shouldn't Democrats introduce a bill mandating that oil from ANWR . . .

be consumed exclusively in the US? . . . Republicans would be in a real pickle if they voted against it, and oil companies probably wouldn't drill if it passed . . . win win . . .

does most of the oil coming from Alaska right now.

Nominating for greatest.

It's a good idea to introduce a bill like that! Call Hillery!

They get first dibs, then everyone else in Alaska, then Washington State, and it can trickle down from there, just like the Republicans' great economic plan for America. Trickle. Trickle. Trickle.

since Japan is closer than the lower 48. It makes no difference, the oil companies are just trading the Alaskan oil for sources that are closer.

Oil prices are high because of global demand, which is only going to increase. Telling Americans that this oil is somehow going to keep OUR gas prices down and get US off foreign oil is a lie. If the demand goes up more than 1 million barrels a day, and it will, the price goes up. The only way to reduce our dependence on oil is to address the problem and it's CARS. As long as they perpetuate this lie that the oil will help us, we do nothing about CARS and keep paying higher prices to the oil companies and the Bush Buddies.

If they can't ship it across the Bering Strait to the lucrative Asian market.

Until we're willing to pay European prices, expect the "shortage" to continue.

They all seem ambivalent.

I don't think even Republicans would fall for that one..
It is a free global market. The US will make the biggest profit from their oil if they keep transport costs low, so getting it to the nearest buyer whoever that may be is a logical idea.
Keeping it inside the U.S. will not make any difference in lowering the price of oil or gas, because it's not a local market but a global one.

That price is determined by the equilibrium between global supply and demand and it doesn't really matter which oil goes where..

Anyhow, the real question is how long that small trickle of oil from the ANWR will postpone the impending peak of oil production, but that is a separate issue from the question where the oil actually goes.

(edited to add the last paragraph)

since the Republican rationale for drilling ANWR has always been to lessen our dependence on foreign oil . . . calling them on this lie is a winning strategy, imo . . .