Posted on 12/20/2005 8:49:00 AM PST by indianrightwinger
Stevens Holds Senate in Session Fight for Oil Drilling Keeps Colleagues From Holiday Break
By Shailagh Murray Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, December 20, 2005; A13
It's an audacious power play, even for Sen. Ted Stevens.
The wily and cantankerous Alaska Republican is trying to secure the mother of all pet projects for his state: oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Stevens has attached the provision to a popular defense spending bill and has put holiday plans of his Senate colleagues on hold as he dares Democratic and moderate Republican opponents to vote against it.
The former Appropriations Committee chairman is a master of legislative larding, but this latest gambit may be riskier than usual. It is the last in a string of high-profile battles this year that included an angry showdown over funding in the highway bill for the "Bridge to Nowhere."
Alaska drilling is the most controversial environmental issue before Congress, a far cry from the usual Native Alaskan and salmon subsidies. And Stevens has tucked it into a bill that funds the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I support what he's doing, but if you're too cute in maneuvers, they can backfire on you," warned Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.). "That's a big package there, and we are up against Christmas. I sure hope someone has counted the votes."
While neither side will predict the outcome, some drilling opponents said they will not budge. "It doesn't belong on a defense bill," Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.) said of the drilling provision. The moderate Republican said Stevens is misusing his authority as the sponsor of the defense spending bill, granting drilling "a significance that is out of proportion. It's just not fair."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
"It doesn't belong on a defense bill," Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.) said of the drilling provision.
If we don't start moving toward energy self-sufficiency we will be defenseless.
It was funny to see Levin, etc, fuming over this "rules violation" of the senate yesterday, especially in light of the stunts they have pulled. :)
This is funny coming from RINO Lott...the spineless wonder who attacks Bush for not doing enough for hurricane evacuees...and the cretin who has his brother-in-law trial lawyer sue insurance companies because Trent was too dumb to buy flood insurance and is insisting that his homeowner's policy should cover damages expressly excluded from the policy.
Did you ever just secretly wish you could smake those glasses of the end of Levin's nose?
Nicely put. And right on the mark.
"It doesn't belong on a defense bill," Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.) said of the drilling provision. Themoderate RepublicanRINO said Stevens is misusing his authority as the sponsor of the defense spending bill, granting drilling "a significance that is out of proportion. It's just not fair."
Would you like some cheese with your whine?
Hold them there till HELL freezes over, or until ANWR is passed BUMP!!
Stevens (and Bush) played Poker like masters here.
There is no way that the Senate is going to leave Katrina aid, Defense money AND John McCain's Terrorist Bill of Rights to die on the floor.
The Senate can scream all they want. Voting against this bill will be political suicide. The Dems will whine, cry, beg and plead, but in the end this bill is going through and they know it.
They will accuse Bush of dirty tricks, but F$%K them, oil is DIRTY!.
Trent,
Maybe going home for Christmas might not be prudent with pressing national Security issues such as operating without a FY-06 Defense Budget during wartime, and the Patriot Act expiring.
Frist should cancel the holiday break!!!!!!
" the mother of all pet projects for his state: oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge"
While he certainly has his state's own interests in mind, I don't think most people (right or left) would view drilling in ANWR as just a statewide pet project.
The 'rats pulled this tactic off time and time again in the past.
bttt
Shut up, Chafee.
I'm just enjoying that a Republican Senator is FINALLY playing hardball with Dems/RINO's.
Personally, I won't cry if McCain's terrorist protections go down in flames if the Bill is blocked. Yet if it passes, it passes with cuts in rate of spending and ANWR which would be cause for celebration. McRino is against ANWR and I'm enjoying Stevens blackmailing him the way McRino blackmailed the President.
"Once ANWAR drilling starts, this entire issue will drop off the radar screen for generations to come. Why? Because there will be no "bad" news."
You're right. I can recall the BFD that they tried to make out of the Alaskan pipeline too, and you never hear much about that anymore either.
I read somewhere that the elk population around it has actually increased. It seems Mrs. Elk has discovered that the pipeline is warm, and often hunkers down w/ her kids there when its especially cold out.
Caribou. There are herds and herds of them; thousands in the herds. I've been there. The most desolate corner of the continent that only the brave will tread. All those beautiful pictures you see are of Denali National Park. Thousands of miles away.
Me too. It's just too bad that he didn't throw a border fence in too while he was at it.
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