Senate Democrats who support the $5.4 billion Canada-to-Texas project and are running tight races in red-leaning states. Six of those incumbents -- Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mark Begich of Alaska, John Walsh of Montana and Mark Warner of Virginia -- recently urged President Obama to approve the pipeline.
The White House attempted to deflect attacks from Republicans and Democrats in red-leaning states who labeled the latest delay a political move.
The State Department announced Friday that it would halt an interagency review of the pipeline while it waits for the Nebraska Supreme Court to rule on the legality of the current pipeline route. The move could put a White House decision on the pipeline beyond the November elections, sparing Obama a ruling that would either upset his environmental base or jeopardize the electoral chances of some Senate Democrats.
"I know there's a great urge and has always been to make this about politics," White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday. "But we've see along this process, along the way here, along the route, you know, a series of actions taken in keeping with past practice where the reviews are done out of the State Department."
Democrats say Keystone XL, which has has the support of some union groups and business but faces fierce opposition from environmentalists, is low on the radar for most voters.
Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a congresswoman from Florida, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Keystone XL wouldn't play a significant role in those Senate races, which she said serve as "referendums on the candidates running." Similarly, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Justin Barasky downplayed the pipeline in comments to the Washington Examiner.
"Across the country, voters are going to have a crystal clear choice between a Democrat who is fighting for women, seniors and the middle class in their states and Republicans who are pushing an anti-middle class agenda because they're bought and paid for by special interest billionaires like the Koch brothers," he said.
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Democrats, Republicans grapple over Keystone XL impact on Senate races