Heritage Asks: Why Would Barack Obama Veto Job Creation?

President Barack Obama's vow to veto an extension of the payroll tax cut if Congress includes approval of the Keystone XL pipeline is self-defeating, a conservative think tank said Tuesday.

"Whats so offensive?" asks the Heritage Foundation.

HR 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011, would provide for the approval of the Keystone project that would bring oil from Canada.

Heritages Nicolas Loris said the measure would mean access to easy imports from our northern neighbor, the creation of thousands of jobs and the generation of revenue for the states where the pipeline passes.

"Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas are collectively projected to collect$5.2 billion in property tax revenue as a result of building the pipeline," Loris wrote.

But Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., are unmoved -- setting the stage for another Capitol Hill showdown this week.

Speaking on CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday night, Obama skirted the pipeline issue, saying, "It is my job to put forward a vision of the country that benefits the vast majority of Americans. It is my job to make sure that my party is behind those initiatives, even if sometimes its breaking some china and going against some of the dogmas of our party in the past."