Click here for the Tampa Bay Times political "Buzz" article that reveals a highly interesting story of a vote by Congressman Patrick Murphy on the Keystone pipeline:
Rep. Patrick Murphy of Jupiter was the lone Florida Democrat to join this afternoon with Republicans in approving the Keystone pipeline.This is from the AP on the U.S. House Keystone pipeline vote and the party lines:
Murphy has shown a willingness to cross the aisle at times and it's paid off; he cruised to re-election despite starting the cycle as one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country.
Congress inched closer Friday to a possible showdown with President Barack Obama over the Keystone XL oil pipeline as the Republican-controlled House approved the project. Supporters in the Democratic-run Senate predicted they will get the 60 votes needed to pass it next week.
The House vote was 252-161 in favor of the bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., in an effort to boost his chances to take a Louisiana Senate seat away from Democrat Mary Landrieu. The two are headed for a Dec. 6 runoff and have been touting their energy credentials in the oil and gas-producing state.
Should the Senate send the bill to Obama for his signature, he would face a decision that pits some of his environmental concerns about the pipeline, mainly its consequences for global warming, against potentially helping a fellow Democrat making a longshot bid to retain her Senate seat.
The House bill was supported by 221 Republicans, with not a single GOP lawmaker voting against it. Thirty-one Democrats backed the bill, while 161 rejected it.