Lib Dem Schakowsky on Keystone XL: "Twenty thousand jobs is really not that many"

Illinois' unemployment rate is 9.8 percent, which is more than a percentage point higher than the national rate.

But my congresswoman, liberal Democrat Jan Schakowsky, dismisses our nation's largest 'shovel-ready' project, the Keystone XL pipeline which will create 20,000 jobs and bring petroleum from friendly Canada and lessen our dependence on oil from the Middle East and Venezuela. Keystone will also create 100,000 support positions.

On Don Wade & Roma's WLS-AM show this morning, Schakowsky told the hosts, "Twenty thousand jobs is really not that many jobs [emphasis mine] and investing in green technologies will produce that and more."

Listen here. The crucial segment comes in at the 6 minute mark.

But the federal government sunk over a half-billion taxpayer dollars into Solyndra, which is closing its doors. The crony capitalism solar panel firm could be just the first of many green failures.

Last week in front of a crowd at 'Occupy the Dream' on Chicago's North Side, Schakowsky shouted, "We can put people to work!"



We sure can put people to work, Jan--by building Keystone XL. But Schakowsky prefers to gamble on uncertain green ventures. And even if green energy works, we should still pursue an 'all-of-the-above' approach to energy production.

Lest you think I'm being selective about my editing of this video, RebelPundit has a longer version of Schakowsky speaking at 'Occupy the Dream' on his blog.

UPDATE 5:30pm CST: My good friend Joel Pollak has more on Schakowsky and those 20,000 jobs in Big Government.

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