WikiLeaks disclosure shows State Department tar sands pipeline bias even before dubious study

A 2009 cable from the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released by WikiLeaks suggests that the U.S. State Department was already inclined to approve the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline even before it made a study of the issue that was so vigorously criticized that a supplement was issued.

From the Chicago Tribune:

The cable, obtained by WikiLeaks, describes the State Department's then-energy envoy, David Goldwyn, as having "alleviated" Canadian officials' concerns about getting their crude into the U.S. It also said he had instructed them in improving "oil sands messaging," including "increasing visibility and accessibility of more positive news stories."

Goldwyn now works on Canadian oil sands issues at Sutherland, a Washington lobbying firm, and recently testified before Congress in favor of building the 36-inch underground pipeline, Keystone XL.