XPost: can.politics, ab.politics, bc.politics   
   XPost: ont.politics   
   From: ConsRCons@govt.cda   
      
   National Post - 20 Jan 2014   
      
      
   Canada ad blitz hits Washington, D.C.   
   'Sorry, but would you like to buy our oil?'  Canada ad blitz hits   
   Washington, D.C.   
      
      
   In an apparent bid to woo support for the Keystone XL pipeline, the   
   Government of Canada has laid claim to two of the busiest metro stations   
   in Washington, D.C.   
      
   Since at least early January, thousands of commuters in the U.S. capital   
   have passed under massive banners showcasing idyllic scenes and touting   
   up the Great White North as “America’s best energy partner.”   
      
   “America faces a choice: It can import oil from Canada – a secure and   
   environmentally responsible neighbor that is committed to North American   
   energy independence – or it can choose less stable offshore sources with   
   much weaker environmental standards,” reads one ad against an image of   
   two little girls posing next to U.S. and Canadian flags.   
      
   Another ad, wrapped around a large concrete pole, is merely a chart   
   showing that Canada sends 2.4 millions barrels of oil per day to the   
   United States, “more oil to America than Saudi Arabia and Venezuela   
   combined.”   
      
   The ads, all clearly emblazoned with the “Government of Canada” logo,   
   have been featured at both Metro Center and Farrugut North, respectively   
   the second and third busiest stations on the Washington Metro rapid   
   transit system.   
      
   Both stations are strategically located within three blocks of the White   
   House and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Farrugut North, in   
   particular, is immediately adjacent to K Street, the traditional home of   
   Washington, D.C. lobbying firms.   
      
   However, the U.S. State Department, the agency that is currently working   
   on its final recommendation for the Keystone XL pipeline, is still a   
   25-minute walk to the southwest.   
      
   The department’s recommendation is expected to be complete by the   
   spring, after which President Barack Obama is expected to make a   
   decision on approving the northern portion of the pipeline, which would   
   connect the Alberta oil sands to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.   
      
   So far, while it is difficult to gauge the political impact of the   
   Canadian ad blitz, they have certainly seemed to attract attention from   
   the city’s media class.   
      
   “[Government] of Canada goes all-out on pro-oil, pro-[Keystone XL] Metro   
   ads,” reads a January 2 Tweet by Reuters reporter Roberta Rampton.   
      
   Atlantic writer Jeffrey Goldberg seemed more bemused at the apparent   
   existence of a Canada lobby. “There’s a ton of pro-Canada propaganda in   
   the Farragut North metro station,” he wrote last week. “Some underlying   
   tension I’m not aware of?”   
      
   The Metro ads all contain an address for the federally-operated website,   
   GoWithCanada.ca.   
      
   There, visitors are treated to an image of the Country Above the United   
   States as a friendly, democratic nation that abhors pipeline spills,   
   loves its environment and is the only rational way for the United States   
   to achieve energy independence. Canada is a “reliable source of fuel,”   
   it reads.   
      
   Photo:   
   http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/01/23/canada-blitzes-washingto   
   -d-c-transit-riders-with-pro-oil-propaganda-in-apparent-bid-for-   
   eystone-support/   
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
      
        “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save   
   the environment.”    ― Ansel Adams   
      
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)