Thousands Protest at White House

Some 10,000 activists protested outside the president’s home Sunday against the construction of TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline. The protests were deliberately held exactly one year before the 2012 election, in order to send a message to President Obama that he will lose support from environmentalists if he builds the pipeline. Supporters say the 1,700-mile pipeline will create thousands of jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on Middle Eastern oil, but others say it is bad for the environment. The founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council said, “He’s trying to get elected, but there’s also a really important decision that he’s got to make to put us on the right path. That’s what leadership is.”