Harold Ford Jr on Keystone XL: "I think the president caved in to the more extreme voices on the environment in our party"

In what was supposed to be a selling tool for the Obama-Biden campaign, former Tennessee Democratic congressman Harold Ford Jr. wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal (paid registration required) touting the president's achievements. Well, he views them as such, not me.

But Ford nonetheless blows the whistle on Obama in regards to his refusal to approve the building of the Keystone XL pipeline.

On CNBC's Squawk Box this morning, Ford reiterated his criticism of Obama in regards to this jobs-creating endeavor. Click here for the video--the transcript I used for this post begins at the 3:30 mark.

The key takeaway from Ford about Keystone is that Obama "caved in to the more extreme voices on the environment in our party, which I think is wrong."

CNBC's BECKY QUICK: You just quickly mentioned energy policy. You have an op-ed in the Journal today where you defend President Obama, cite Middle East factors and everything else that's been a contributing issue for oil prices, but then at the end you seem to sort of say the president does need to get on board with the Keystone...do things to encourage energy development. Is that what you're really saying?

FORD: That was my second piece. So I think Simpson-Bowles is first and, two, I think he has to get--the White House has to be more willing to choose from a menu of options. The menu they choose from is only the green energy and alternative energy, which is, I think, is all very, very important and we've made great strides in the last three years under this president but the reality is –

(After some audio interference and some banter in response to it, the conversation gets back on track.)

FORD: I think that we have to choose from a menu of options. The op-ed also speaks in support for the Keystone pipeline, which I think is critical, not only for us to continue to -- for the flow of energy products in our own country, but two, for the creation jobs and other things and economic activity.

CNBC'S ANDREW ROSS-SORKIN: A real mistakes you say the president how he approached it, the Keystone pipeline?

FORD: The State Department signaled support for it. I think the president caved in to the more extreme voices on the environment in our party, which I think is wrong.

At the Illinois rallies for Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney that I attended recently, I listened to both Republican candidates firmly state their support for building the Keystone XL pipeline.

And it looks like the Tennessee Democrat, unlike the president, truly favors an all-of-the-above energy policy.

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