Cantwell vows filibuster over ANWR drilling

seattlepi ^ | December 20, 2005 | CHARLES POPE

[ncountylee]

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Maria Cantwell vowed Monday to keep the Senate in session until the brink of Christmas to defeat legislation that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

"If this language is allowed to stand, one of our nation's most pristine wildlife areas will be lost," Cantwell, a Democrat said as she outlined plans by her party and its allies to defeat language offered by Alaska Republican Ted Stevens to open ANWR.

"This is nothing more than a sweetheart deal for Alaska and the oil companies," Cantwell said. "That's why I am prepared to use every procedural option available to me as a senator to prevent this language from moving forward."

The showdown is likely to come on Wednesday when the Senate is expected to vote to force an end to debate. Sixty votes are needed to break a filibuster that Cantwell has promised. Neither side would say whether it had the votes to prevail.

Alaska Republican Ted Stevens triggered the tempest by getting permission to add the ANWR language onto a $453 billion defense-spending bill. Stevens, who has been fighting to open the refuge for 25 years, argued that provision meshes with the bill because the military is the nation's largest consumer of oil.

[Mr. Mojo]

Around $2.40

[stboz]

Keep shooting at those feet, Maria. You guys don't know when to stop digging.

There a deeper problem than this animated turd. It's the people who elected her. These braindead leeches are allowed to vote when they should require an OSHA permit to think.

[TheRobb7]

[narby]

"If this language is allowed to stand, one of our nation's most pristine wildlife areas will be lost," Cantwell, a Democrat

Translation: If we allow drilling in ANWR, there will be no more money donated to the DNC to stop it.

These people will milk their environmentalist whacko cash cow for all it's worth. Anyone who actually believes they give a crap about the "pristine wildlife" is a fool.

[Malleus Dei]

ANWR is *not* pristine. The impact from drilling will be minimal. As usual, the anti-American Left is doing all it can to damage the country.

[OKIEDOC]

What in the name of anything that might remotely be good is going on with these old gasbags up in Washington.

[Jet Jaguar]

Do it. A real filibuster.


Dems cannot follow through.

[blinachka]

... and if it doesn't pass, it's a sweetheart deal for the Saudis.

Exactly. It really shows us whose side they're on. It's certainly NOT the USA's.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Frist shouldn't have backed down last summer... he has definitely proven he is not presidential material.

[SergeantsLady]

Since Ms Cantwell is a US Senator from Washington State...why is she so concerned about Alaska...seems she'd have enough to worry about representing her own constituents interests. Hmmm...perhaps...she's just jealous. As I recall, most residents of Alaska support some exploration in ANWR...as do their Congressional Representatives... then again, maybe I'm confused...I always thought that the politicians were elected to be representatives of the PEOPLE.

[SaxxonWoods]

I have a whacko enviro acquaintance who has actually been to ANWR on an enviro-junket. He came back and said, "Good grief, go ahead and drill it, there's nothing there to worry about, it's a wasteland, and even I will admit it."

[ThePythonicCow]

Does anyone understand the real motivations behind the left's insane positions such as this?

How could anyone be that self destructive?

[jveritas]

The general national budget bill cannot be filibustered and that where the 41 billions dollars in spending are. However the defense budget bill where the ANWR oil drilling provision is attached can be filibustered.

However it will be a political suicide for the democrats to do so. But with all the political suicide that the democrats have been committing lately, like cut and run from Iraq, utter defeatism in the war, filibustering the Patriots acts, and wanting to go after the President for authorizing the wire taping terrorists phone calls in the US, it would not surprise of they do filibuster this defense budget bill.

[jveritas]

spending= spending cuts

[blinachka]

Thanks for that! It really shows how ridiculous this argument is!! It seriously IS the size of a postage stamp!! It is a CRIME against this nation to oppose it IMHO. Thses bastards complain about our "dependency on foreign oil" but when we have a chance to get our own and decrease that dependency they show their true colors (and the political interest groups whose pockets they're in)and argue against it. It's disgusting!

[Gordongekko909]

Does anyone understand the real motivations behind the left's insane positions such as this?

There are a lot of Sierra Club members with access to their husbands' checkbooks who do not want ANWR drilled. Therefore, the Dems will do their best to ensure that ANWR not be drilled.

[Beagle8U]

I vote that we force every demonrat(and RINO)senator that are blocking this bill to spend 2 weeks in summer, and 2 weeks in winter, living in their "pristine" area.

They can spend their Christmas break there. If that don't kill em, I'll betcha the mosquito's will next summer.

[taxesareforever]

Sen. Maria Cantwell vowed Monday to keep the Senate in session until the brink of Christmas to defeat legislation that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

I hate to say that she is one of my Senators. She's going to lead the charge? Give me a break. She is just a spoke in a very large wheel.

[ThePythonicCow]

Your reply hits home. I'm in the process of divorcing one of them now, though with the laws that have been rewritten and reinterpreted by femi-nazi leftists the last few decades, I don't know if that will be anywhere enough to defund that Sierra Club member.

Right now, more of my money goes to the Sierra Club than goes to FreeRepublic.

Just damn.

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

Who ever thought that the collapse of the Twin Towers was actually a sign of the collapse of the left in this country. At this rate, they will be gone in 2008.