I don't believe it!

Bush plan for Alaska oil drilling blocked

Democrats in the US Senate succeeded yesterday in blocking White House-backed legislation to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, sparing the Canadian government -- at least temporarily -- a showdown with the Bush administration over the controversial plan. Amid heated rhetoric and threats of political retribution, Republican supporters of Arctic drilling failed to get the 60 votes needed to prevent a Democratic filibuster aimed at killing the oil exploration provisions. "It is a real victory for the environmental movement all throughout this country," said Senator Dianne Feinstein of California. The Senate's move was a disappointment for President Bush, who had lobbied for passage of the Arctic oil plan as part of a US$453-billion military spending bill that primarily funds US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Opponents of drilling accused Republicans of trying to force them into supporting the oil plan by including it in a must-pass defence bill. Instead, they balked at the manoeuvre and turned the tables on the majority party. "At the 11th hour, the proponents of oil drilling have attached this provision where it does not belong in the hope that we will be intimidated into voting for something we don't believe is right," Senator Joseph Lieberman said. "I have too much a sense of responsibility to the Senate to be intimidated in this way to support something I believe is wrong."
(National Post 051222)

Wow...who would've thought there were some people in the world who aren't of the mantra, "any oil, all oil at any cost".