If the sole interest was in creating jobs- and the GOP is upset about this, why wouldn't they have as strongly supported more infrastructure bills that would improve transportation, airports, bridges, schools, sewage etc that have been proposed all day long by some Dems and a minority of GOP reps?
I'm not violently opposed to a pipeline, however it's silly that there's an outcry over 3-4,000 temporary jobs as the link from BI above shows, from an industry that supports the GOP, but no outcry from a more fragmented industry (construction, engineering etc) that all the other infrastructure projects didn't have.
Secondly- as has been noted, this is not making a huge dent towards reducing dependence on foreign oil if the pipeline takes it to Texas City so it can be refined and shipped.
Lastly- I remember when our intelligent friend Rick Perry wanted to basically commandeer land to make his Texas corridor people went nuts- so, I think the scenario is similar for farmers in Nebraska.
This pipeline would not be a horrible thing if it was given the same level of priority as thousands of other shovel ready projects that don't have huge industries backing it, had the approval of most local authorities, and complete environmental studies that were satisfactory.