A former aide of Hillary Clinton worked on a three-month project to bolster support for the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport heavy tar sand oil from Alberta, Canada to American refineries on the Gulf of Mexico.

hillary lefebvreHillary Lefebvre, director of broadcast media for the Hillary Clinton for President campaign, worked to "reframe" the debate from "environmentalists vs. Canada" and "good vs. bad" to an "American issue" in an effort to earn more positive currency in the media.

Her firm urged the government of Alberta to concentrate on the benefits of Keystone to the US so it becomes relevant to the public, not just environmentalists.

Feverpress defined the main obstacle as, "President Obama has championed his commitment to the environment early on in his second term and is beholden to the environmental constituency for their political support in the last election."

The current debate "gives the President little political cover to support the pipeline without looking like he is turning his back on his pro-environmental agenda."

To Lefebvre, the President requires "the air cover he needs to support the pipeline.

She said Alberta doesn't need to win the environmental argument.

The Canadian province" just needs to add context and complexity to it so that we can blunt the current arguments against the pipeline."

Lefebrve, prior to Clinton, spent seven years in TV news production at CNN ("Crossfire) and ABC News' "Nightline."

She is founder of On Air Strategy and managing director of Teneo Strategy.