Fact Checking President Obama's State of The Union

Despite His Rhetoric About An ‘All Of The Above Strategy’ For Energy, President Obama Rejected The Keystone XL PipelinePRESIDENT OBAMA: “This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy… full of new jobs.” (President Obama, State Of The Union Address, 1/24/12)

Even Democrats Were ‘Very Disappointed’ With Obama’s MoveSEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): “President Obama’s decision on the Keystone XL pipeline is a major setback for the American economy, American workers and America's energy independence.” (Sen. Manchin, Statement on Administration’s Decision to Halt Keystone XL Pipeline, 1/18/12)

SEN. JON TESTER (D-MT): “I am disappointed in the president’s decision. ... I will continue to champion Montana’s role in securing America’s energy future…” (“Keystone Decision Hands GOP Ammo,” Roll Call, 1/19/12)

SEN. MARK BEGICH (D-AK): "disappointing and frustrating" “Begich -- Democrat from Alaska -- calls Obama's rejection of Keystone ‘disappointing and frustrating’” (Sen. Begich Statement, Manu Raju Twitter, 1/18/12)

SEN. MARK PRYOR (D-AR): "I strongly disagree with President Obama’s decision to postpone the Keystone pipeline project, which will sustain and create jobs." (Sen. Pryor Statement, Twitter, 1/18/12)

SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): “There is absolutely no reason we cannot start putting Montanans to work on the Keystone XL pipeline right away…” (“Keystone Decision Hands GOP Ammo,” Roll Call, 1/19/12)

·    “An aide to powerful Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana said the senator would continue fighting ‘to get this project off the ground.’” (“Moderate Dems Question Keystone Decision,” Politico, 1/18/12)

REP. GENE GREEN (D-TX): “I am very disappointed in the President’s decision today.” (Rep. Gene Green, Press Release, 1/18/12)

REP. JASON ALTMIRE (D-PA): “… a missed opportunity to drastically turn this economy around.” (Rep. Altmire, Press Release, 1/18/12)

EDITORIALS: ‘Keystone should be approved. This is a good project’THE WASHINGTON POST: “…on the substance, there should be no question... clearly, constructing the pipeline would still result in job gains during a sluggish economic recovery.” (Editorial, “Obama’s Keystone Pipeline Rejection Is Hard To Accept,” The Washington Post, 1/19/12)

USA TODAY: “The Obama administration's kick-the-can decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline… leaves a confusing muddle that exemplifies the continuing fecklessness of U.S. energy policy.” (Editorial, “Editorial: Obama's Pipeline Decision Delays Energy Security,” USA Today, 1/19/12)

·    “The biggest loser in this game of political football is the national interest.” (Editorial, “Editorial: Obama's Pipeline Decision Delays Energy Security,” USA Today, 1/19/12)

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: “Keystone should be approved. This is a good project. It will give us energy and give us jobs. You want stimulus? This is a $7 billion deal to be done with private-sector funding.” (Editorial, “Pipeline Politics: Misguided Obama Blocks Keystone Pipeline,” The Chicago Tribune, 1/19/12)

·    “Obama made a decision that will cost the U.S. good jobs. He seems to think those jobs will still be there when he gets around to making a decision on the pipeline. But they may well be gone for good.” (Editorial, “Pipeline Politics: Misguided Obama Blocks Keystone Pipeline,” The Chicago Tribune, 1/19/12)

UNIONS: ‘Completely And Totally Disappointed’ LABORERS’ INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA: “Politics at its worst.” (Laborers’ International Union Of North America, Press Release, 1/18/12)

·    “The score is Job-Killers, two; American workers, zero. We are completely and totally disappointed… Blue collar construction workers across the U.S. will not forget this.” (Laborers’ International Union Of North America, Press Release, 1/18/12)

MARK AYERS, AFL-CIO: “… disappointed by an Administration unwilling to take its own words to heart and approve this vital project.” (Mark Ayers, Press Release, 1/18/12)

·    “With a national unemployment rate in construction at 16% nationally, it is beyond disappointing that President Obama placed a higher priority on politics rather than our nation's number one challenge: jobs.” Ibid

Manufacturers Are Skeptical, Mr. President They Call President Obama’s Rejection Of Keystone ‘Outrageous’ And Say His Tax Hike Proposals Are ‘Poison’THE WHITE HOUSE: “In his State of the Union Address, the president will lay out a blueprint for an economy that's built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing.” (White House, State Of The Union Talking Points, 1/24/12)

Manufacturers: President’s Keystone XL Decision ‘Outrageous’NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS: “It is unacceptable and outrageous that the Obama Administration has made a decision to prevent 118,000 jobs from being created. The Keystone XL pipeline is a shovel-ready project that must be approved. Manufacturers continue to face unprecedented challenges to their competitiveness, and it’s already 20 percent more expensive to manufacture in the U.S. compared to our major trade partners. Keystone XL will provide manufacturers access to an affordable source of energy, which is critically important because manufacturers use one-third of our nation’s energy supply. We strongly urge the Obama Administration to reverse its decision and approve Keystone XL without delay to put Americans back to work.” (NAM, Press Release, 11/10/11)

Manufacturers: ‘President Obama’s Call For Tax Increases… Is A Poison Pill’NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS: “President Obama’s call for tax increases on small businesses, individuals and investors is a poison pill for our economy. The bottom line is that manufacturers need policies that enable them to hire more workers, make capital investments and expand their businesses. More than 70 percent of manufacturers operate as S-corporations and pay income tax at the individual rate, so higher taxes on these job creators would be a devastating blow. The President’s proposal is short-sighted; we should not attempt to solve our nation’s fiscal ills on the backs of businesses striving to expand and add jobs.” (NAM, Press Release, 9/19/11)

Manufacturers: ‘Overregulation Is Harming Job Creation And Stifling Economic Growth’NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS: “Manufacturers have been saying for some time that overregulation is harming job creation and stifling economic growth. This is an opportunity for the President to demonstrate results by eliminating unnecessary regulations already in the pipeline or delaying poorly thought-out proposals that are costing jobs. ... We stand ready to assist in the President’s efforts to address an escalating problem and meaningfully reduce unnecessary burdens on manufacturers in America so they can get back to creating jobs.” (NAM, Press Release, 1/18/11)

Fewer Jobs - Fewer Americans Are Working Today Than When President Obama Took Office

1,663,000 Jobs Lost January, 2009 – December, 2011(U.S. Dept. Of Labor, “Employment, Hour, And Earnings From The Current Employment Statistics Survey (National),” Accessed 11/28/11)

13.1 Million Americans Are Currently Unemployed (BLS Household Survey)

Unemployment Rate: 8.5% Now  Vs.  7.8% In January 2009(“The Unemployment Situation – December 2011,” Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 1/6/12)(BLS, Accessed 1/24/12)

Long-Term Unemployment Has More Than Doubled: December 2011: 5.6 Million Vs. January 2009: 2.7 Million. Ibid

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