The Senate has once again rejected drilling in ANWR:
The Senate blocked oil drilling in an Alaska wildlife refuge Wednesday, rejecting a measure that had been put into a must-pass defense spending bill in an attempt to garner wider support.
Drilling supporters fell four votes short of getting the required 60 votes to avoid a threatened filibuster of the defense measure over the oil drilling issue. Senate leaders were expected to withraw the legislation so it could be reworked without the refuge language. The vote was 56-44.
This has become another one of those pointless symbolic issues that is less about what people actually claim (oil independence and the environment) and more about political clout.
jg
I hate when politicians put stupid addons onto important bills thereby killing the bill. As much as I hate subsidizing Haliburton this defense bill is important. Much more important than the political capital gained by saying a democrat voted against a bill that would help our troops keep you safe from all the bad people out there. Bad people. Bad. Want to harm you. Is this the bill that will finally get our boys some body armor or is it the one that keeps seats in the next election?
capelza
Ted Stevens really needs to retire….I mean really, really….he is embarrassing himself.
And yeah, holding the defense spending bill hostage over this is just plain nasty…childish, petulant, evil and egregious…
The Other Steve
Here in Minnesota we have a constitutional amendment which requires bills be about a single issue. So you can’t attach oil drilling to the educational funding bill, for example. I think it’s time we considered a similar amendment at a national level.
The Other Steve
Republicans don’t care about what’s right… only what’s political.
Although I think their wedge issue politics is starting to wear thin with the population.
jg
I don’t know about that. They can get lots of mileage out of these things.
‘I voted for it before I voted against it’.
BTW I think ALL politicians do this not just repubs.
ppGaz
That ship sailed a long time ago, John. All truth is politics and has been for a long time. What did we think Schiavo was all about? What did we think “Sanctity” was all about? What did we think that “The people that knocked down these buildings can hear you….” was all about? What was “Mission Accomplished” all about? What was “Wanted, Dead Or Alive” all about? “Bring It On?”
What is the supposed capacity of the ANWR resource to deliver product? What impact would this have on the oil market? If it’s symbolic and pointless … whose fault is that? If there’s symbol-first government going on, who is running the (cough) GOP (cough) government? Shouldn’t we be complaining to them?
Shygetz
I think we should be blaming ourselves. There’s a reason that politics has sunk to this level, and the reason is that it works. If we stopped voting for yahoos who did this crap, then the problem would stop. But the voters reward the people who pull this crap, so they keep doing it.
KC
I think Shygetz gets to the heart of the matter.
ppGaz
I didn’t vote Potato in 2000, 2002, or 2004.
SeesThroughIt
Finally, some legislation I could actually support.
KC
I hear that. It’s just atrocious that Congressmen can tack on legislation to omnibus bills that 1) have to be passed and 2) have nothing to do with the junk that gets attached. What’s worse is that now we have such stuff being done in ways that violate Senate or House rules.
Mike S
As usual the front page over at RedState is knashing it’s teeth over this.
It’s a perfect example of the answer to Shygetz’s comment.
Matt
My understanding of the drilling is that it wouldn’t have a huge impact on either concern. So yeah, I’m with you on the symbolism.
Perry Como
They have every right to be upset. This is partisan grandstanding by the Democrats. Democrats don’t care about our troops, they don’t care about Katrina victims, and they don’t care about energy independence.
Did you know that oil in ANWR could double our strategic oil reserves? Did you know that the oil in ANWR could eliminate our dependence on Saudi oil for 30 years?
It’s imperative that we allow oil companies to develop this natural resource so they can sell it to China.
capelza
Mike S, I read that dairy….god lord, I really can’t stand going over there anymore. Either it’s stuff like this, or the threats of banning in almost every comment section I read.
That and the crack from one of the regulars about “loud mouthed women” a while back.
Uberweiss
That is completly untrue. It isn’t just republicans, it is also democrats. All politicans are same. Democrats and Republicans may have different points of view on issues but the one thing they have in common is keeping their butts in Congress and sucking their campaign contributers perverbial dicks.
TJIT
I suppose this means congress won’t have any more hearings where they bring oil company management in front of congress and demand that they do more to increase domestic energy production.
Sojourner
DougJ, this isn’t up to your usual standards. Distracted by the holidays?
Taylora
Tyranny of the majority: the flaw of democracy.
Total area of blue country: 592,000 square miles
Total area of Alaska: 656,424 square miles
jg
Representation should be based on acreage? Thats absurd.
texas dem
Actually, I somehow got the drift once that ANWR may someday be drilled, but that it’s not going to be given away for nothing — it’s going to be traded for some major concession from conservatives on vehicle fuel economy or a hybrid government fleet or something else. Which, honestly, makes sense.
I have no idea if that’s really true, and I’m aware that even passing on that rumor has political effects. But, it is a very interesting lens through which to look at all this, so I thought I’d share it.
In light of that, this becomes a fight about whether Rs can take something from Ds without giving anything in return. Whether Rs can deliver for their base and demoralize the Dem base. It becomes more of a raw exercise of power — are the Rs strong enough to win this outright, or are the Ds strong enough to stand together and resist complete defeat on an issue, even a slightly symbolic one. It also casts the actions of each party’s defectors in a different light.
Did you see who crossed over on this vote? The usual suspects DIDN’T. McCain voted for cloture, for instance. So did Snowe, Collins, Specter, and Coleman, who campaigned on a promise to protect ANWR. So did Gordon Smith.
On the D side, The Hawaiians, Ben Nelson, and Mary Landrieu crossed over, and it’s possible that one or both of the last two would have crossed back if needed. But the Arkansas Ds and Salazar and Tim Johnson stuck with the caucus.
The only Rs who defected to the D side and filibustered? Chafee and DeWine, both in tough elections against strong Democratic opponents.
I thought that vote was pretty interesting. I wish I knew more about it. But it does sort of look like a raw power vote. Particularly if those two stray Democrats were prepared to cross back if needed. For that matter, maybe Chafee and DeWine would have crossed back if needed. In fact, Chafee and DeWine may have consulted Nelson and Landrieu and agreed to swap votes, one for one. I wish I knew more about this stuff.
But John is right, or close to right. I’m not sure I’d call it theatre, but this is possibly not about what it claims to be about anymore.
Paul
Man, I miss the line-item veto!
BIRDZILLA
Again our trecerous senators vote to keep us hostages to OPEC SCREW THE CARABOU SCREW GREENPEACE SCREW SIERRA CLUB