ANWR Question?

[AValdoux]

C-span was explaining that Frist changed his vote to no so he could open it later for reconsideration. The cloture vote could come up again? CNN radio news reported as I was returning from lunch that the Republicans were making phone calls & twisting arms before the re-vote. In the press conference after the vote today Kerry sounded confident that all their votes were solid. I think we know what Frist can do behind closed doors.

Is ANWR over?


AValdoux

[texastoast]

1. I hope so

But I wouldn't bet on it.

[phantom power]

2. In the bigger picture, almost certainly not. The pro-drill Repubs

will never stop trying to pass this. They've been sticking it in bill after bill, for years.

[WhereThereIsFire]

3. Something up their collective sleeves

I doubt the ANWR issue is over for the longterm, but maybe for the short term ... i.e. until after the 2006 elections. There is a lot of fear in congress now about how voters may choose to punish them at the polls. This is one of the hot button topics. Here's CNN's important paragraph on the vote today:

"Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist for procedural reasons cast a vote with ANWR opponents, so that he might be able to resurrect the issue for another try. But Democrats said they expected the defense bill to be withdrawn and reworked without the Arctic refuge provision."

and the link to their full story:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/21/arctic.drilling.ap/index.html

I'd expect this issue to be raised again in 2007 if the Rebooblicans retain control of congress. Raiding ANWR is definately one of bush's dreams.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi WhereThereIsFire!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[WhereThereIsFire]

8. Thanks, good to be here!!

[flpoljunkie]

4. There are three votes short, only two R's voted with Dems, so the one vote

will have to come from twisting the arm of another Democrat. Not bloody likely.

[LynneSin]

5. As long as republicans & reindeer are alive and breathing it's never over

I don't know the exact wording on the cloture but when someone who votes "NO" changes their mind then they have to re-open the voting. Only problem is we have 41 democratic senators pretty much committed to staying out of ANWR and at least one republican (Chafee). DeWine is a wild-card and not sure the reasonings to why except that Republicans aren't very popular in Ohio.

So if Frist stuck with "YES" it means that one of those 41 democratic senators who have been pretty darn committed to keeping out of ANWR or one of the 2 rogue repukes have to have a change of heart and ask to revisit this vote. Probably not going to happen.

But to understand why Frist voted "NO" is to understand how this defense bill is structured. Republicans got real desperate to get ANWR opened so they tossed it in a defense spending bill in which they knew the troops need supplies and veterans needed help. But knowing that this might not be enough to steal a few democratic votes they tossed in some real "tug-at-your-heart" spending in the bill that had great soundbyte potential in the evening news. Suddenly we're going to toss in help for the poor to pay for their winter heating costs and the cherry on top of this massive sundae: $29billion much needed dollars to help rebuild Katrina devastated gulf coast. This will get the average american up in arms for anyone who doesn't want to help keep the poor warm and the katrina-victims on the path to recovery.

But once the cloture happens it's done for unless someone wants to reconsider their vote and again, 41 democratic senators, 1 committed republican and one 'who knows where he's coming from or going to" republican means that Frist doesn't have anyone reliably enough to help him revisit this vote.

There are many reasons why they might want to revisit the vote. Backdoor dealings to crossover a few democrats would be the biggest ones but wouldn't then the democrats in question ask for it to re-open themselves. There also could be a change in who owns the seat. A democrat in a state run by a republican governor could die and suddenly you have a new republican on your side.

But the main reason - soundbytes for the evening news. Frist, the republicans and all their talking head screeds are going to try and convince america that democrats don't care about equipping our military, helping our veterans, heating our poor or rebuilding the gulf coast. Nothing like revisiting this cloture on a slow newsday in order to help get pressure from the voters to buy into this line of crap.

Thing is - democrats do care. Take out ANWR and the defense spending bill is more than done.

As for ANWR being done - as long as republicans have control somewhere it won't be done.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

6. He did the exact same thing with the cloture vote on the Patriot Act,

and that hasn't come back for another vote.

I doubt either will.

DeLay was the arm twister over in the House as majority leader who'd hold votes open and all but literally twist arms to get the votes he wanted.

I think there is instead a compromise or something else in the works.

[KansDem]

9. Is it just me or are they getting more sneaky about this?

The GOP knows the American people don't want drilling in ANWR. Polls have shown this time after time. So instead of voting on it separately, the GOP will attach it to bills having nothing to do with ANWR drilling. For example, it was previously included in Bush's energy bill. ANWR dilling was defeated. Then the GOP tried to include it in this DOD appropriations bill, but instead of just attaching it like common pork, they snuck it in after the committee signed-off on it. Brazen cowardice!! If this latest attempt failed, I don't know what more they can do.

They'll just have to tell their sugardaddies in the oil/gas industry, "Not this time, dear. I have a headache!"

[MaineDem]

10. ANWR was pulled from the Defense Bill

It was stripped out of the Senate's Defense Bill last night. I believe that bill has to go back to the House now (ANWR is in the House version.)

Of course, Stevens and his cronies will try to get it inserted somewhere else.