Rehberg, Tester camps spar over pipeline blame

The echoes had barely stopped from an announcement that a permit for a transcontinental pipeline had been denied before the camps of two U. S. Senate candidates were taking shots at each other.

President Barack Obama Wednesday denied issuing a permit to TransCanada Corp. to build a pipeline to transport tar sand oil. Obama, who had delayed making a decision until 2013, was required to make a decision by Feb. 21 by a rider attached to legislation extending payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., who is challenging Tester in the Sena...