Alberta's Opposition leader has taken aim at U.S. President Barack Obama in an opinion piece in a Washington newspaper.

Danielle Smith, leader of the Wildrose party, says in the Washington Times that Obama's recent claims about the proposed Keystone XL pipeline have no basis in economic reality.

Obama recently told the New York Times that the proposed pipeline from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast would create few lasting jobs.

Smith's editorial says Obama compares poorly with former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who she says advanced Canada-U.S. relations.