Senate clashes over oil drilling

The Senate yesterday took up the heated political issue of oil drilling in Arctic Alaska, prompting Democrats to threaten a filibuster as Republicans accused environmental groups of spreading misinformation.

"At this time of our nation's history, we can no longer afford for our national security to be held hostage to the massive misinformation campaign of some of the extreme environmental groups," said Sen. Frank H. Murkowski, Alaska Republican. "We must move on."

It is so hard to believe that the public has fallen for this environmental stance on a natural, untouched preserve. Here Americas live with crowded cities, traffic jams, thin apartment walls and they want to preserve the Arctic for the caribou? Why does a caribou get better treatment than a human?

In addition, the claims are false. Animals of all sorts survive and thrive around drilling. Cattle graze peacefully with oil wells pumping in the pasture. We eat that beef. Cities have wells pumping in the city limits without harm. Besides the drilling is to be done in a small fraction of the area.

Yet there is some movement afoot to preserve this area that none of us will every see or want to see. Why? I feel this is a land grab and they seek to prevent us using the oil. Why?

Why would the democrats be so set on keeping us dependent on Mideast oil? Do they have financial linkages with the Saudis? Is there a subversive purpose behind this? Why would there be such a need to obstruct and prevent any plan to drill in ANWR?

There has to be a reason - and that reason is not for the environment, for the caribou or for a natural untouched area for our grandchildren who will never see it or care that it is there.

I think we should keep a good oil supply for our grandchildren. I have never heard of an oil well falling over and killing an animal. Sen. Kerry was on Crossfire and he stated that we don't need the oil and it would be 10 years before we could use it. I've never seen it take 10 years for a well to come in around here. He was very rude to Sen. Hutchenson and kept interrupting her. He kept saying this was just for the rich oil interests. Who else is going to foot the bill to drill and ship the oil?

Again, I ask why the Democrats don't want us to drill for oil here. Why do they want us dependent on Mideast oil? Kerry is lying through his teeth and he is following the environmentalist mantra. We better get prepared because one of these days the Mideast will start manipulating our supply to control us.

Dictator Daschle won't let us drill for our own oil supply, Dictator Daschle won't let us have the permanent tax cuts, Dictator Daschle won't let President George Bush pick conservative judges. I thought we used votes to get things done in America (and not votes with the decks stacked like Dictator Daschle has done with the requirement of 60 votes to get an issue to the floor).

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