[rohry]

"A rising tide of optimism toward ANWR oil development and the natural gas pipeline."

I've read that ANWAR is dead unless the Republicans get a 60% majority. Even then the two Maine Senators and Chafee will vote against it. What am I missing?

[RightWhale]

The dynamic trio of Murkowski, Stevens, and Young have been a team for 22 years and they think it can be done. Sure the Senate needs 60 votes to stop a filibuster, but such a filibuster is less likely to succeed than it would have before the election. The natural gas pipeline would still take 7 years to build if they start now, which they aren't, but that doesn't stop optimism among the populace.