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Apparently the Obama administration has given up on even pretending it can make an unbiased decision on Keystone XL. After hiring a TransCanada-affiliated firm to do the environmental assessment for the pipeline — a move so corrupt that even Congresspeople noticed — the administration has now taken on a former TransCanada lobbyist as a senior advisor.

This time, at least, the incestuous connection might not directly taint the Keystone XL approval process. The lobbyist, Broderick Johnson, will be working on Obama's reelection campaign. But it's fishy, and it looks like the administration knows it's fishy. Their press release about the new hire didn't mention his lobbying experience.

Bill McKibben has really extended himself on the subject, so we'll let him get the last word:

It stinks. I don’t think you could conceive a more elaborate way to disrespect not just the environmental community but also Occupy Wall Street, because this is simply a reminder of the way that corporate lobbyists dominate our politics. Forget 'Hope and Change' — it's like they want their new slogan to be 'Business as Usual.'

See: Team Obama Hires TransCanada Lobbyist,

Mother Jones