President Obama was pretty clear that he rejected the Keystone XL pipeline’s permit application because “the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact.” But congressional Republicans still haven’t gotten the message that maybe rushed and arbitrary deadlines aren’t working in their favor. Politico says House speaker John Boehner has indicated he’s willing to play dirty in order to get the pipeline approved.

House Speaker John Boehner said on Sunday “all options” are on the table to push through the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline — and suggested that the GOP may withhold its support for an extension of the payroll tax cut to force President Barack Obama to approve the project.

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“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that this Keystone pipeline is in fact approved,” the Republican congressman from Ohio said on “Fox News Sunday.”

So Republicans may be willing to hold your wages hostage if it benefits their cronies in the oil industry. Business as usual in Washington.

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