Keystone XL cop out fails for Landrieu

That thud you may have heard late this afternoon was the senatorial career of Mary Landrieu (D-LA). Facing a runoff election next month where she is expected to lose--badly--the Democratic National Commitee has ceased funding her campaign. With the Republican takeover of the upper chamber coming in less than two months, she'll lose her chairmanship of the Energy Committee--which was one of her bragging points.

Landrieu had one card left to play--finally getting the Senate to vote on the Keystone XL pipeline, which will bring much-needed petroleum from our friends in Canada here. It will lessen our dependence on oil from hostile regimes such as Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, and hurt the bank books of Russia and Iran.

President Obama has been dithering on Keystone for six years now. He, and most of his party, are too interested in kowtowing to their environmentalist donors.

The vote happened--and Landrieu was one vote short. So President Obama won't have to finally make a decision on Keystone until next year--when Landrieu will very likely be a former senator.