In terms of what the White House is thinking on finally gracing us all with a decision on the languishing Keystone XL pipeline, I’ve fluctuated several times along the imminent-to-indefinite spectrum, and I was just starting to lean back toward the post-midterm elections line of thinking — especially since the administration was just handed such a potentially affable excuse in the form of a Nebraska judge’s decision to invalidate the governor’s approval of TransCanada’s proposed route through the state. Sure, the executive branch’s only job is to determine whether the pipeline project is on the side of the general public welfare and can cross the international border — which they have now affirmatively done several times over — but if a state spat gives provides them with even the slightest cover for continuing the delay, why would they pass it up?

But, if President Obama’s reported comments in a closed-door meeting with governors this morning is any indication (…who even knows anymore?), a public decision could be happening in within the next couple of months, via Politico:

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin told reporters after a closed-door White House meeting Monday that Obama predicted a final decision will come much sooner.

“He did come back and say that he anticipates an answer one way or the other in a couple months,” she told reporters.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal also said Obama told governors a decision would come in the next few months — though he expressed skepticism.

“We’ve heard this before,” Jindal said during a Republican Governors Association news conference.

Republicans have complained that the president had predicted a year ago that the decision would come by the end of 2013.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry was much more optimistic.

“The president is going to approve the XL pipeline,” he said. “Just write it down. … There is no defending not opening the XL pipeline.” …

Hmmm. Honest-to-goodness, definitive promise to finally put an end to his increasingly unpopular dithering, or crowd-pleasing, vague throwaway remark to a bunch of angsty governors he doesn’t really want to deal with?