In the news, and not in the news, comes the media’s version of Senator Mary Landrieu’s (D-LA) push in Washington to advance the Keystone XL pipeline project. A project that has met all the required tests and gone through all the hoops put before it by the Obama administration. Except for getting the president to sign off on it.

Legislation to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline began racing through the U.S. Congress on Wednesday as Democrats and Republicans appeared to be coming together in a challenge of President Barack Obama’s oversight of the project.

What is NOT in the news about this move is why now? “Why now” is, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) is facing a runoff election for her seat on Dec. 6, and is in danger of losing it to Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). In response to Landrieu’s action, Cassidy proposed an almost identical bill in the House. The media’s sleight-of-hand is their interpretation, that the two houses of congress are now “working together,” in the aftermath of the mid-terms where Democrats took another pounding.

The timing has nothing to do with congress working together on this subject. There is, and has always been, bi-partisan support for the XL-pipeline. The people want energy independence. Big Labor wants the jobs that it would create. But all that support is not enough for the president to face down the environmentalist lobby that is against it. Landrieu’s move now is just to try and save her job. Her motivation is just too transparent for the media to notice. They wouldn’t be providing the needed cover for Landrieu if they did.

Link: Keystone pipeline approval bills advance in Congress | Reuters.