An Extremely Disappointing Energy Bill

The Libs are going to have to change their rant. If Bush and the Republicans are so much in the pocket of Big Oil, why didn't the 1,724-page just passed energy bill include new drilling in ANWR on Alaska's North Slope?

The exclusion of that provision makes laughable any rhetoric about freeing ourselves from dependence on Islamofascist oil. There is no good reason not to drill there, given the light-touch technology today; only bad reasons from ranting greenies who use emotion, not science. Even they have abandoned their "save the critters" rhetoric on ANWR, replacing it with an even more onerous message: If we drill for more oil, we'll just keep driving our cars longer.

What a bunch of hooey! We will drive our cars for as long as we possibly can, then leave them abandoned by the side of the road when the gasoline finally runs out. Everyone in America but the small cadre of enviro-socialists accepts, enjoys and celebrates the personal freedom cars give us. They would have government tell us how to get to where we go; we will not accept that.

Why did ANWR get cut? Here's Sen. Dominici's explanation:

During two presidential campaigns and repeatedly over the last five years, Bush has talked of the need to tap the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for the billions of barrels of oil that it holds. He views it as key to reducing the country's reliance on foreign oil. It is not mentioned in the energy bill.

"If we put it in we wouldn't be here," Domenici told reporters.

In other words, fear of filibusters. Bah! We need to change the filibuster rules pronto to require the old-time Mr. Smith and Mr. Byrd ramble endlessly type of filibustering, then let them filibuster. Let them stand there for hours saying it's more important to pretend we're coddling carribou than it is to be independent of Saudi terror shieks.

We still might not end up with oil wells in ANWR, but the country will have more evidence of the continuing Sept. 10th mindset of the Dems.