Sen. Ted Stevens defends tactics for opening Arctic refuge to drilling

Sen. Ted Stevens said he has no reservations about adding a provision for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to a spending bill for overseas troops and hurricane victims.

"I'm just doing my utmost to do my job, which is getting ANWR passed," Stevens said.

Leading Democrats such as Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., take a different view.

"I find it outrageous - and unacceptable - that after failing in their budget reconciliation ploy to open the Arctic wilderness to oil drilling, drilling proponents would now try to tamper with the defense spending bill at a time when we have troops in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan," Lieberman said.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has threatened a filibuster. He said Stevens tactic would "hold our troops and hurricane victims hostage" to drilling.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AK_ARCTIC_REFUGE_STEVENS_AKOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-12-16-13-31-51

"It's MY pork! Leave it ALONE!!!! I mean it! I'll quit!"

Oh would you, darling?

The USGS estimates of recoverable reserves,as are most engineering studies, are based in part on the economics of oil. The higher the market price, the more justifiable the drilling. Isn't it just a little odd that in the last 2 years the price of oil has risen so sharply? At $60, what were marginally recoverable deposits suddenly become much more attractive. The estimates of the price the government will receive for the leases has risen to billions of $s. It's more than pork, it's an annual feast for the drilling companies and producers.

When you're bought and paid for by the "resource recovery" industry, you do what you're damn well paid to do.

Ted Stevens: most evil Senator ever? (Remember, he's competing with McCarthy and a whole bunch of secessionists).

politicians of his ilk are doing is stealing.They are robbing the American people blind how do you justify the smallest state getting so much money?He should be arrested and charged with grand larceny.

If any Alaskans read this, would you please do the rest of the country a huge favor, and look into recalling this selfish, greedy jerk? What a poor excuse for a human being.