You may not have heard by now, because our corporate media has been pretty slow reporting this, but the petrocratic Republican-controlled Senate has
voted down Sen. Cantwell's amendment to protect the Arctic Wildlife Refuge from drilling, 48-51.
My first thought on this is: "the bastards who voted for this must be punished." So let's never, ever, ever give any money to DINOs Landrieu, Akaka, and Inouye again. I'm not going to say we should kick them out of the party because we need Reid as leader, but these three are traitors to our country and our world. Republicans McCain, Chafee, Collins, Snowe, DeWine, Coleman, and Smith voted for the amendment, but they must also go down as their punishment for supporting the leadership of Frist and the chairmanship of Domenici.
But punishment is not enough. We must still save the Refuge.
As I said
back in March when Cantwell's first amendment was defeated, and as
Senator Boxer agreed, we can still fight back and save the Refuge. Here's how.
- The House Budget includes language on drilling. It is likely to pass but if we can persuade swing congressmen to vote against it because it is pork-laden, it might go down. If there's ever a time when Republicans are weak enough that this might actually work, it's now.
- If Democrats take back the Congress in 2006, we can force through wilderness designation for the Arctic Refuge and revoke whatever drilling permits that have been issued so far. Drilling won't actually have begun yet in January 2007, just seismic testing to locate petroleum deposits, so there will still be time. So contribute to candidates and do your part. We must defeat the petrocracy at the ballot box.
- Sadly, it seems that politics has failed the Refuge on this issue, so we must make the oil companies know what will happen to them if they bid for drilling contracts there. That was what Senator Boxer and I proposed back in March. The two biggest, foulest companies, most eager to drill in Alaska, are ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco. Please call them. Also call BP-Amoco and ConocoPhillips, which are not as eager to drill in Alaska, but might do so anyway. Here are their numbers. Tell them, "If you drill in Alaska, I will never again buy gas from you and I will tell my friends to do the same." We can defeat the petrocracy if we don't support it with our money.
ExxonMobil: (972) 444-1000
ChevronTexaco: (925) 842-1000
BP-Amoco: (281) 366-5174 and (202) 457-6603
ConocoPhillips: (303) 649-4065
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Thank Senator Cantwell for her efforts to protect the refuge by contributing to her reelection.
Get involved with the League of Conservation Voters' campaign to reelect Cantwell.