The nation’s leading newspapers buried the Senate’s strong 62-36 vote for the Keystone XL pipeline inside Friday’s newspapers. Nine Democrats joined unanimous Republicans in setting up an Obama veto. Other stories seemed more interesting to the papers.
-- USA Today put the story on A-3 -- under a large color photograph of leftists protesting the pipeline proposal in front of the White House on January 10. Reporter Paul Singer began: "The Senate voted Thursday to build the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, despite a long-standing veto threat from the White House." But getting 62 votes suggests it's not as "controversial" as the left-wing green activists wanted.
The Washington story on the front page? "Obama wants 7% spending hike.”
-- The Washington Post buried it on A-6. Reporter Paul Kane began: “The Senate approved legislation Thursday mandating construction of the controversial Keystone pipeline, setting the stage for a veto showdown with President Obama.”
Like USA Today, the Post put Obama's budget up front: “Obama budget sets stage for spending fight: plan flouts mandated caps.”
-- The New York Times put the story on page A-14, under the headline "Testing Obama, Senate Approves Keystone Bill." Reporter Coral Davenport did not use the C-word, but wrote the pipeline fight “has become a proxy for far broader fights over climate change, energy, and the economy.”
The Washington story on the front page? “Drones Hover Above, Seen But Not Halted.” There was also a story on "Medicate Bills Rise for Stents Put Into Limbs."
-- The Wall Street Journal story was placed on page A-5. They featured on Washington-oriented stories on their front page.
On Saturday, January 10, the morning after the House voted 266-153 for the Keystone project, it made the front page of The New York Times, but The Washington Post buried that on A-10, and USA Today doesn't publish on Saturday. (On the networks, only CBS noticed the House vote with one sentence of morning news...the morning before the vote.)
