Obama Mocks Republicans Who Push Keystone Pipeline as Jobs Plan

Obama Doubles Down on Low-Ball Keystone Jobs Claim Despite Fact-Check Criticism (Fox News)

President Obama doubled down Tuesday on his claim that the Keystone XL oil pipeline would create just a handful of jobs, despite being hammered by Republicans and fact-checkers alike for the claim.

The president addressed Keystone during a speech in Chattanooga, Tenn., as he challenged Republicans to come up with new jobs proposals.

"They keep on talking about this -- an oil pipeline coming down from Canada that's estimated to create about 50 permanent jobs. That's not a jobs plan," Obama said.

In citing the 50-jobs number, though, the president was using the smallest possible number attached to the pipeline project. The estimate he used likely refers to a State Department finding that -- after the pipeline is built -- it would take roughly 50 people to maintain it.

But the comment ignores the rest of the State Department report that estimates the project would create nearly 4,000 annual construction jobs -- and potentially "support" an annual 42,000 jobs.