Landrieu demands credit for Keystone after claims it wasn’t for glory

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) demanded credit Thursday for getting a Senate vote on construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

After she requested the vote Wednesday, both parties were able to agree on holding a vote Tuesday on bipartisan legislation that would force the Obama administration to allow the construction of the pipeline that would transport oil from Canadian tar sands to refineries along the Gulf Coast. The House is expected to pass the bill this week.

{mosads}The Keystone debate is wrapped up in midterm election politics, with both Landrieu and her opponent in the Louisiana Senate runoff, Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), taking the lead on legislation.

On Wednesday, Landrieu insisted she wasn’t calling for a vote to make political gains. She and Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) are the lead authors of the bill.

“If they want to take my name off, put somebody’s else name on it and pass it, so be it,” Landrieu said on the floor Wednesday. “I didn’t come here to see my name in lights.”

But on Thursday, she demanded that the press give her credit for the achievement, since Republicans planned to use the vote as a talking point at a press conference later in the day.

“When they call press conferences later today and declare victory, remember who actually brought this to the floor,” Landrieu said Thursday. “I’m the senator who came to this floor.”

Landrieu chided Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for campaigning on the issue of Keystone, yet not listing it as a top priority for the lame-duck Senate.

Landrieu is working to get the 60 votes needed to pass the bill in the Senate.