Obama Claims he's added enough pipeline 'to encircle Earth and then some'

By Andrew Restuccia and Amie Parnes - 03/22/12 12:36 PM ET

The Hill:

As gasoline prices continue to rise, President Obama on Thursday pushed back on attacks from Republicans that he is blocking the Keystone XL oil pipeline and is against drilling, arguing his administration has added enough new oil-and-gas pipelines to "encircle the Earth and then some."

Obama highlighted his support for the southern leg of the controversial Keystone pipeline, which would carry oil from Cushing, Okla., to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

Appearing before a backdrop of oil pipelines in Cushing, Obama said he was making construction a priority through an executive order issued Thursday that instructs federal agencies to expedite their review of the southern portion of the pipeline.

“Today, I’m directing my administration to cut through the red tape, break through the bureaucratic hurdles and make the project a priority,” said Obama, who earlier this year rejected a GOP bid to force construction on the full pipeline, which would stretch from Alberta to the Gulf Coast.

Republicans quickly dismissed the speech and the executive order as a public relations stunt.

“Today he's out in Oklahoma trying to take credit for a part of the pipeline that doesn't even require his approval. Now this is what I'm calling the Obama energy gap,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said during a press conference at the Capitol.

“There's a big gap between what the president promises and what he talks about and the actions that he's taking."

The Cushing speech is the latest in a two-day, four-state tour meant to tout the president’s energy plan and undercut GOP attacks over high gas prices. The White House is trying to change the optics of the issue to the president’s advantage, putting Obama in front of a field of solar panels on Wednesday and oil piping on Thursday.