ANWR: Drill, drill, drill
By J. James Estrada (04/26/06)
Because of the tenacity of Secretary of State William H. Seward, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $2.7 million in 1867. Today, the U.S. government would be able to sell leases for oil drilling in ANWR for $7.2 billion. Not a bad investment. However, the Congress of 2006 (mostly all Democrats and a few RINO’s, like John McCain) via the filibuster, will not allow drilling there despite the fact that Alaskans themselves want to proceed. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Congress in 1867 did not want to purchase Alaska in the first place. They didn't see the value of "Seward’s Folly."
The closest I’ll ever get to Alaska is in the alphabetical listing of states (I live in Arizona). Who am I to disagree with what Alaskans want to do? But here is John McCain, the Arizona maverick, pandering to environmentalists.
Attention John: you will not get the Republican nomination in 2008’s presidential primary. With gas prices rising yet again, I call on you to stop the pandering and get the oil out of the icebox called ANWR.
Why President Bush doesn’t issue an executive order to do that is beyond me; especially with our dependency on an area of the world that is at war with us. Remember, it was another President’s veto (that would be Bill Clinton) of Congressional approval of ANWR drilling a decade ago, that has us still debating the issue.
J. James Estrada
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