NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. - American conservatives here for the largest gathering of right-wing activists and politicians in the country are once again calling on President Barack Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.
Republicans have always supported the controversial $7 billion project, not only for the thousands of jobs proponents say it would create, but also because it would reduce America's dependency on oil from less friendly nations like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.
Former House Speaker and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich had one simple message for Obama Thursday when it comes to Keystone: "Approve it. It's two years late.
"We would have created 20,000 jobs if he'd approved it two years ago. We need it, Canada needs it, it's better for our security," Gingrich told Sun News Network during the 40th annual three-day Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) here.
"The worst possible outcome would be to drive the Canadians into Chinese arms by building a pipeline straight west, so we need to approve the pipeline."
