[charlie22]

It's nice to see you posting here, Charlie. I hope that this marks the beginning of a trend.

Hopefully, the Canadians will at least wait until after the election before deciding whether to start signing long term commitments with China. If Obama is returned to office, I do not think there is much hope of seeing the pipeline built.

Thanks Hoot. Time will somewhat limit my posting in this forum. And when I do, some of them may surprise you. For example, while I'm not in support of the federal govt's investment in Solyndra and the other related companies, I'm very much supportive of the federal govt investing in alternative energy. I believe that the federal govt should be creating a Manhattan Project type federal ran and operated organization, hiring directly the best and brightest scientists, and pouring tons of federal dollars in alternative energy R and D.

My reasons for thinking that way: the sooner we stop sending billions overseas to buy oil (and often funding regimes covertly or overtly hostile to us) the more secure our national interests will be and the better it will be for our trade balance.

I also believe that if it can be reasonably concluded that we have the natural gas supply (and from what I know, I think it has), I think the federal govt should fund the construction of a natural gas distribution pipeline up and down the interstates to stimulate the conversion of semis (and eventually pedestrian vehicles) to natural gas. Charge the natural gas companies that will profit for their use of the distribution system, but go ahead and federally fund the installation/construction of the distribution system.

I do think that in tough economic times, the federal govt should have increased spending on projects that are well thought out and are long lasting (for example replacing the failing bridges throughout the US).