Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Keystone Katastrophe

President Obama has "energized" the GOP presidential candidates if you will by coming out yesterday afternoon "concurring with the (State) Department's recommendations" that the Keystone XL does "not serve the national interest."

Okay, come again?  Good paying jobs and a safe and supply source of energy from Canada does not serve the (U.S.) national interest?  (Editor's note:  You can bet the GOP presidential candidates will have a field day dissecting this decision.)

"The U.S. is facing the single worst economy in years, Americans are desperately in need of jobs and they are demanding safe and secure sources of energy," Ambassador David Wilkins told reporters yesterday afternoon. "It is a catastrophic decision that puts politics above sound policy and more importantly the best interests of the American people."

The company behind the project, TransCanada, issued a statement yesterday saying this outcome was not unexpected.  The company says it remains "committed to the construction" of the pipeline and continues to work to keep the project on schedule.

Meanwhile, the GOP presidential candidates are already hammering the president's pipeline punt. Frontrunner Mitt Romney came out of the gate early, issuing this statement:

"If Americans want to understand why unemployment in the United States has been stuck above eight percent for the longest stretch since the Great Depression, decisions like this one are the place to begin," the former Massachusetts governor said.   "By declaring that the Keystone pipeline is not in the ‘national interest,’ the president demonstrates a lack of seriousness about bringing down unemployment, restoring economic growth, and achieving energy independence."

Picking Presidents

Moving on from pipeline politics to presidential politics, the GOP presidential nomination race is red-hot here in South Carolina.  This morning Texas Governor Rick Perry dropped out of the race after failing to receive the momentum he was hoping to receive here.  Meanwhile, Rick Santorum got a big boost with word out of Iowa today that Santorum actually bested Romney by 34 votes.  As you know, Romney had been declared the winner in Iowa but officials there are saying now there is enough discrepancy in the voting count that they are now declaring a "co-win" for Romney and Santorum in Iowa. 

South Carolina is certainly winnowing the GOP presidential field with Jon Huntsman announcing early this week in Myrtle Beach that he too is suspending his campaign.  The Palmetto State is known for many things (and naturally we'll only be focusing on the good things) like its pristine beaches and world-class golf courses, our Southern hospitality and down home country cookin'. (Yes, you did see all the GOP presidential candidates stumping in a restaurant called "Lizards Thicket" – and it's so good it makes you want to slap your mama! Editor's translation: The food is really good).  

Thankfully, no slaps were thrown in Monday night's 16^th GOP presidential debate moderated by FOX News, but there were plenty of verbal jabs thrown and received which is the reason many pundits are calling it the best debate so far.  (Of course, tonight the 17^th debate of the political season is being held in Charleston, South Carolina, so stay tuned…)

As you might imagine, David Wilkins and the Team have been everywhere the action is this week in our home state.  From moderating and participating on policy and political panels to helping chase down South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley for our friends in the Canadian press corps, this has been one busy week – and it's not over.  We don't get to vote until Saturday!

With all eyes on South Carolina, the world is watching to see if we enhance our reputation this week as the state that "picks presidents" three decades and counting. 

Mobilized in Myrtle Beach

Team Wilkins got an early start to the week, traveling down to Myrtle Beach on Sunday, where hundreds of great Americans (as well as media from around the world) were gathered for the "GOP Experience" (basically a mini-convention sponsored by the state Republican party) in advance of Monday night's GOP presidential candidate debate.  

From meeting Japanese reporters to the stars of FOX News, it was an eclectic gathering at the Myrtle Beach Sheraton. 

Pitching the Pipeline

Monday morning began bright and early with a breakfast hosted by the South Carolina Energy Forum attended by nearly 500 interested South Carolinians.

Ambassador Wilkins served as MC and moderator of the discussion entitled "The State of American Energy."  As Wilkins told the crowd, "Let's face it, if the state of American energy was good – even adequate – we wouldn’t need forums like this."

Wilkins then went on to cite the current politics in Washington, particularly those coming from the White House that are thwarting domestic oil and gas drilling, as well as the KXL pipeline and the energy security and jobs the project promises.  (Of course, little did Wilkins or any of the attendees know then what we all know now – that Obama would not only renew – but embrace – his KXL Pipeline punt.) 

Breakfast attendees heard from a very distinguished – and informed – panel including South Carolina Congressmen Jeff Duncan, Mick Mulvaney and Joe Wilson, all of whom have been vocal proponents of the KXL Pipeline project, as well as from the President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute,  Jack Gerard.    

The Congressmen used maps of the U.S. to graphically demonstrate that thousands of miles of  energy pipelines are already crossing our nation and the fact that Americans are being well-served by these pipelines, leaving them to conclude the president's KXL decision (then and now) has everything to do with politics and little to do with policy.  

Congressman Joe Wilson was especially passionate on the issue as he personally visited Alberta's oil sands last fall and saw first hand how oil sands production and job creation here in America go hand in hand. 

Again, in remarks that seem rather ironic three days after he delivered them, API's Gerard stressed energy independence and security are nonpartisan issues.  Gerard told the crowd all President Obama has to do to instantly put 20 million new jobs on line, as well as provide a safe and secure source of energy for America, is to declare Keystone in the "national interest," especially considering the project has already received and passed years of intensive environmental review by the U.S. State Department.  

The energy breakfast was attended by Maclean's Magazine Washington Correspondent Luiza Savage.  Check out her blog on the breakfast here:  http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/01/16/new-republican-weapon-on-keystone-xl-a-map/

Noshing with Nikki

The pre-debate festivities continued with a fascinating lunch discussion kicked-off by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. 

Haley reminded the amassed crowd of more than 500 that South Carolina is deeply steeped in patriotism, boasting the fact that more military veterans call South Carolina home per capita than any other state in the nation. 

And in recognition of Martin Luther King Day celebrated Monday across the United States, Haley said she stands "in awe of" Dr. King's life and how he accomplished so very much in such a short span of time.  Haley said King's "courage, strength, and the faith he had in America" will live on forever.

After her brief remarks, the governor chatted with a CBC-TV crew with questions coming from CBC's Senior Washington Correspondent, Neil Macdonald. 

The lunch was keynoted by renowned U.S historian and author David Barton who offered a fascinating view of the history of the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. that you won't find in most classroom textbooks. 

Hooking Up With Huckabee

Tuesday found Team Wilkins in Columbia, the capital city of the Palmetto State, and the destination for former Arkansas governor and current FOX Channel show host Mike Huckabee. 

Huckabee offered insightful and heartfelt keynote remarks at a luncheon of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition which is co-chaired by David Wilkins and our Nelson Mullins colleague and partner Dick Riley.

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition works to advocate for America's financial and moral engagement in the world.  

The event was attended by a bevy of national news media including Fox News' Carl Cameron, there to cover an anticipated drop-in by former speaker and current GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, who did not disappoint. 

Gingrich arrived just as Governor Huckabee was concluding his remarks and offered a rousing, off-the-cuff presentation on key moments in U.S. history and the challenges the U.S. must address present day. 

Campaigns Hit Charleston

Yesterday and today finds Team Wilkins in historic Charleston, South Carolina, attending the Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SLRC) which is hosting tonight's 17^th debate, this one conducted by CNN. 

While here, the team will be talking with several of our friends in the Canadian press corps as primary day draws ever closer. 

Ambassador Wilkins also enjoyed a chat with our great friend and CNNradio superstar reporter Lisa Desjardins.  We go way back with Lisa who is famous for her thorough, fair and dogged reporting.  Long before Lisa was the Capitol Hill senior correspondent for CNNradio, she was a local reporter at the NBC affiliate in Columbia and covered the state house and then-Speaker Wilkins.  Besides being one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, Lisa is also one of the smartest, speaking fluent Russian.  (Editor's note: Yes, we are impressed!)

Rounding Out the Week

This afternoon, Wilkins flew to Washington, D.C. for a series of meetings there and a chat with CBC's Evan Soloman for the Friday evening edition of Power and Politics. 

Wilkins will also be discussing the pivotal South Carolina primary and what the 2012 elections mean for Canada with the good folks from the Sun News Network including DC-based Bryn Weese, and on Monday, January 23, he is slated to chat with CTV's Rudyard Griffiths and Tasha Kheiriddin on their National Affairs Show that afternoon. 

Stay Tuned…

Last week we suggested we might be prepared to make some pre-primary predictions in this space today.  The truth is, South Carolina remains very much up for grabs.  Mitt Romney still holds a lead but with a near-perfect debate performance on Monday night, once again, Newt Gingrich is narrowing the gap between himself and Romney while Ron Paul enjoys a core of support here from the more libertarian-leaning South Carolinians.  With Romney now saying he will eventually release his tax information, the spin game has been pushed into the stratosphere, making it even harder to predict just where the chips will land. 

But we won't have to wait long for the answer.  It'll all be over by Sunday, and if history is any indicator, the GOP winner coming out of the Palmetto State will go on to secure the GOP national presidential nod and then begin the really tough work in taking on the incumbent, Barack Obama.

Count on next week's edition of your Carolina-Canada Connections to give you all the behind-the-scenes political scoop and our ongoing analysis of what Election 2012 means for Canada.