Bush's Environmental Blitzkrieg Continues (ANWR)

A Democratic-led effort to prevent President Bush and Congressional Republicans from destroying the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by deceptively squeezing an oil drilling provision into the national budget failed on a 51-49 vote today. As usually the case with the Bush Administration, Big Oil got its way.

Ben Nelson stood up for the environment and against the special interests, not an easy vote when there's this much money involved, while Chuck Hagel turned his back on common sense and common decency by allowing this dishonorable, deceitful provision to pollute the entire budgeting process. A sad day, indeed.

All this for an unverified oil supply that, at best, will account for less than 2.5 percent of U.S. oil needs, while doing nothing to impact today's soaring gas prices and tight oil supplies. But, heck, why destroy later what we can deplete today? Children and Caribou be damned.