Republicans and the Keystone Pipeline

The Keystone Pipeline is an environmental disaster.  Besides what is being done to Canadian land to dig up the tar sands oil, if the result is to burn that oil somewhere is to exacerbate global warming.  But that aside, why are American Republicans so ardent about approving the pipeline?  What is that pipeline going to do for Americans?  Very little.  Something like 50 permanent jobs.  And that's it.  Everything else is a loss.  Several thousand miles of pipeline that could burst and destroy land and pollute water.  So why are Republicans making such an issue about it?

Senator Cruz of Texas stated that this was about American oil dependence, but that isn't true.  It's Canadian oil, how does this make us independent?  This has to make us wonder about Senator Cruz' mental agility.

Here is my theory.  Republicans often blame liberals for their world patriotism, and that is true. Liberals think about all people in the world and want what's best for everyone, American or not.   Republicans say that they are true patriots and think only about Americans.  But the Keystone pipeline puts the lie to that.  The Keystone pipeline only benefits international business.  In fact Republican loyalty is to the international rich, not Americans (except those that are members of the international rich, like the Koch brothers).