Canadians bristle at Romney comment that Americans ‘deserve’ oil sands crude

Mitt Romney isn't the only Republican presidential hopeful who favours approving TransCanada Pipelines' Keystone XL project.

All the would-be GOP candidates to challenge President Barack Obama for the White House say they'll immediately OK the pipeline intended to ship crude from Alberta's oil sands south to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Keystone XL has been shelved since Obama's administration demanded changes to the route to avoid a sensitive Nebraska watershed.

Romney reiterated support for the pipeline in celebrating his narrow primary victory in Michigan, hammering Obama for holding up a job-creating project that would strengthen U.S. energy security.

But it was this remark to supporters, reported by CTV News, that brought some Canadians up short: "I'll get us that oil from Canada that we deserve."

Oxford defines "deserve" this way: Do something or show qualities worthy of (a reaction which rewards or punishes as appropriate).

Romney's remark had people wondering what, exactly, has America done to deserve Canadian oil?

"I strongly supported the Keystone XL pipeline to Texas, but I'm bothered when he said they deserved our Canadian oil," commenter cixcents said after reading the CTV story. "I guess that's just my Canadian part in me reacting to his arrogance."

"They deserve it!" commented kg1. "Really, besides shooting off at the mouth and bullying every other country to get the resources of that country what exactly have they done to 'deserve' it. Oh wait, they will probably come in and bully us and attack us as well, maybe thats their definition of 'deserve.' "

The Americans' access to oil sands crude was largely taken for granted until Prime Minister Stephen Harper, reacting to the shelving of Keystone XL, made it a national policy to find alternate markets in Asia for Canadian energy via the controversial proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to the West Coast.

In a presidential election year, American politicians realized the ground had shifted but Romney's remark retained a sense of entitlement.

Amy Davidson, writing in the New Yorker, recognized the arrogance of Romney's statement.

"He said he wanted the XL Pipeline built to 'get us the oil from Canada we deserve' — is the idea that it would be wasted on Canadians, or that this is crude of a particularly fine vintage?" she wrote.

"I like Romney but don't like the sentiment he expressed there," Jay commented on the CTV story.

"Problem is, I think most Americans share that sentiment - in other words, they feel 'entitled' to our oil ... If we needed any further proof whatsoever that we need the Northern Gateway pipeline to protect our national economic interests, this is it."

After Romney's speech, leftist American rabble-rouser and filmmaker Michael Moore tweeted to Canadians "Don't worry, our drones attack swiftly."